diff --git a/include/game.h b/include/game.h
index bbd980e5..7f8401da 100644
--- a/include/game.h
+++ b/include/game.h
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ typedef struct ContainedHandTypes
 } ContainedHandTypes;
 // clang-format on
 
-typedef void (*GameStateCallback)(GameVariables* gs);
+typedef void (*GameStateCallback)();
 
 typedef struct
 {
diff --git a/include/game_variables.h b/include/game_variables.h
index d82dc365..b38807a0 100644
--- a/include/game_variables.h
+++ b/include/game_variables.h
@@ -17,4 +17,6 @@ typedef struct
 
 } GameVariables;
 
+extern GameVariables g_game_vars;
+
 #endif // GAME_VARIABLES_H
diff --git a/include/splash_screen.h b/include/splash_screen.h
index c1b8755c..579d8d6d 100644
--- a/include/splash_screen.h
+++ b/include/splash_screen.h
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@
 #ifndef SPLASH_SCREEN_H
 #define SPLASH_SCREEN_H
 
-#include "game.h"
-
 #include <tonc.h>
 
 /** @name Splash screen timing variables
@@ -25,16 +23,16 @@
 /**
  * @brief Initialize the splash screen by printing the splash screen text.
  */
-void splash_screen_on_init(GameVariables* vars);
+void splash_screen_on_init(void);
 
 /**
  * @brief Update splash screen timers and print the remaining time accordingly.
  */
-void splash_screen_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
+void splash_screen_on_update(void);
 
 /**
  * @brief Exit the splash screen
  */
-void splash_screen_on_exit(GameVariables* vars);
+void splash_screen_on_exit(void);
 
 #endif // SPLASH_SCREEN_H
diff --git a/source/game.c b/source/game.c
index 7e19e390..385e2390 100644
--- a/source/game.c
+++ b/source/game.c
@@ -200,7 +200,7 @@ typedef struct
 // efficient. Well, this is the answer.
 // Thanks!
 // https://github.com/cellos51/balatro-gba/issues/137#issuecomment-3322485129
-static void noop(GameVariables* vars)
+static void noop(void)
 {
 }
 
@@ -210,22 +210,22 @@ static void noop(GameVariables* vars)
 // This could be done, and maybe should be done,
 // with an X macro, but I'll leave that to the
 // reviewer(s).
-static void game_main_menu_on_init(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_main_menu_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_round_on_init(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_playing_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_round_end_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_round_end_on_exit(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_shop_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_shop_on_exit(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_blind_select_on_init(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_blind_select_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_blind_select_on_exit(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_lose_on_init(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_lose_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_over_on_exit(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_win_on_init(GameVariables* vars);
-static void game_win_on_update(GameVariables* vars);
+static void game_main_menu_on_init(void);
+static void game_main_menu_on_update(void);
+static void game_round_on_init(void);
+static void game_playing_on_update(void);
+static void game_round_end_on_update(void);
+static void game_round_end_on_exit(void);
+static void game_shop_on_update(void);
+static void game_shop_on_exit(void);
+static void game_blind_select_on_init(void);
+static void game_blind_select_on_update(void);
+static void game_blind_select_on_exit(void);
+static void game_lose_on_init(void);
+static void game_lose_on_update(void);
+static void game_over_on_exit(void);
+static void game_win_on_init(void);
+static void game_win_on_update(void);
 static void game_shop_intro(void);
 static void game_shop_process_user_input(void);
 static void game_shop_outro(void);
@@ -662,7 +662,8 @@ static int shortcut_joker_count = 0;
 
 static int four_fingers_joker_count = 0;
 
-static GameVariables game_vars;
+GBAL_UNUSED
+GameVariables g_game_vars;
 
 GBAL_UNUSED
 static inline bool is_shop_joker_avail(int joker_id)
@@ -913,7 +914,7 @@ void game_update()
 
     jokers_update_loop();
 
-    state_info[game_state].on_update(&game_vars);
+    state_info[game_state].on_update();
 }
 
 void game_change_state(enum GameState new_game_state)
@@ -923,12 +924,12 @@ void game_change_state(enum GameState new_game_state)
     if (game_state >= 0 && game_state < GAME_STATE_MAX)
     {
         state_info[game_state].substate = 0;
-        state_info[game_state].on_exit(&game_vars);
+        state_info[game_state].on_exit();
     }
 
     if (new_game_state >= 0 && new_game_state < GAME_STATE_MAX)
     {
-        state_info[new_game_state].on_init(&game_vars);
+        state_info[new_game_state].on_init();
 
         game_state = new_game_state;
     }
@@ -1970,7 +1971,7 @@ static inline void deck_shuffle(void)
     }
 }
 
-static void game_round_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_round_on_init()
 {
     hand_state = HAND_DRAW;
     cards_drawn = 0;
@@ -2039,7 +2040,7 @@ static void game_round_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
     game_playing_selection_grid.selection = GAME_PLAYING_INIT_SEL;
 }
 
