diff --git a/src/new_col.c b/src/new_col.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81bd309
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/new_col.c
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+// randomly choose from remaining available columns to drop next brick into
+int new_column() {
+	totcol_avail = 0;
+	for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
+		for (j = 0; j < 18; j++) {
+			if (grid[0][j][i] == 0) { colcnt[i]++;}		// empty space in each column
+		}
+	}
+	for (i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
+		if (colcnt[i] > 2) {totcol_avail++;}			// total available columns
+	}
+	if (totcol_avail == 0) {
+		printf("game over\n");} else {				// no more columns available
+			randc = randombytes_uniform(totcol_avail) + 0;	// choose random number from available columns
+			int avl = -1;
+			for (i = 0; randc != avl; i++) {		// translate avail column to actual column
+				if (colcnt[i] > 2) {avl++;}
+			actual_col = i;					// might need to move this down to next brace
+			}
+		}
+	return actual_col;						// return the random column
+}