diff --git a/src/video/video_driver.cpp b/src/video/video_driver.cpp
--- a/src/video/video_driver.cpp
+++ b/src/video/video_driver.cpp
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 /** @file video_driver.cpp Common code between video driver implementations. */
 
 #include "../stdafx.h"
-#include "../debug.h"
 #include "../core/random_func.hpp"
 #include "../network/network.h"
+#include "../debug.h"
 #include "../gfx_func.h"
 #include "../progress.h"
 #include "../thread.h"
@@ -19,40 +19,84 @@
 
 bool _video_hw_accel; ///< Whether to consider hardware accelerated video drivers.
 
+void VideoDriver::GameLoop()
+{
+	this->next_game_tick += this->GetGameInterval();
+
+	/* Avoid next_game_tick getting behind more and more if it cannot keep up. */
+	auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+	if (this->next_game_tick < now - ALLOWED_DRIFT * this->GetGameInterval()) this->next_game_tick = now;
+
+	{
+		std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->game_state_mutex);
+
+		::GameLoop();
+	}
+}
+
+void VideoDriver::GameThread()
+{
+	while (!_exit_game) {
+		this->GameLoop();
+
+		auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+		if (this->next_game_tick > now) {
+			std::this_thread::sleep_for(this->next_game_tick - now);
+		} else {
+			/* Ensure we yield this thread if drawings wants to take a lock on
+			 * the game state. This is mainly because most OSes have an
+			 * optimization that if you unlock/lock a mutex in the same thread
+			 * quickly, it will never context switch even if there is another
+			 * thread waiting to take the lock on the same mutex. */
+			std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock(this->game_thread_wait_mutex);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+/* static */ void VideoDriver::GameThreadThunk(VideoDriver *drv)
+{
+	drv->GameThread();
+}
+
+void VideoDriver::StartGameThread()
+{
+	if (this->is_game_threaded) {
+		this->is_game_threaded = StartNewThread(&this->game_thread, "ottd:game", &VideoDriver::GameThreadThunk, this);
+	}
+
+	DEBUG(driver, 1, "using %sthread for game-loop", this->is_game_threaded ? "" : "no ");
+}
+
+void VideoDriver::StopGameThread()
+{
+	if (!this->is_game_threaded) return;
+
+	this->game_thread.join();
+}
+
 void VideoDriver::Tick()
 {
-	auto cur_ticks = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
-
-	if (cur_ticks >= this->next_game_tick) {
-		this->next_game_tick += this->GetGameInterval();
-		/* Avoid next_game_tick getting behind more and more if it cannot keep up. */
-		if (this->next_game_tick < cur_ticks - ALLOWED_DRIFT * this->GetGameInterval()) this->next_game_tick = cur_ticks;
-
-		/* The game loop is the part that can run asynchronously.
-		 * The rest except sleeping can't. */
-		this->UnlockVideoBuffer();
-		::GameLoop();
-		this->LockVideoBuffer();
+	if (!this->is_game_threaded && std::chrono::steady_clock::now() >= this->next_game_tick) {
+		this->GameLoop();
 
 		/* For things like dedicated server, don't run a separate draw-tick. */
 		if (!this->HasGUI()) {
 			::InputLoop();
-			UpdateWindows();
+			::UpdateWindows();
 			this->next_draw_tick = this->next_game_tick;
 		}
 	}
 
-	/* Prevent drawing when switching mode, as windows can be removed when they should still appear. */
-	if (this->HasGUI() && cur_ticks >= this->next_draw_tick && (_switch_mode == SM_NONE || _game_mode == GM_BOOTSTRAP || HasModalProgress())) {
+	auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
+	if (this->HasGUI() && now >= this->next_draw_tick) {
 		this->next_draw_tick += this->GetDrawInterval();
 		/* Avoid next_draw_tick getting behind more and more if it cannot keep up. */
-		if (this->next_draw_tick < cur_ticks - ALLOWED_DRIFT * this->GetDrawInterval()) this->next_draw_tick = cur_ticks;
+		if (this->next_draw_tick < now - ALLOWED_DRIFT * this->GetDrawInterval()) this->next_draw_tick = now;
 
 		/* Keep the interactive randomizer a bit more random by requesting
 		 * new values when-ever we can. */
 		InteractiveRandom();
 
-		while (this->PollEvent()) {}
 		this->InputLoop();
 
 		/* Check if the fast-forward button is still pressed. */
@@ -64,23 +108,41 @@ void VideoDriver::Tick()
 			this->fast_forward_via_key = false;
 		}
 
-		::InputLoop();
-		UpdateWindows();
+		{
+			/* Tell the game-thread to stop so we can have a go. */
+			std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock_wait(this->game_thread_wait_mutex);
+			std::lock_guard<std::mutex> lock_state(this->game_state_mutex);
+
+			this->LockVideoBuffer();
+
+			while (this->PollEvent()) {}
+			::InputLoop();
+
+			/* Prevent drawing when switching mode, as windows can be removed when they should still appear. */
+			if (_game_mode == GM_BOOTSTRAP || _switch_mode == SM_NONE || HasModalProgress()) {
+				::UpdateWindows();
+			}
+
+			this->PopulateSystemSprites();
+		}
 
 		this->CheckPaletteAnim();
 		this->Paint();
+
+		this->UnlockVideoBuffer();
 	}
 }
 
 void VideoDriver::SleepTillNextTick()
 {
-	/* See how much time there is till we have to process the next event, and try to hit that as close as possible. */
-	auto next_tick = std::min(this->next_draw_tick, this->next_game_tick);
+	auto next_tick = this->next_draw_tick;
 	auto now = std::chrono::steady_clock::now();
 
+	if (!this->is_game_threaded) {
+		next_tick = min(next_tick, this->next_game_tick);
+	}
+
 	if (next_tick > now) {
-		this->UnlockVideoBuffer();
 		std::this_thread::sleep_for(next_tick - now);
-		this->LockVideoBuffer();
 	}
 }