diff --git a/src/Renderer.ts b/src/Renderer.ts
index ddab417..3fde857 100644
--- a/src/Renderer.ts
+++ b/src/Renderer.ts
@@ -329,6 +329,23 @@ export default class Renderer {
         this.renderer.setRenderTarget(this.resources.worldRenderTarget);
         this.renderer.clear();
 
+        if (Config.viewMode === "side") {
+            const data = generateSideViewWorld(Config.worldSize);
+            const initTexture = new THREE.DataTexture(
+                data,
+                Config.worldSize,
+                Config.worldSize,
+                THREE.RGBAFormat,
+                THREE.FloatType,
+            );
+            initTexture.needsUpdate = true;
+            this.renderer.copyTextureToTexture(
+                initTexture,
+                this.resources.worldRenderTarget.texture,
+            );
+            initTexture.dispose();
+        }
+
         this.resources.worldRenderTargetCopy.setSize(
             Config.worldSize,
             Config.worldSize,
diff --git a/src/__tests__/worldInit.test.ts b/src/__tests__/worldInit.test.ts
index f7498a7..8a8da14 100644
--- a/src/__tests__/worldInit.test.ts
+++ b/src/__tests__/worldInit.test.ts
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ describe("generateSideViewWorld", () => {
             }
         }
         // if we reach here, home wasn't on the surface row
-        expect("home not on surface row").toBe(false);
+        throw new Error("home not on surface row");
     });
 
     test("some cells have R = MAT_FOOD on the surface row", () => {