diff --git a/Commands/Hangman.cs b/Commands/Hangman.cs
index 8ca9aa1..e8e708a 100644
--- a/Commands/Hangman.cs
+++ b/Commands/Hangman.cs
@@ -26,24 +26,54 @@ namespace dotbot.Commands
         {
             var gameId = Context.Channel.Id;
             _games.Add(gameId, new HangmanSession(secret));
+            await Context.Message.DeleteAsync();
             await ReplyAsync($"{_games[gameId]}");
         }
+
+
+        [Command("stop")]
+        [Priority(1)]
+        [Summary("ends a hangman session")]
+        public async Task StopGame()
+        {
+            var gameId = Context.Channel.Id;
+            if (_games.ContainsKey(gameId))
+            {
+                var game = _games[gameId];
+                _games.Remove(gameId);
+                await ReplyAsync($"game stopped. the secret word was {game.SecretWord}");
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                await ReplyAsync($"no game started in this channel...");
+            }
+        }
     }
 
 
     public class HangmanSession
     {
         internal string SecretWord;
-        internal char[] SecretWordLetters => SecretWord.ToCharArray().Distinct().OrderBy(a => a).ToArray();
-        internal char[] GuessedLetters;
+        internal IEnumerable<char> SecretWordLetters => SecretWord.ToCharArray().Distinct().OrderBy(a => a);
+        internal List<char> GuessedLetters;
         private int Guesses;
-        public bool GameOver => SecretWordLetters.SequenceEqual(GuessedLetters.OrderBy(c => c)) && Guesses < Hangman.Gallows.Length;
+        public bool GameOver => SecretWordLetters.SequenceEqual(GuessedLetters.OrderBy(c => c)) && Guesses >= Hangman.Gallows.Length;
 
         public HangmanSession(string secretWord)
         {
             SecretWord = secretWord;
+            GuessedLetters = new List<char>();
             Guesses = 0;
         }
+
+
+        public bool Guess(char guess)
+        {
+            if (GuessedLetters.Contains(guess)) return false;
+            GuessedLetters.Add(guess);
+            if (!SecretWordLetters.Contains(guess)) Guesses++;
+            return true;
+        }
         
 
         public override string ToString()
@@ -52,6 +82,10 @@ namespace dotbot.Commands
             return $"```{Hangman.Gallows[Guesses]}\n{ShowSecretWord()}\n\nGuessed Letters: {string.Join(' ', GuessedLetters)}\nIncorrect Letters: {string.Join(' ', Incorrects)}```";
         }
 
-        public string ShowSecretWord() => $"Word: {SecretWord.ToCharArray().Select<char, string>(c => $"{(GuessedLetters.Contains(c) ? c : '_')} ")}";
+        public string ShowSecretWord()
+        {
+            var disp = SecretWord.ToCharArray().Select(c => $"{(GuessedLetters.Contains(c) ? c : '_')} ");
+            return $"Word: {string.Join("", disp)}";
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/Services/CommandHandlerService.cs b/Services/CommandHandlerService.cs
index a12a516..a3fa308 100644
--- a/Services/CommandHandlerService.cs
+++ b/Services/CommandHandlerService.cs
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ namespace dotbot.Services
         private readonly CommandService _commands;
         private readonly IConfigurationRoot _config;
         private readonly IServiceProvider _provider;
+        private readonly HangmanService _hangman;
         private Dictionary<ulong, Poll> _polls;
 
         public CommandHandlerService(
@@ -25,7 +26,8 @@ namespace dotbot.Services
             IConfigurationRoot config,
             IServiceProvider provider,
             DotbotDb db,
-            PollService polls
+            PollService polls,
+            HangmanService hangman
         ) {
             _discord = discord;
             _commands = commands;
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@ namespace dotbot.Services
             _provider = provider;
             _db = db;
             _polls = polls.currentPolls;
+            _hangman = hangman;
 
             _discord.MessageReceived += OnMessageReceivedAsync;
         }
@@ -77,13 +80,39 @@ namespace dotbot.Services
                 }
             }
             else
-            { // add poll options 
+            { 
+                // add poll options 
                 var id = context.Channel.Id;
                 if (_polls.ContainsKey(id) && _polls[id].Owner == context.User && !_polls[id].IsOpen)
                 {
                     _polls[id].Options.Add(new PollOption { Text = msg.Content });
                     await context.Channel.SendMessageAsync($"{msg.Content} added!");
                 }
+
+                // handle hangman guess
+                if (_hangman._activeGames.ContainsKey(id))
+                {
+                    var game = _hangman._activeGames[id];
+                    if (msg.Content.Length != 1)
+                    {
+                        await context.Channel.SendMessageAsync($"send one letter at a time.\n\n{game}");
+                        return;
+                    }
+
+                    if (game.Guess(msg.Content[0]))
+                    { // proper guess
+                        if (game.GameOver)
+                        {
+                            await context.Channel.SendMessageAsync($"game over!\n\n{game}");
+                            return;
+                        }
+                        await context.Channel.SendMessageAsync($"{msg.Content[0]} guessed:\n\n{game}");
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        await context.Channel.SendMessageAsync($"letter already guessed... try again!\n\n{game}");
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }