diff --git a/ThinkPink/mainwindow.cpp b/ThinkPink/mainwindow.cpp
index 4a8d037..0a537d7 100644
--- a/ThinkPink/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/ThinkPink/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -8,11 +8,12 @@ void MainWindow::buttonPressed(int row, int column) {
     QString text = "\u2605";
     std::set<std::vector<int>> connected;
     game->getConnected(&connected, game->getCell(row, column), row, column);
-    for (auto i = connected.begin(); i != connected.end(); i++) {
-        buttonGrid[(*i)[0]][(*i)[1]]->setText(text);
-    }
-    //button->setText(text);
-    //buttonGrid[row][column+1 % columns]->setText(text);
+    if ( connected.size() > 1)
+        for (auto i = connected.begin(); i != connected.end(); i++) {
+            buttonGrid[(*i)[0]][(*i)[1]]->setText(text);
+        }
+    else
+        ui->statusBar->showMessage("Only friends get Stars!", 2000);
 }
 
 void MainWindow::newGame() {
diff --git a/ThinkPink/mainwindow.ui b/ThinkPink/mainwindow.ui
index 32c3a90..1bbc577 100644
--- a/ThinkPink/mainwindow.ui
+++ b/ThinkPink/mainwindow.ui
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
    </widget>
    <addaction name="menuPlay"/>
   </widget>
+  <widget class="QStatusBar" name="statusBar"/>
  </widget>
  <resources/>
  <connections/>
diff --git a/ThinkPink/samegame.cpp b/ThinkPink/samegame.cpp
index f20fe4d..867228a 100644
--- a/ThinkPink/samegame.cpp
+++ b/ThinkPink/samegame.cpp
@@ -29,25 +29,25 @@ QString SameGame::getCell(int row, int column) {
     return gameMatrix[row][column];
 }
 
+void SameGame::checkNeighbour(std::set<std::vector<int>> *connectedSet, QString color, int row, int column) {
+    // check for grid boundaries
+    if (row > -1 && column > -1 && (unsigned long) row < gameMatrix.size() && (unsigned long) column < gameMatrix[0].size()) {
+        // check if already visited
+        if ( !(connectedSet->contains(std::vector<int>{row, column})) ) {
+            // check color
+            if (gameMatrix[row][column] == color)
+                getConnected(connectedSet, color, row, column);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 void SameGame::getConnected(std::set<std::vector<int>> *connectedSet, QString color, int row, int column) {
     std::vector<int> cellCoords;
     cellCoords.push_back(row);
     cellCoords.push_back(column);
     connectedSet->insert(cellCoords);
-    // check below
-    if ((unsigned long) row+1 < gameMatrix.size() && !(connectedSet->contains(std::vector<int>{row+1, column})) && gameMatrix[row+1][column] == color) {
-        getConnected(connectedSet, color, row+1, column);
-    }
-    // check above
-    if (row-1 > -1 && !(connectedSet->contains(std::vector<int>{row-1, column})) && gameMatrix[row-1][column] == color) {
-        getConnected(connectedSet, color, row-1, column);
-    }
-    // check right
-    if ((unsigned long) column+1 < gameMatrix[0].size() && !(connectedSet->contains(std::vector<int>{row, column+1})) && gameMatrix[row][column+1] == color) {
-        getConnected(connectedSet, color, row, column+1);
-    }
-    // check left
-    if ((unsigned long) column-1 > -1 && !(connectedSet->contains(std::vector<int>{row, column-1})) && gameMatrix[row][column-1] == color) {
-        getConnected(connectedSet, color, row, column-1);
-    }
+    checkNeighbour(connectedSet, color, row+1, column);
+    checkNeighbour(connectedSet, color, row-1, column);
+    checkNeighbour(connectedSet, color, row, column+1);
+    checkNeighbour(connectedSet, color, row, column-1);
 }
diff --git a/ThinkPink/samegame.h b/ThinkPink/samegame.h
index 04127b1..fdf8fdd 100644
--- a/ThinkPink/samegame.h
+++ b/ThinkPink/samegame.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ public:
     void initialiseGameMatrix(int rows, int columns);
     SameGame(int rows, int columns);
     QString getCell(int row, int column);
+    void checkNeighbour(std::set<std::vector<int>> *connectedSet, QString color, int row, int column);
     void getConnected(std::set<std::vector<int>> *connectedSet, QString color, int row, int column);
 };