diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-builds-on-distros.yml b/.github/workflows/test-builds-on-distros.yml
index 36bbc67a9..e2029be78 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-builds-on-distros.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-builds-on-distros.yml
@@ -1,8 +1,3 @@
-# todo:
-# nlohmann
-# tinyxml2
-# spdlog
-
 name: test-builds-on-distros
 on:
   workflow_dispatch:    # by request
@@ -28,31 +23,42 @@ jobs:
       if: ${{ matrix.image == 'archlinux:base' }}
       run: |
         echo arch
-        echo pacman -S ${{ matrix.cc }} git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip sdl2_net boost
+        echo pacman -S ${{ matrix.cc }} git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip nlohmann-json tinyxml2 spdlog sdl2_net boost
         pacman -Syu --noconfirm
-        pacman -S --noconfirm ${{ matrix.cc }} git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip sdl2_net boost
+        pacman -S --noconfirm ${{ matrix.cc }} git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip nlohmann-json tinyxml2 spdlog sdl2_net boost
     - name: Install dependencies (dnf)
       if: ${{ matrix.image == 'fedora:39' }}
       run: |
         echo fedora
-        echo dnf install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools boost-devel
+        echo dnf install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} wget git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel boost-devel
         dnf -y upgrade
-        dnf -y install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools boost-devel
+        dnf -y install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} wget git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel boost-devel
     - name: Install dependencies (apt)
       if: ${{ matrix.image == 'ubuntu:mantic' || matrix.image == 'debian:bookworm' }}
       run: |
         echo debian based
-        echo apt-get install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'g++') || '' }} git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool libboost-dev libopengl-dev
+        echo apt-get install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'g++') || '' }} git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool nlohmann-json3-dev libtinyxml2-dev libspdlog-dev libboost-dev libopengl-dev
         apt-get update
         apt-get -y full-upgrade
-        apt-get -y install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'g++') || '' }} git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool libboost-dev libopengl-dev
+        apt-get -y install ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'g++') || '' }} git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool nlohmann-json3-dev libtinyxml2-dev libspdlog-dev libboost-dev libopengl-dev
     - name: Install dependencies (zypper)
       if: ${{ matrix.image == 'opensuse/tumbleweed:latest' }}
       run: |
         echo openSUSE
-        echo zypper in ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} ${{ matrix.cc == 'clang' && 'libstdc++-devel' || '' }} git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools
+        echo zypper in ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} ${{ matrix.cc == 'clang' && 'libstdc++-devel' || '' }} git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools nlohmann_json-devel tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel
         zypper --non-interactive dup
-        zypper --non-interactive in ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} ${{ matrix.cc == 'clang' && 'libstdc++-devel' || '' }} git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools
+        zypper --non-interactive in ${{ matrix.cc }} ${{ (matrix.cxx == 'g++' && 'gcc-c++') || '' }} ${{ matrix.cc == 'clang' && 'libstdc++-devel' || '' }} git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools nlohmann_json-devel tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel
+    - name: Install latest nlohmann
+      if: ${{ matrix.image == 'fedora:39' }}
+      run: |
+        wget https://github.com/nlohmann/json/archive/refs/tags/v3.11.3.tar.gz
+        tar -xzvf v3.11.3.tar.gz
+        cd json-3.11.3
+        mkdir build
+        cd build
+        cmake ..
+        make
+        sudo make install
     - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       with:
         submodules: true
diff --git a/docs/BUILDING.md b/docs/BUILDING.md
index 6c9222242..eb5a6a336 100644
--- a/docs/BUILDING.md
+++ b/docs/BUILDING.md
@@ -88,34 +88,34 @@ cd "build/x64"
 #### Debian/Ubuntu
 ```sh
 # using gcc
-apt-get install gcc g++ git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool libboost-dev libopengl-dev
+apt-get install gcc g++ git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool nlohmann-json3-dev libtinyxml2-dev libspdlog-dev libboost-dev libopengl-dev
 
 # or using clang
-apt-get install clang git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool libboost-dev libopengl-dev
+apt-get install clang git cmake ninja-build lsb-release libsdl2-dev libpng-dev libsdl2-net-dev libzip-dev zipcmp zipmerge ziptool nlohmann-json3-dev libtinyxml2-dev libspdlog-dev libboost-dev libopengl-dev
 ```
 #### Arch
 ```sh
 # using gcc
-pacman -S gcc git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip sdl2_net boost
+pacman -S gcc git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip nlohmann-json tinyxml2 spdlog sdl2_net boost
 
 # or using clang
-pacman -S clang git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip sdl2_net boost
+pacman -S clang git cmake ninja lsb-release sdl2 libpng libzip nlohmann-json tinyxml2 spdlog sdl2_net boost
 ```
 #### Fedora
 ```sh
 # using gcc
-dnf install gcc gcc-c++ git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools boost-devel
+dnf install gcc gcc-c++ git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools nlohmann-json-devel tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel boost-devel
 
 # or using clang
-dnf install clang git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools boost-devel
+dnf install clang git cmake ninja-build lsb_release SDL2-devel libpng-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools nlohmann-json-devel tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel boost-devel
 ```
 #### openSUSE
 ```sh
 # using gcc
-zypper in gcc gcc-c++ git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools
+zypper in gcc gcc-c++ git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools nlohmann_json-devel tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel
 
 # or using clang
-zypper in clang libstdc++-devel git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools
+zypper in clang libstdc++-devel git cmake ninja SDL2-devel libpng16-devel libzip-devel libzip-tools nlohmann_json-devel tinyxml2-devel spdlog-devel
 ```
 
 ### Build