diff --git a/src/WorldInit.ts b/src/WorldInit.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34e02d1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/WorldInit.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+import { MAT_FOOD, MAT_HOME, MAT_SAND } from "./constants";
+
+export function generateSideViewWorld(worldSize: number): Float32Array {
+    const data = new Float32Array(worldSize * worldSize * 4);
+    const sandHeight = Math.floor(worldSize * 0.6);
+    const surfaceRow = sandHeight - 1;
+
+    // fill bottom 60% with sand
+    for (let y = 0; y < sandHeight; y++) {
+        for (let x = 0; x < worldSize; x++) {
+            const idx = (y * worldSize + x) * 4;
+            data[idx] = MAT_SAND;
+        }
+    }
+    // top 40% stays MAT_AIR (Float32Array is zero-initialized)
+
+    // place home on surface near center
+    const centerX = Math.floor(worldSize / 2);
+    const homeIdx = (surfaceRow * worldSize + centerX) * 4;
+    data[homeIdx] = MAT_HOME;
+
+    // scatter food on surface — deterministic spots spread across the row
+    const foodPositions = [
+        Math.floor(worldSize * 0.15),
+        Math.floor(worldSize * 0.35),
+        Math.floor(worldSize * 0.65),
+        Math.floor(worldSize * 0.85),
+    ];
+    for (const fx of foodPositions) {
+        // place a small cluster (3 cells wide) at each position
+        for (let dx = -1; dx <= 1; dx++) {
+            const x = fx + dx;
+            if (x >= 0 && x < worldSize) {
+                const idx = (surfaceRow * worldSize + x) * 4;
+                if (data[idx] !== MAT_HOME) {
+                    data[idx] = MAT_FOOD;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    return data;
+}
diff --git a/src/__tests__/worldInit.test.ts b/src/__tests__/worldInit.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f7498a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/worldInit.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { MAT_AIR, MAT_FOOD, MAT_HOME, MAT_SAND } from "../constants";
+import { generateSideViewWorld } from "../WorldInit";
+
+const SIZE = 64;
+
+describe("generateSideViewWorld", () => {
+    test("output length is worldSize * worldSize * 4", () => {
+        const data = generateSideViewWorld(SIZE);
+        expect(data.length).toBe(SIZE * SIZE * 4);
+    });
+
+    test("bottom 60% of rows have R = MAT_SAND", () => {
+        const data = generateSideViewWorld(SIZE);
+        const sandHeight = Math.floor(SIZE * 0.6);
+        for (let y = 0; y < sandHeight; y++) {
+            for (let x = 0; x < SIZE; x++) {
+                const idx = (y * SIZE + x) * 4;
+                const mat = data[idx];
+                // home and food are allowed on the surface row
+                if (y === sandHeight - 1) {
+                    expect([MAT_SAND, MAT_HOME, MAT_FOOD]).toContain(mat);
+                } else {
+                    expect(mat).toBe(MAT_SAND);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    test("top 40% of rows have R = MAT_AIR", () => {
+        const data = generateSideViewWorld(SIZE);
+        const sandHeight = Math.floor(SIZE * 0.6);
+        for (let y = sandHeight; y < SIZE; y++) {
+            for (let x = 0; x < SIZE; x++) {
+                const idx = (y * SIZE + x) * 4;
+                expect(data[idx]).toBe(MAT_AIR);
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    test("G, B, A channels are 0 everywhere", () => {
+        const data = generateSideViewWorld(SIZE);
+        for (let i = 0; i < SIZE * SIZE; i++) {
+            expect(data[i * 4 + 1]).toBe(0); // G
+            expect(data[i * 4 + 2]).toBe(0); // B
+            expect(data[i * 4 + 3]).toBe(0); // A
+        }
+    });
+
+    test("exactly one cell has R = MAT_HOME on the surface row near center X", () => {
+        const data = generateSideViewWorld(SIZE);
+        const surfaceRow = Math.floor(SIZE * 0.6) - 1;
+        const centerX = Math.floor(SIZE / 2);
+        const tolerance = Math.floor(SIZE * 0.1);
+
+        let homeCount = 0;
+        for (let i = 0; i < SIZE * SIZE; i++) {
+            if (data[i * 4] === MAT_HOME) {
+                homeCount++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        expect(homeCount).toBe(1);
+
+        // verify it's on the surface row — find the row
+        for (let x = 0; x < SIZE; x++) {
+            const idx = (surfaceRow * SIZE + x) * 4;
+            if (data[idx] === MAT_HOME) {
+                expect(Math.abs(x - centerX)).toBeLessThanOrEqual(tolerance);
+                return;
+            }
+        }
+        // if we reach here, home wasn't on the surface row
+        expect("home not on surface row").toBe(false);
+    });
+
+    test("some cells have R = MAT_FOOD on the surface row", () => {
+        const data = generateSideViewWorld(SIZE);
+        const surfaceRow = Math.floor(SIZE * 0.6) - 1;
+
+        let foodCount = 0;
+        for (let x = 0; x < SIZE; x++) {
+            const idx = (surfaceRow * SIZE + x) * 4;
+            if (data[idx] === MAT_FOOD) {
+                foodCount++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        expect(foodCount).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    });
+});