diff --git a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/dice.tsx b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/dice.tsx
index f0fc017..42b6ec8 100644
--- a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/dice.tsx
+++ b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/dice.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import React, {FC} from "react";
 import {useAtom, useAtomValue} from "jotai";
-import {selectedDiceAtom, thisPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
+import {getPlayerAtom, selectedDiceAtom,} from "../utils/state";
 import {Button} from "./button";
 
 export const AllDice: FC<{ values?: number[] } & ComponentProps> = (
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export const Dice: FC<DiceProps> = (
     onClick,
   }) => {
 
-  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(thisPlayerAtom);
+  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(getPlayerAtom);
 
   function handleClick() {
     if (onClick && value) {
diff --git a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/gameButton.tsx b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/gameButton.tsx
index dc78636..9cc8bd3 100644
--- a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/gameButton.tsx
+++ b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/components/gameButton.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import React, {FC, MouseEventHandler} from "react";
 import {State} from "../game/player";
-import {currentPlayerAtom, playersAtom, rollDiceButtonAtom, thisPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
+import {currentPlayerAtom, getPlayerAtom, playersAtom, rollDiceButtonAtom} from "../utils/state";
 import {useAtomValue} from "jotai";
 import {Button} from "./button";
 import rules from "../game/rules";
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ const GameButton: FC<GameButtonProps> = (
   }) => {
 
   const currentPlayer = useAtomValue(currentPlayerAtom);
-  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(thisPlayerAtom);
+  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(getPlayerAtom);
   const players = useAtomValue(playersAtom);
   const activeRollDiceButton = useAtomValue(rollDiceButtonAtom);
 
diff --git a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/game.tsx b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/game.tsx
index 8894c8d..f1489ef 100644
--- a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/game.tsx
+++ b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/game.tsx
@@ -1,24 +1,22 @@
 import React, {FC, useEffect} from "react";
 import {GameComponent} from "../components/gameComponent";
 import {useAtomValue} from "jotai";
-import {selectedMapAtom, thisPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
+import {getPlayerAtom, selectedMapAtom} from "../utils/state";
 
-const Game: FC = () => { // TODO gameId in path
-  const player = useAtomValue(thisPlayerAtom);
+const Game: FC = () => {
+  const player = useAtomValue(getPlayerAtom);
   const map = useAtomValue(selectedMapAtom);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    console.debug(player);
     if (!player) {
-      // TODO player is undefined on first render, then defined on second render
-      // window.location.href = "/";
+      window.location.href = "/";
     }
-  }, [player]);
+  }, []);
 
   if (player && map) {
     return <GameComponent player={player} map={map}/>;
   } else {
-    throw new Error("Player or map is undefined");
+    return null;
   }
 };
 
diff --git a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/home.tsx b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/home.tsx
index fcb5de7..4c40b6b 100644
--- a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/home.tsx
+++ b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/home.tsx
@@ -5,13 +5,13 @@ import Dropdown from "../components/dropdown";
 import {Colour, getColours} from "../game/colour";
 import {useNavigate} from "react-router-dom";
 import {useSetAtom} from "jotai";
-import {thisPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
+import {setPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
 
 const Home: FC = () => {
 
   const input = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
   const dropdown = useRef<HTMLSelectElement>(null);
-  const setPlayer = useSetAtom(thisPlayerAtom);
+  const setPlayer = useSetAtom(setPlayerAtom);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   function formHandler(): void {
diff --git a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/lobby.tsx b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/lobby.tsx
index 590a2a4..3dd6e41 100644
--- a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/lobby.tsx
+++ b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/lobby.tsx
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-import React, {FC, Suspense} from "react";
+import React, {FC, Suspense, useEffect} from "react";
 import {atom, useAtomValue} from "jotai";
 import {Button} from "../components/button";
-import {selectedMapAtom, thisPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
+import {getPlayerAtom, selectedMapAtom} from "../utils/state";
 import {getData, postData} from "../utils/api";
 import {getPacManSpawns} from "../game/map";
 import {useNavigate} from "react-router-dom";
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ const fetchAtom = atom(async () => {
 
 const LobbyPage: FC = () => { // TODO check if player is defined in storage, if not redirect to login
 
