diff --git a/assets/images/logo.png b/assets/images/logo.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..deb3f731
Binary files /dev/null and b/assets/images/logo.png differ
diff --git a/less/joust.less b/less/joust.less
index d22afc30..ddc12115 100644
--- a/less/joust.less
+++ b/less/joust.less
@@ -297,11 +297,62 @@ div.visuals {
 	width: 100%;
 }
 
-.joust-message {
-	width: 100%;
-	text-align: center;
-	font-family: sans-serif;
+.loading-screen {
+	position: relative;
+	display: flex;
+	flex-direction: column;
 	margin: auto;
+	color: white;
+	font-family: "Belwe Bd BT";
+	text-shadow: -1px -1px 0 #000,
+		1px -1px 0 #000,
+	-1px 1px 0 #000,
+	1px 1px 0 #000;
+
+	@keyframes rotate {
+		from {
+			-webkit-transform: rotate(0deg);
+		}
+		to {
+			-webkit-transform: rotate(360deg);
+		}
+	}
+
+	.logo {
+		width: 8em;
+		position: relative;
+		margin: 2em auto;
+		animation-name: rotate;
+		animation-duration: 3s;
+		animation-iteration-count:  infinite;
+		animation-timing-function: ease;
+	}
+
+	.info {
+		height: 1em;
+		font-size: 2em;
+		margin: auto;
+		position: relative;
+		display: flex;
+		flex-direction: row;
+
+		.left {
+			text-align: right;
+			width: 8em;
+		}
+		.center {
+			text-align: center;
+			margin-left: 1em;
+			margin-right: 1em;
+		}
+		.right {
+			text-align: left;
+			width: 8em;
+		}
+	}
+	.joust-message {
+		font-size: 1.5em;
+	}
 }
 
 .deck {
diff --git a/ts/TexturePreloader.ts b/ts/TexturePreloader.ts
index 33e3bd02..ba0151ea 100644
--- a/ts/TexturePreloader.ts
+++ b/ts/TexturePreloader.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ class TexturePreloader extends Stream.Writable {
 	protected textureQueue = ['GAME_005'];
 	protected images = [];
 	private working = 0;
+	private assetCount = 0;
+	private textureCount = 0;
+	private heroPowerCount = 0;
 	protected assetQueue = ['cardback', 'hero_frame', 'hero_power', 'inhand_minion', 'inhand_spell', 'inhand_weapon',
 							'inhand_minion_legendary', 'mana_crystal', 'inplay_minion', 'effect_sleep',
 							'hero_power_exhausted', 'hero_armor', 'hero_attack', 'icon_deathrattle', 'icon_inspire',
@@ -55,18 +58,23 @@ class TexturePreloader extends Stream.Writable {
 			this.consume();
 		};
 
+		let isAsset = false;
+		let isHeroPower = false;
 		let file = this.assetQueue.shift();
 		if (!!this.assetDirectory && file) {
 			file = this.assetDirectory + 'images/' + file + '.png';
+			isAsset = true;
 		}
 		else {
 			let cardId = this.textureQueue.shift();
-			if (!this.cards.get(cardId)) {
+			let card = this.cards.get(cardId);
+			if (!card) {
 				console.warn('No texture for ' + cardId + ' to preload');
 				next();
 				return;
 			}
-			file = this.textureDirectory + this.cards.get(cardId).texture + '.jpg';
+			isHeroPower = card.type == 'HERO_POWER'
+			file = this.textureDirectory + card.texture + '.jpg';
 		}
 
 		if (this.fired[file]) {
@@ -76,9 +84,22 @@ class TexturePreloader extends Stream.Writable {
 
 		this.fired[file] = true;
 
+		let updateProgress = (asset: boolean, heroPower: boolean) => {
+			if (asset) {
+				this.assetCount++;
+			}
+			else {
+				this.textureCount++;
+				if (heroPower) {
+					this.heroPowerCount++;
+				}
+			}
+			next();
+		};
+
 		let image = new Image;
-		image.onload = next;
-		image.onerror = next;
+		image.onload =() => updateProgress(isAsset, isHeroPower);
+		image.onerror = () => updateProgress(isAsset, isHeroPower);
 		image.src = file;
 		this.images[this.images.length] = image;
 