-static void game_main_menu_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_main_menu_on_init()
 {
     affine_background_change_background(AFFINE_BG_MAIN_MENU);
     change_background(BG_MAIN_MENU);
@@ -2062,14 +2063,14 @@ static void game_over_init(void)
     main_bg_se_copy_rect(NEW_RUN_BTN_SRC_RECT, NEW_RUN_BTN_DEST_POS);
 }
 
-static void game_lose_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_lose_on_init()
 {
     game_over_init();
     // Using the text color to match the "Game Over" text
     affine_background_set_color(TEXT_CLR_RED);
 }
 
-static void game_win_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_win_on_init()
 {
     game_over_init();
     // Using the text color to match the "You Win" text
@@ -3547,7 +3548,7 @@ static inline void game_playing_process_flaming_score(void)
     }
 }
 
-static void game_playing_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_playing_on_update()
 {
     // Background logic (thissss might be moved to the card'ssss logic later. I'm a sssssnake)
     if (hand_state == HAND_DRAW || hand_state == HAND_DISCARD || hand_state == HAND_SELECT)
@@ -3586,7 +3587,7 @@ static int calculate_interest_reward(void)
     return reward;
 }
 
-static void game_round_end_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_round_end_on_exit()
 {
     // Cleanup blind tokens from this round to avoid accumulating
     // allocated blind sprites each round
@@ -3598,7 +3599,7 @@ static void game_round_end_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
     // TODO: Reuse sprites for blind selection?
 }
 
-static void game_round_end_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_round_end_on_update()
 {
     if (state_info[game_state].substate == ROUND_END_EXIT)
     {
@@ -4545,7 +4546,7 @@ static inline void game_shop_lights_anim_frame(void)
     memcpy16(&pal_bg_mem[SHOP_LIGHTS_1_PID], &shifted_palette[3], 1);
 }
 
-static void game_shop_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_shop_on_update()
 {
     change_background(BG_SHOP);
 
@@ -4578,7 +4579,7 @@ static void game_shop_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
     shop_state_actions[substate]();
 }
 
-static void game_shop_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_shop_on_exit()
 {
     ListItr itr = list_itr_create(&_shop_jokers_list);
     JokerObject* joker_object;
@@ -4598,7 +4599,7 @@ static void game_shop_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
     increment_blind(BLIND_STATE_DEFEATED); // TODO: Move to game_round_end()?
 }
 
-static void game_blind_select_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_blind_select_on_init()
 {
     change_background(BG_BLIND_SELECT);
     selection_x = 0;
@@ -4607,7 +4608,7 @@ static void game_blind_select_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
     play_sfx(SFX_POP, MM_BASE_PITCH_RATE, SFX_DEFAULT_VOLUME);
 }
 
-static void game_blind_select_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_blind_select_on_update()
 {
     if (state_info[game_state].substate == BLIND_SELECT_MAX)
     {
@@ -4895,7 +4896,7 @@ static void game_blind_select_display_blind_panel()
     }
 }
 
-static void game_blind_select_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_blind_select_on_exit()
 {
     selection_y = 0;
     background = UNDEFINED;
@@ -4964,7 +4965,7 @@ static inline void game_start(void)
     game_change_state(GAME_STATE_BLIND_SELECT);
 }
 
-static void game_main_menu_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_main_menu_on_update()
 {
     change_background(BG_MAIN_MENU);
 
@@ -5029,7 +5030,7 @@ static inline void game_over_process_user_input()
     }
 }
 
-static void game_lose_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_lose_on_update()
 {
     if (timer < GAME_OVER_ANIM_FRAMES)
     {
@@ -5051,7 +5052,7 @@ static void game_lose_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
 // This function isn't set in stone. This is just a placeholder
 // allowing the player to restart the game. Thought it would be nice to have
 // util we decide what we want to do after a game over.
-static void game_over_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_over_on_exit()
 {
     while (list_get_len(&_owned_jokers_list) > 0)
     {
@@ -5099,7 +5100,7 @@ static void game_over_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
     affine_background_load_palette(affine_background_gfxPal);
 }
 
-static void game_win_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+static void game_win_on_update()
 {
     if (timer < GAME_OVER_ANIM_FRAMES)
     {
diff --git a/source/splash_screen.c b/source/splash_screen.c
index 11a34a55..358a05d0 100644
--- a/source/splash_screen.c
+++ b/source/splash_screen.c
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 static const Rect COUNTDOWN_TIMER_RECT = {208, 144, 240, 152};
 static uint timer = 0;
 
-void splash_screen_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
+void splash_screen_on_init()
 {
     timer = 0;
 
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ void splash_screen_on_init(GameVariables* vars)
     tte_printf("#{P:8,144; cx:0xF000}(Press any key to skip)");
 }
 
-void splash_screen_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
+void splash_screen_on_update()
 {
     timer++;
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ void splash_screen_on_update(GameVariables* vars)
     tte_erase_screen();
 }
 
-void splash_screen_on_exit(GameVariables* vars)
+void splash_screen_on_exit()
 {
     mmStart(MOD_MAIN_THEME, MM_PLAY_LOOP);
 }