diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9566894
--- /dev/null
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 3.5 FATAL_ERROR)
+  
+project(sim_us_server LANGUAGES CXX)
+
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD 20)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_EXTENSIONS OFF)
+set(CMAKE_CXX_STANDARD_REQUIRED ON)
+
+set (VERSION_MAJOR 1)
+set (VERSION_MINOR 0)
+
+include(GNUInstallDirs)
+set(CMAKE_ARCHIVE_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
+  ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
+set(CMAKE_LIBRARY_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
+  ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_LIBDIR})
+set(CMAKE_RUNTIME_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY
+  ${CMAKE_BINARY_DIR}/${CMAKE_INSTALL_BINDIR})
+set(PROJECT_DIR ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR})
+
+# defines targets and sources
+add_subdirectory(src)
+
+# contains an "external" library we will link to
+add_subdirectory(external)
+
+# defines the executable
+add_subdirectory(tools)
+
+# enable testing and define tests
+enable_testing()
+add_subdirectory(tests)
diff --git a/external/CMakeLists.txt b/external/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8bfa88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# Third Party
+include_directories(${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIR})
+
+link_directories(${GTEST_LIB_DIR})
+
+find_package(GTest REQUIRED)
+
+# tests
+file(GLOB_RECURSE TEST_SOURCES "*.cpp")
+add_executable(tests ${TEST_SOURCES})
+target_link_libraries(tests ${LIBS})
+
+target_compile_options(tests PRIVATE $<$<CONFIG:Debug>:
+    -Wall -Wextra -pedantic-errors -Wconversion -Wsign-conversion
+    >)
+target_link_libraries(tests
+    PRIVATE
+    gtest
+    GTest::gtest_main
+)
+
+target_include_directories(tests
+    PUBLIC
+    ${CMAKE_MAIN_SOURCE_DIR}/external/**
+    ${CMAKE_CURRENT_LIST_DIR}
+    ${CMAKE_MAIN_SOURCE_DIR}/src/**
+    ${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}
+)
+
+include(GoogleTest)
+gtest_discover_tests(tests)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tools/CMakeLists.txt b/tools/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29