diff --git a/include/menu.h b/include/menu.h
index c5268c0..5a487e1 100644
--- a/include/menu.h
+++ b/include/menu.h
@@ -46,9 +46,10 @@ typedef struct tllData_t
     bool showEnter;                     // ENTER should be printed only every second cycle 
     int inputStatus;                    // 1 if player name was entered;  2 if difficulty level was entered,  3 map was entered  
     char textInput[TEXT_INPUT_SIZE];    // auxiliary variable for user input
-    char userName[TEXT_INPUT_SIZE]; // user name
-    int userDifficultyLevel;       // difficulty level which was entered by user
-    int userSelectedMap;                   // map which was entered by user
+    char numbers[2][TEXT_INPUT_SIZE];    // auxiliary variable to store entered textInput-number into local pointer 'textLinesInMenu' in render.c
+    char userName[TEXT_INPUT_SIZE];     // user name
+    int userDifficultyLevel;            // difficulty level which was entered by user
+    int userSelectedMap;                // map which was entered by user
 } ttlData_t;    
 
 extern ttlData_t ttlStorage;
diff --git a/src/game.c b/src/game.c
index 907e9f1..5a85809 100644
--- a/src/game.c
+++ b/src/game.c
@@ -43,7 +43,9 @@ void gameInit()
     //load default map if no map loaded yet
     if (!game.mapIsLoaded){
         //loadMapByName("default");
-        loadMapByName(config.defaultMapName);
+
+        //loadMapByName(config.defaultMapName);
+        loadMap(*storedMaps[ttlStorage.userSelectedMap - 1]);
     }
     
     //----- snake -----
diff --git a/src/input.c b/src/input.c
index d39e656..c72f800 100644
--- a/src/input.c
+++ b/src/input.c
@@ -52,19 +52,19 @@ void handleInput_runningState(SDL_Event event)
         snakeSetDir(RIGHT);
         break;
 
-    case SDLK_m: // m: cycle through maps
-        rotateMapNext();
-        break;
+    // case SDLK_m: // m: cycle through maps
+    //     rotateMapNext();
+    //     break;
 
-    case SDLK_2: // 2: speed up game by increment
-        config.cycleDurationMs -= sqrt(config.cycleDurationMs) + 1;
-        if (config.cycleDurationMs < 20)
-            config.cycleDurationMs = 20;
-        break;
+    // case SDLK_2: // 2: speed up game by increment
+    //     config.cycleDurationMs -= sqrt(config.cycleDurationMs) + 1;
+    //     if (config.cycleDurationMs < 20)
+    //         config.cycleDurationMs = 20;
+    //     break;
 
-    case SDLK_1: // 1: slow down game by increment
-        config.cycleDurationMs += 50;
-        break;
+    // case SDLK_1: // 1: slow down game by increment
+    //     config.cycleDurationMs += 50;
+    //     break;
 
     default:
         LOGD("input: key %d is not handled in RUNNING mode\n", event.key.keysym.sym);
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 56ba0c2..491e532 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ extern "C"
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 { 
-  gameInit();
+  // gameInit();     is removed in menu.c
 
   // Initialisiere SDL
   if (SDL_Init(SDL_INIT_VIDEO) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/menu.c b/src/menu.c
index 80b4728..df76b0f 100644
--- a/src/menu.c
+++ b/src/menu.c
@@ -186,21 +186,23 @@ void menuHandleInput(SDL_Event event){
                 break;
 
             case 1:     // confirm difficulty level
-                // user input must be between 0 and 3
+                // user input must be between 1 and 3
                 if((ttlStorage.textInput[0] > '0') && (ttlStorage.textInput[0]  <= '3'))      
-                {
+                {   
                     ttlStorage.inputStatus++;
-                    ttlStorage.userDifficultyLevel = ttlStorage.textInput[0] - '\0';    // copy textInput to userDifficultyLevel
+                    strcpy(ttlStorage.numbers[0], ttlStorage.textInput);               // copy textInput to userDifficultyLevel     
+                    ttlStorage.userDifficultyLevel = ttlStorage.textInput[0] - '0';    // copy textInput to userDifficultyLevel
                 }
                 memset(ttlStorage.textInput, 0, sizeof(ttlStorage.textInput));      // clear textInput[]
                 break;  
 
             case 2:     // confirm map
-                // user input must be between 0 and 3
+                // user input must be between 1 and 3
                 if((ttlStorage.textInput[0] > '0') && (ttlStorage.textInput[0]  <= '3'))      
-                {
+                {   
                     ttlStorage.inputStatus++;
-                    ttlStorage.userSelectedMap = ttlStorage.textInput[0] - '\0';        // copy textInput to userSelectedMap
+                    strcpy(ttlStorage.numbers[1], ttlStorage.textInput);               // copy textInput to userSelectedMap
+                    ttlStorage.userSelectedMap = ttlStorage.textInput[0] - '0';        // copy textInput to userSelectedMap
                 } 
                 memset(ttlStorage.textInput, 0, sizeof(ttlStorage.textInput));      // clear textInput[]
                 break;
@@ -213,6 +215,12 @@ void menuHandleInput(SDL_Event event){
                 {
                     SDL_DestroyTexture(ttlStorage.textTextures[i]);
                 }  
+
+                // initialize game
+                config.difficulty = ttlStorage.userDifficultyLevel;
+                config.cycleDurationMs = config.cycleDurationMs / sqrt(config.difficulty);
+                gameInit();
+          
                 break;
             }
             break;
diff --git a/src/render.c b/src/render.c
index 102e051..bc53d78 100644
--- a/src/render.c
+++ b/src/render.c
@@ -225,11 +225,11 @@ void renderSettings()
         " ",
         " ",
         "Bitte geben Sie ein Schwierigkeitslevel ein:",
-        "1 fuer Einfach  -  2 fuer Fortgeschritten  -  3 fuer Profi",
+        "1 fuer Beginner  -  2 fuer Fortgeschrittener  -  3 fuer Profi",
         " ",
         " ",
         "Bitte waehlen Sie eine Map:",
-        "1 fuer Klein  -  2 fuer Mittel  -  3 fuer Gross",
+        "1 fuer Standard  -  2 fuer Leer  -  3 fuer Intermediate",
         " ",
          "-- ENTER --"
     };
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ void renderSettings()
 
     //=== two user inputs ===
     case 2:
-        textLinesInMenu[8] = &(ttlStorage.userDifficultyLevel);  
+        textLinesInMenu[8] = ttlStorage.numbers[0];  
         //--- rendering ---
         for (int i = 0; i < 12; ++i) 
         {     
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ void renderSettings()
 
     //=== user inputs completely
     case 3:
-        textLinesInMenu[12] = &(ttlStorage.userSelectedMap);  
+        textLinesInMenu[12] = ttlStorage.numbers[1];  
         //--- rendering ---
         for (int i = 0; i < (MAX_LINES_SETTINGS - 1); ++i) 
         {     
@@ -450,7 +450,10 @@ void renderInfoScreen()
     return;
 }
 
+void renderLeaderboard()
+{
 
+}
 
 int CreateSDLWindow(){
     // Erstelle ein SDL-Fenster