@@ -89,6 +110,14 @@ class TexturePreloader extends Stream.Writable {
 	public canPreload(): boolean {
 		return !!this.assetDirectory || !!this.textureDirectory;
 	}
+
+	public texturesReady(): boolean {
+		return (this.textureCount > 20 || !this.working) && this.heroPowerCount > 1;
+	}
+
+	public assetsReady(): boolean {
+		return this.assetCount > 10 || !this.working;
+	}
 }
 
 export default TexturePreloader;
diff --git a/ts/components/GameWidget.tsx b/ts/components/GameWidget.tsx
index 29de451f..b93c527e 100644
--- a/ts/components/GameWidget.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/GameWidget.tsx
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ class GameWidget extends React.Component<GameWidgetProps, GameWidgetState> {
 			assetDirectory={this.props.assetDirectory} textureDirectory={this.props.textureDirectory}
 			cards={this.state.cards} swapPlayers={this.state.swapPlayers}
 			cardOracle={this.state.isRevealingCards && this.state.cardOracle}
+			preloader={this.props.preloader}
 			/>);
 
 		if (this.props.scrubber) {
diff --git a/ts/components/GameWrapper.tsx b/ts/components/GameWrapper.tsx
index a38677c3..6cca8138 100644
--- a/ts/components/GameWrapper.tsx
+++ b/ts/components/GameWrapper.tsx
@@ -2,15 +2,18 @@ import * as React from "react";
 import {CardDataProps} from "../interfaces";
 import GameState from "../state/GameState";
 import TwoPlayerGame from "./game/TwoPlayerGame";
-import {CardType, OptionType} from "../enums";
+import {CardType, OptionType, GameTag} from "../enums";
 import Entity from "../Entity";
 import Option from "../Option";
 import PlayerEntity from "../Player";
 import {InteractiveBackend, CardOracleProps, AssetDirectoryProps, TextureDirectoryProps} from "../interfaces";
 import {Zone} from "../enums";
+import TexturePreloader from "../TexturePreloader";
+import LoadingScreen from "./LoadingScreen"
 
 interface GameWrapperProps extends CardDataProps, CardOracleProps, AssetDirectoryProps, TextureDirectoryProps, React.Props<any> {
 	state: GameState;
+	preloader?: TexturePreloader;
 	interaction?: InteractiveBackend;
 	swapPlayers?: boolean;
 }
@@ -23,11 +26,13 @@ class GameWrapper extends React.Component<GameWrapperProps, {}> {
 
 	private hasCheckedForSwap = false;
 	private swapPlayers = false;
+	private lastLog: string;
 
 	public render(): JSX.Element {
 		var gameState = this.props.state;
 		if (!gameState) {
-			return <p className="joust-message">Waiting for game state&hellip; </p>;
+			this.log('Waiting for game state...');
+			return <LoadingScreen players={null} assetDirectory={this.props.assetDirectory} />;
 		}
 
 		var entityTree = gameState.getEntityTree();
@@ -36,19 +41,32 @@ class GameWrapper extends React.Component<GameWrapperProps, {}> {
 		// check if any entites are present
 		var allEntities = gameState.getEntities();
 		if (!allEntities) {
-			return <p className="joust-message">Waiting for entities&hellip; </p>;
+			this.log('Waiting for entities...');
+			return <LoadingScreen players={null} assetDirectory={this.props.assetDirectory} />;
 		}
 
 		// find the game entity
 		var game = allEntities.filter(GameWrapper.filterByCardType(CardType.GAME)).first();
 		if (!game) {
-			return <p className="joust-message">Waiting for game&hellip; </p>;
+			this.log('Waiting for game...');
+			return <LoadingScreen players={null} assetDirectory={this.props.assetDirectory} />;
 		}
 
 		// find the players
 		var players = allEntities.filter(GameWrapper.filterByCardType(CardType.PLAYER)) as Immutable.Iterable<number, PlayerEntity>;
 		if (players.count() == 0) {
-			return <p className="joust-message">Waiting for players&hellip; </p>;
+			this.log('Waiting for players...')
+			return <LoadingScreen players={players} assetDirectory={this.props.assetDirectory} />;
+		}
+
+		if (this.props.preloader && !this.props.preloader.assetsReady()) {
+			this.log('Waiting for assets...');
+			return <LoadingScreen players={players} assetDirectory={this.props.assetDirectory} />;
+		}
+
+		if (this.props.preloader && !this.props.preloader.texturesReady()) {
+			this.log('Waiting for textures...');
+			return <LoadingScreen players={players} assetDirectory={this.props.assetDirectory} />;
 		}
 
 		// check if we need to swap the players
@@ -100,6 +118,13 @@ class GameWrapper extends React.Component<GameWrapperProps, {}> {
 			return !!entity && entity.getCardType() === cardType;
 		};
 	};
+
+	private log(message: string) {
+		if (message != this.lastLog) {
+			console.debug(message);
+			this.lastLog = message;
+		}
+	}
 }
 
 export default GameWrapper;
diff --git a/ts/components/LoadingScreen.tsx b/ts/components/LoadingScreen.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..0793b72f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ts/components/LoadingScreen.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import * as React from "react";
+import PlayerEntity from "../Player";
+import {AssetDirectoryProps} from "../interfaces";
+
+interface LoadingScreenProps extends AssetDirectoryProps, React.Props<any> {
+	players?: Immutable.Iterable<number, PlayerEntity>;
+}
+
+class LoadingScreen extends React.Component<LoadingScreenProps, {}> {
+
+	private currentMessage: string;
+	private lastUpdate = 0;
+	private messages = ['Sorting decks...', 'Painting cards...', 'Calculating lethal...', 'Calling customer service...',
+		'SMOrc', 'Verifying the face is the place...', 'Summoning heroes...', 'Nerfing cards...', 'Buffing cards...'];
+
+
+	private getMessage(): string {
+		var now = new Date().getTime();
+		if (!!this.messages.length && (now - this.lastUpdate) > 3000) {
+			var index = Math.floor(Math.random()*this.messages.length);
+			this.currentMessage = this.messages.splice(index, 1)[0];
+			this.lastUpdate = now;
+		}
+		return this.currentMessage;
+	}
+
+	public render(): JSX.Element {
+		return 	<div className="loading-screen">{this.props.players ?
+			<div className="info">
+				<span className="left">{this.props.players.first().getName()}</span>
+				<span className="center">VS</span>
+				<span className="right">{this.props.players.last().getName()}</span>
+			</div> : <div className="info"/>}
+			<img className="logo" src={this.props.assetDirectory + 'images/logo.png'} />
+			<span className="info joust-message">{this.getMessage()}</span>
+		</div>;
+	}
+}
+
+export default LoadingScreen;
diff --git a/ts/interfaces.d.ts b/ts/interfaces.d.ts
index e8deea7c..dc122634 100644
--- a/ts/interfaces.d.ts
+++ b/ts/interfaces.d.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import GameStateSink from "./state/GameStateSink";
 import GameStateScrubber from "./state/GameStateScrubber";
 import GameStateHistory from "./state/GameStateHistory";
 import Player from "./Player";
+import TexturePreloader from "./TexturePreloader";
 
 export interface DropTargetProps {
 	connectDropTarget?(jsx);
@@ -154,6 +155,7 @@ export interface GameWidgetProps extends AssetDirectoryProps, TextureDirectoryPr
 	getImageURL?: (cardId: string) => string;
 	exitGame?: () => void;
 	cardOracle: CardOracle;
+	preloader?: TexturePreloader;
 	width?: any;
 	height?: any;
 }
diff --git a/ts/run.tsx b/ts/run.tsx
index fe255ab2..91ed5b63 100644
--- a/ts/run.tsx
+++ b/ts/run.tsx
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ class Viewer {
 		this.opts.sink = sink;
 		this.opts.scrubber = scrubber;
 		this.opts.cardOracle = decoder;
+		if (preloader.canPreload()) {
+			this.opts.preloader = preloader;
+		}
 
 		this.render();
 	}