diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 20c89a6..fc3b75e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -135,6 +135,17 @@ gameLoop()
 ```
 
 
+### get a single entity
+
+Sometimes you just want a single entity, like for singleton objects (player's character for example).
+
+```javascript
+const h = ECS.getEntities(world, [ 'hero' ])[0]  // kinda kludgy
+
+const h = ECS.getEntity(world, [ 'hero' ])       // same result, less typing
+```
+
+
 ### not filter
 
 Sometimes it's useful to query by components that are _not_ present:
@@ -186,8 +197,6 @@ ECS.getEntities(world, [ 'test_component' ]).length  // because we are not defer
 ```
 
 
-
-
 ### devtools chrome extension
 
 If you'd like to see a real time view of the data in your ECS powered program, there is a dev tools extension!
diff --git a/ecs.js b/ecs.js
index f4ca900..08bc7eb 100644
--- a/ecs.js
+++ b/ecs.js
@@ -330,6 +330,21 @@ export function getEntities (world, componentNames, listenerType, listenerEntiti
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * Get one entity from the world with all provided components. Optionally,
+ * @param {World} world 
+ * @param {string[]} componentNames A component filter used to match entities. 
+ * Must match all of the components in the filter.
+ * Can add an exclamation mark at the beginning to query by components that are not present. For example:
+ * `const e = ECS.getEntity(world, [ 'transform', '!hero' ])`
+ * 
+ * @returns {Entity|void} one entity that matches the given filters or undefined if none match
+ */
+export function getEntity (world, componentNames) {
+    return getEntities(world, componentNames)[0]
+}
+
+
 /**
  * returns true if an entity contains all the components that match the filter
  * all entities having at least one component in the ignore list are excluded.
@@ -667,6 +682,7 @@ export default {
     addComponentToEntity,
     removeComponentFromEntity,
     getEntities,
+    getEntity,
     removeEntity,
     addSystem,
     preFixedUpdate,
diff --git a/test/getEntity.js b/test/getEntity.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa964b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/getEntity.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import ECS from '../ecs.js'
+import tap from 'tap'
+
+
+{
+	const w = ECS.createWorld()
+
+	const h = ECS.getEntity(w, [ 'hero' ])
+
+	tap.equal(h, undefined, 'no match returns undefined')
+}
+
+
+{
+	const w = ECS.createWorld()
+
+	const e = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	ECS.addComponentToEntity(w, e, 'hero')
+
+	const h = ECS.getEntity(w, [ 'hero' ])
+
+	tap.equal(h, e, 'finds 1 matching entity')
+}
+
+
+{
+	const w = ECS.createWorld()
+
+	const e = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	ECS.addComponentToEntity(w, e, 'hero')
+	ECS.addComponentToEntity(w, e, 'a')
+
+	const e2 = ECS.createEntity(w)
+	ECS.addComponentToEntity(w, e2, 'hero')
+	ECS.addComponentToEntity(w, e2, 'b')
+
+	const h = ECS.getEntity(w, [ 'hero' ])
+
+	tap.equal(h, e, 'returns the first match even if there are more than one')
+}
diff --git a/types/ecs.d.ts.map b/types/ecs.d.ts.map
index 8d5d131..8d322cf 100644
--- a/types/ecs.d.ts.map
+++ b/types/ecs.d.ts.map
@@ -1 +1 @@
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\ No newline at end of file
+{"version":3,"file":"ecs.d.ts","sourceRoot":"","sources":["../ecs.js"],"names":[],"mappings":"AAOA;;GAEG;AAEH;;GAEG;AAEH;;;;GAIG;AAEH;;GAEG;AAEH;;GAEG;AAEH;;;;;;;;GAQG;AAEH;;;;;GAKG;AAEH;;GAEG;AAEH;;GAEG;AAEH;;;;GAIG;AAEH;;GAEG;AAEH;;;;;GAKG;AAEH;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;GAeG;AAEH;;;;;;;;GAQG;AAEH;;;;;;GAMG;AACH,sCAHW,MAAM,GACJ,KAAK,CA+DjB;AAGD;;;;GAIG;AACH,oCAHW,KAAK,GACH,MAAM,CASlB;AAGD;;;;;;;GAOG;AACH,4CANW,KAAK,UACL,MAAM,iBACN,MAAM,kBACN,SAAS,GACP,IAAI,CA+BhB;AAGD;;;;;;;GAOG;AACF,iDANU,KAAK,UACL,MAAM,iBACN,MAAM,oBACN,OAAO,GACL,IAAI,CAiBhB;AAGD;;;;;;GAMG;AACF,oCALU,KAAK,UACL,MAAM,oBACN,OAAO,GACL,IAAI,CAmBhB;AAGD;;;;;;;;;;;;;GAaG;AACH,mCAZW,KAAK,kBACL,MAAM,EAAE,iBAKR,YAAY,sCAIV,MAAM,EAAE,CAwCpB;AA8BD;;;;GAIG;AACH,iCAHW,KAAK,MACL,cAAc,QA+BxB;AAED;;;;GAIG;AACH,sCAHW,KAAK,MACL,MAAM,QAUhB;AAGD;;;;GAIG;AACH,mCAHW,KAAK,MACL,MAAM,QAUhB;AAED;;;;GAIG;AACH,uCAHW,KAAK,MACL,MAAM,QAUhB;AAGD;;;;GAIG;AACH,iCAHW,KAAK,MACL,MAAM,QAUhB;AAED;;;;GAIG;AACH,8BAHW,KAAK,MACL,MAAM,QAUhB;AAED;;;;GAIG;AACH,kCAHW,KAAK,MACL,MAAM,QAUhB;AAoHD;;;GAGG;AACH,+BAFW,KAAK,QAyDf;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;2BA5oBa,OAAO,GAAG,SAAS;wBAInB,GAAG;;;;iCAUH,MAAM,EAAE;wCAIH,MAAM,KAAK,IAAI;;uBAKxB,oBAAoB;oBACpB,oBAAoB;wBACpB,oBAAoB;kBACpB,oBAAoB;eACpB,oBAAoB;mBACpB,oBAAoB;;qCAKjB,KAAK,KAAK,MAAM;;;;;;WAenB,WAAW;aACX,WAAW;;;;;;;;;cASX,MAAM,EAAE;;;;;gBACR,MAAM,EAAE;;;iBAMR,MAAM;;;;;;;;;;;;;;cAIL,MAAM;qBACC,MAAM;;;;;;;;;mBAKd,MAAM;;;;kBAEN,MAAM;;;cAKN,MAAM,EAAE;aACR,SAAS;aACT,MAAM,EAAE;eACR,iBAAiB;sBACjB,kBAAkB;WAClB,UAAU"}
\ No newline at end of file