diff --git a/GamecraftModdingAPI/Blocks/SignalEngine.cs b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Blocks/SignalEngine.cs
index 2f1d413..d84eefe 100644
--- a/GamecraftModdingAPI/Blocks/SignalEngine.cs
+++ b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Blocks/SignalEngine.cs
@@ -36,8 +36,6 @@ namespace GamecraftModdingAPI.Blocks
 
         public bool IsInGame = false;
 
-		private System.Random random = new System.Random();
-
         public void Dispose()
         {
             IsInGame = false;
diff --git a/GamecraftModdingAPI/GamecraftModdingAPI.csproj b/GamecraftModdingAPI/GamecraftModdingAPI.csproj
index 6e9f5f3..d4f95bc 100644
--- a/GamecraftModdingAPI/GamecraftModdingAPI.csproj
+++ b/GamecraftModdingAPI/GamecraftModdingAPI.csproj
@@ -542,4 +542,7 @@
   </ItemGroup>
 <!--End Dependencies-->
 
+  <ItemGroup>
+    <Folder Include="Inventory\" />
+  </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
diff --git a/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/Hotbar.cs b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/Hotbar.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a4fcf22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/Hotbar.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+using System;
+
+using RobocraftX.Common.Input;
+using RobocraftX.Multiplayer.Input;
+
+using GamecraftModdingAPI.Blocks;
+using GamecraftModdingAPI.Utility;
+using Harmony;
+
+namespace GamecraftModdingAPI.Inventory
+{
+    public static class Hotbar
+    {
+		private static HotbarEngine hotbarEngine = new HotbarEngine();
+
+		public static void EquipBlock(BlockIDs block, uint playerID = uint.MaxValue)
+		{
+			if (playerID == uint.MaxValue)
+			{
+				playerID = hotbarEngine.GetLocalPlayerID();
+			}
+			hotbarEngine.SelectBlock((int) block, playerID);
+            // cubeSelectedByPick = true will crash the game
+            // (this would be equivalent to mouse middle click pick block action)
+			// reason: the game expects a Dictionary entry for the tweaked stats
+		}
+
+		public static BlockIDs GetEquippedBlock()
+		{
+			return HotbarSlotSelectionHandlerEnginePatch.EquippedPartID;
+		}
+
+		public static void Init()
+		{
+			GameEngineManager.AddGameEngine(hotbarEngine);
+		}
+    }
+}
diff --git a/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/HotbarEngine.cs b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/HotbarEngine.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..065298b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/HotbarEngine.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,55 @@
+using System;
+
+using RobocraftX.Character;
+using RobocraftX.GUI.Hotbar;
+using RobocraftX.Players;
+using RobocraftX.Common;
+using RobocraftX.Common.Input;
+using RobocraftX.Common.Players;
+using Svelto.ECS;
+
+using GamecraftModdingAPI.Blocks;
+using GamecraftModdingAPI.Utility;
+
+namespace GamecraftModdingAPI.Inventory
+{
+	public class HotbarEngine : IApiEngine
+	{
+		public string Name { get; } = "GamecraftModdingAPIHotbarGameEngine";
+
+		public EntitiesDB entitiesDB { set; private get; }
+
+		public bool IsInGame = false;
+
+		public void Dispose()
+		{
+			IsInGame = false;
+		}
+
+		public void Ready()
+		{
+			IsInGame = true;
+		}
+
+		public bool SelectBlock(int block, uint playerID, bool cubeSelectedByPick = false)
+		{
+			InputEntityStruct[] inputs = entitiesDB.QueryEntities<InputEntityStruct>(InputExclusiveGroups.LocalPlayers).ToFastAccess(out uint count);
+			if (count == 0) return false;
+			for (int i = 0; i < count; i++)
+			{
+				if (inputs[i].ID.entityID == playerID) {
+					inputs[i].cubeSelectedByPick = cubeSelectedByPick;
+					inputs[i].selectedCube = block;
+					return true;
+				}
+			}
+			// TODO: expose the rest of the input functionality
+			return false;
+		}
+
+        public uint GetLocalPlayerID()
+		{
+			return LocalPlayerIDUtility.GetLocalPlayerID(entitiesDB);
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/HotbarSlotSelectionHandlerEnginePatch.cs b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/HotbarSlotSelectionHandlerEnginePatch.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db50e4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Inventory/HotbarSlotSelectionHandlerEnginePatch.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+using System;
+using System.Reflection;
+
+using RobocraftX.GUI;
+using RobocraftX.GUI.Hotbar;
+using Svelto.ECS;
+
+using Harmony;
+using GamecraftModdingAPI.Blocks;
+
+namespace GamecraftModdingAPI.Inventory
+{
+    [HarmonyPatch]
+    public class HotbarSlotSelectionHandlerEnginePatch
+    {
+		private static int selectedBlockInt = 0;
+
+		public static BlockIDs EquippedPartID { get => (BlockIDs)selectedBlockInt; }
+
+		private static MethodInfo PatchedMethod { get; } = AccessTools.Method(AccessTools.TypeByName("RobocraftX.GUI.Hotbar.HotbarSlotSelectionHandlerEngine"), "HandleEquippedCubeChanged", parameters: new Type[] { typeof(uint), typeof(int), typeof(ExclusiveGroupStruct) });
+
+		public static void Prefix(uint playerID, int selectedDBPartID, ExclusiveGroupStruct groupID)
+		{
+			selectedBlockInt = selectedDBPartID;
+		}
+
+		public static MethodBase TargetMethod(HarmonyInstance instance)
+        {
+			return PatchedMethod;
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/GamecraftModdingAPI/Main.cs b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Main.cs
index 5294c75..70f59e8 100644
--- a/GamecraftModdingAPI/Main.cs
+++ b/GamecraftModdingAPI/Main.cs
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ namespace GamecraftModdingAPI
             Blocks.Signals.Init();
             Blocks.Placement.Init();
 			Blocks.Tweakable.Init();
+			// init inventory
+			Inventory.Hotbar.Init();
             Logging.MetaLog($"{currentAssembly.GetName().Name} v{currentAssembly.GetName().Version} initialized");
         }