-  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(thisPlayerAtom);
+  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(getPlayerAtom);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
   const map = useAtomValue(selectedMapAtom);
 
@@ -35,6 +35,10 @@ const LobbyPage: FC = () => { // TODO check if player is defined in storage, if
 
   }
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    console.debug(thisPlayer)
+  })
+
   return (
     <>
       <Button onClick={createGame}>New game</Button>
@@ -50,7 +54,7 @@ export default LobbyPage;
 const GameTable: FC<ComponentProps> = ({className}) => {
 
   const data = useAtomValue(fetchAtom);
-  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(thisPlayerAtom);
+  const thisPlayer = useAtomValue(getPlayerAtom);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   async function joinGame(gameId: string): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/login.tsx b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/login.tsx
index 874680a..d3450e7 100644
--- a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/login.tsx
+++ b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/pages/login.tsx
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@ import React, {FC, FormEvent} from "react";
 import {Button} from "../components/button";
 import Input from "../components/input";
 import {useSetAtom} from "jotai";
-import {thisPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
+import {setPlayerAtom} from "../utils/state";
 import Player from "../game/player";
 import {useNavigate} from "react-router-dom";
 import {postData} from "../utils/api";
 
 const Login: FC = () => {
 
-  const setThisPlayer = useSetAtom(thisPlayerAtom);
+  const setThisPlayer = useSetAtom(setPlayerAtom);
   const navigate = useNavigate();
 
   async function handleLogin(e: FormEvent<HTMLFormElement>): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/utils/state.ts b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/utils/state.ts
index a867507..626e5c5 100644
--- a/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/utils/state.ts
+++ b/pac-man-board-game/ClientApp/src/utils/state.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,9 @@
 import Player from "../game/player";
 import {atom} from "jotai";
-import {atomWithStorage, createJSONStorage} from "jotai/utils";
 import {Ghost} from "../game/character";
 import {customMap} from "../game/map";
 
-const playerStorage = createJSONStorage<Player | undefined>(() => sessionStorage);
+const playerStorage = "player";
 /**
  * All players in the game.
  */
@@ -22,14 +21,35 @@ export const ghostsAtom = atom<Ghost[]>([]);
  */
 export const allCharactersAtom = atom(get => [...get(playerCharactersAtom), ...get(ghostsAtom)]);
 /**
- * The player that is currently using this browser.
+ * The player that is currently logged in.
  */
-export const thisPlayerAtom = atomWithStorage<Player | undefined>("player", undefined, {
-  ...playerStorage,
-  getItem(key, initialValue): Player | undefined {
-    const playerProps = playerStorage.getItem(key, initialValue) as PlayerProps | undefined;
-    return playerProps ? new Player(playerProps) : undefined;
-  },
+const playerAtom = atom<Player | undefined>(undefined);
+/**
+ * Gets the player that is currently logged in. If playerAtom is undefined, then it will try to get the player from session storage.
+ * @returns An atom representing the player that is currently logged in, or undefined if there is no player logged in.
+ */
+export const getPlayerAtom = atom(get => {
+  const atomValue = get(playerAtom);
+  if (!atomValue) {
+    const item = sessionStorage.getItem(playerStorage);
+    if (item) {
+      const playerProps = JSON.parse(item) as PlayerProps;
+      return new Player(playerProps);
+    }
+  }
+  return atomValue;
+});
+/**
+ * Sets the player that is currently logged in. If player is undefined, then it will remove the player from session storage.
+ * @param player The player that is currently logged in, or undefined if there is no player logged in.
+ * @return An atom used to set the player that is currently logged in.
+ */
+export const setPlayerAtom = atom(null, (get, set, player: Player | undefined) => {
+  set(playerAtom, player);
+  if (player)
+    sessionStorage.setItem(playerStorage, JSON.stringify(player));
+  else
+    sessionStorage.removeItem(playerStorage);
 });
 /**
  * All dice that have been rolled.