diff --git a/src/objects/Helpers/GameData.js b/src/objects/Helpers/GameData.js
index 8382355..9dbae8b 100644
--- a/src/objects/Helpers/GameData.js
+++ b/src/objects/Helpers/GameData.js
@@ -20,21 +20,7 @@ export default class GameData {
   _defineDefaultData() {
     const defaults = this.game.cache.getJSON('preloadJSON').defaults;
 
-    this.play = {
-      score: 0,
-      level: 0,
-      scoreBuffer: 0,
-      comboCount: 0,
-      player: null
-    };
-
-    this.savedGame = {
-      sprites: [],
-      player: null,
-      score: 0,
-      level: 0,
-      comboCount: 0
-    };
+    this._resetPlayData();
 
     this.stats = {
       unlockedBirdSprites: [defaults.playerFrame],
@@ -52,7 +38,20 @@ export default class GameData {
       screenShake: defaults.settings.screenShake,
       muted: defaults.settings.muted
     };
+  }
 
+  _resetPlayData() {
+    this.play = {
+      score: 0,
+      level: 0,
+      comboCount: 0,
+      player: null,
+
+      serializedObjects: {
+        player: null,
+        sprites: []
+      }
+    };
   }
 
   //auto update long-term storage for certain properties
@@ -65,35 +64,27 @@ export default class GameData {
   }
 
   resetGame() {
-    this.savedGame.player = null;
-    this.savedGame.sprites = [];
-    this.savedGame.comboCount = 0;
-    this.savedGame.level = 0;
-    this.savedGame.score = 0;
-    DbAccess.setKey('savedGame', this.savedGame);
-
-    this.play.player = null;
-    this.play.score = 0;
-    this.play.level = 0;
-    this.play.comboCount = 0;
-    this.play.scoreBuffer = 0;
+    this._resetPlayData();
+    DbAccess.setKey('savedGame', this.play);
   }
 
   saveGame() {
     //auto-save in Db storage
-    this.savedGame.player = this.play.player.serialize();
-    this.savedGame.sprites = this.game.spritePools.serialize();
-    this.savedGame.comboCount = this.play.comboCount;
-    this.savedGame.level = this.play.level;
-    this.savedGame.score = this.play.score + this.play.scoreBuffer;
-    this.play.scoreBuffer = 0;
-    DbAccess.setKey('savedGame', this.savedGame);
+    this.play.serializedObjects.player = this.play.player.serialize();
+    this.play.serializedObjects.sprites = this.game.spritePools.serialize();
+
+    //copy play data to a temp array and remove pointers to sprites (otherwise it crashes)
+    let save = {};
+    Object.assign(save, this.play);
+    save.player = null;
+
+    DbAccess.setKey('savedGame', save);
   }
 
   async load() {
     await DbAccess.open(this.game, {
       'stats': this.stats,
-      'savedGame': this.savedGame,
+      'savedGame': this.play,
       'settings': this.settings
     });
 
@@ -103,7 +94,7 @@ export default class GameData {
     let settings = DbAccess.getKey('settings');
 
     //load long-term storage into cache
-    this.savedGame = await savedGame;
+    this.play = await savedGame;
     this.stats = await stats;
     this.settings = await settings;
 
diff --git a/src/objects/Pools.js b/src/objects/Pools.js
index da613f8..8d4ac22 100644
--- a/src/objects/Pools.js
+++ b/src/objects/Pools.js
@@ -61,8 +61,8 @@ export default class Pools {
 
     this.game.world.bringToTop(this.getPool(PoopSplatter.className())); //ensure poop splatters stay in front of all other sprites
 
-    if (this.game.data.savedGame.sprites.length > 0) {
-      this.deserialize(this.game.data.savedGame.sprites);
+    if (this.game.data.play.serializedObjects.sprites.length > 0) {
+      this.deserialize(this.game.data.play.serializedObjects.sprites);
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/src/objects/Sprites/Player.js b/src/objects/Sprites/Player.js
index 662741d..59ddfb2 100644
--- a/src/objects/Sprites/Player.js
+++ b/src/objects/Sprites/Player.js
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ export default class Player extends Bird {
 
     this.invincibleJingle = this.game.add.audio('invincible');
 
-    if (this.game.data.savedGame.player) {
-      this.deserialize(this.game.data.savedGame.player);
+    if (this.game.data.play.serializedObjects.player) {
+      this.deserialize(this.game.data.play.serializedObjects.player);
     }
   }
 
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@ export default class Player extends Bird {
     if (info.posInvincibleJingle >= 0) {
       this.makeInvincible(info.posInvincibleJingle);
     }
+
+    this.body.velocity.x = 0;
+    this.body.velocity.y = 0;
+    this.goTowardsLastActivePointer = false;
   }
   serialize() {
     const info = super.serialize();
diff --git a/src/states/Game.js b/src/states/Game.js
index 5a3867e..34d3f09 100644
--- a/src/states/Game.js
+++ b/src/states/Game.js
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export default class Game extends Phaser.State {
     this.add.existing(this.levelupCoin);
 
     //Create the score label at top right of screen
+    this.scoreBuffer = 0;
     this.scoreLabel = this.add.text(this.game.world.width - this.game.dimen.margin.sideOfScreen,
       this.game.dimen.margin.sideOfScreen,
       this.game.data.play.score,
@@ -182,6 +183,8 @@ export default class Game extends Phaser.State {
       this.pauseText.visible = true;
 
       if (this.game.data.play.player.alive) {
+        this.game.data.play.score += this.scoreBuffer;
+        this.scoreBuffer = 0;
         this.game.data.saveGame();
       }
 
@@ -247,10 +250,10 @@ export default class Game extends Phaser.State {
 
   updateScoreFromBuffer(scoreInc) {
     if (scoreInc > 0) {
-      this.game.data.play.scoreBuffer += scoreInc;
+      this.scoreBuffer += scoreInc;
     }
 
-    let buffer = this.game.data.play.scoreBuffer;
+    let buffer = this.scoreBuffer;
 
     if (buffer > 0) {
       this.scoreLabelTween.start();
@@ -264,7 +267,7 @@ export default class Game extends Phaser.State {
 
       this.game.data.play.score += change;
       this.scoreLabel.setText(this.game.data.play.score.toLocaleString());
-      this.game.data.play.scoreBuffer = buffer - change;
+      this.scoreBuffer = buffer - change;
 
       this.textUpdateTimer.add(this.game.durations.textUpdate, this.updateScoreFromBuffer, this);
     }