diff --git a/src/Components/Views/StartMenu/StartMenu.tsx b/src/Components/Views/StartMenu/StartMenu.tsx
index a034b6d..08817a4 100644
--- a/src/Components/Views/StartMenu/StartMenu.tsx
+++ b/src/Components/Views/StartMenu/StartMenu.tsx
@@ -9,10 +9,10 @@ import { useGlobalSettings } from '../../../Hooks/useGlobalSettings';
 import { usePlayers } from '../../../Hooks/usePlayers';
 import { Cog, Info } from '../../../Icons/generated';
 import {
-  GameFormat,
   InitialGameSettings,
   Orientation,
   PreStartMode,
+  defaultInitialGameSettings,
 } from '../../../Types/Settings';
 import { InfoModal } from '../../Misc/InfoModal';
 import { SettingsModal } from '../../Misc/SettingsModal';
@@ -97,13 +97,7 @@ const Start = () => {
   const [openSettingsModal, setOpenSettingsModal] = useState(false);
 
   const [playerOptions, setPlayerOptions] = useState<InitialGameSettings>(
-    initialGameSettings || {
-      numberOfPlayers: 4,
-      startingLifeTotal: 40,
-      useCommanderDamage: true,
-      orientation: Orientation.Portrait,
-      gameFormat: GameFormat.Commander,
-    }
+    initialGameSettings || defaultInitialGameSettings
   );
 
   const doStartGame = () => {
diff --git a/src/Providers/GlobalSettingsProvider.tsx b/src/Providers/GlobalSettingsProvider.tsx
index b5ca954..01f31fc 100644
--- a/src/Providers/GlobalSettingsProvider.tsx
+++ b/src/Providers/GlobalSettingsProvider.tsx
@@ -7,9 +7,10 @@ import {
 import { useAnalytics } from '../Hooks/useAnalytics';
 import {
   InitialGameSettings,
-  initialGameSettingsSchema,
-  PreStartMode,
   Settings,
+  defaultInitialGameSettings,
+  defaultSettings,
+  initialGameSettingsSchema,
   settingsSchema,
 } from '../Types/Settings';
 
@@ -53,19 +54,18 @@ export const GlobalSettingsProvider = ({
       savedGameSettings ? JSON.parse(savedGameSettings) : null
     );
 
-  const parsedSettings = settingsSchema.safeParse(
-    JSON.parse(savedSettings ?? '')
-  );
+  const setInitialGameSettingsAndLocalStorage = (
+    initialGameSettings: InitialGameSettings
+  ) => {
+    setInitialGameSettings(initialGameSettings);
+    localStorage.setItem(
+      'initialGameSettings',
+      JSON.stringify(initialGameSettings)
+    );
+  };
+
   const [settings, setSettings] = useState<Settings>(
-    parsedSettings.success
-      ? parsedSettings.data
-      : {
-          goFullscreenOnStart: true,
-          keepAwake: true,
-          showStartingPlayer: true,
-          showPlayerMenuCog: true,
-          preStartMode: PreStartMode.None,
-        }
+    savedSettings ? JSON.parse(savedSettings) : defaultSettings
   );
 
   const setSettingsAndLocalStorage = (settings: Settings) => {
@@ -85,10 +85,29 @@ export const GlobalSettingsProvider = ({
     setPreStartCompleted(false);
   };
 
+  // Set settings if they are not valid
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (savedGameSettings && JSON.parse(savedGameSettings).gridAreas) {
-      removeLocalStorage();
-      window.location.reload();
+    // If there are no saved settings, set default settings
+    if (!savedSettings) {
+      setSettingsAndLocalStorage(defaultSettings);
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const parsedSettings = settingsSchema.safeParse(JSON.parse(savedSettings));
+
+    // If saved settings are not valid, remove them
+    if (!parsedSettings.success) {
+      console.error('invalid settings, resetting to default settings');
+      setSettingsAndLocalStorage(defaultSettings);
+      return;
+    }
+    localStorage.setItem('settings', JSON.stringify(parsedSettings.data));
+  }, [settings, savedSettings]);
+
+  // Set initial game settings if they are not valid
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!savedGameSettings) {
+      setInitialGameSettingsAndLocalStorage(defaultInitialGameSettings);
       return;
     }
 
@@ -97,14 +116,14 @@ export const GlobalSettingsProvider = ({
       initialGameSettingsSchema.safeParse(initialGameSettings);
 
     if (!parsedInitialGameSettings.success) {
-      removeLocalStorage();
-      window.location.reload();
+      console.error('invalid game settings, resetting to default settings');
+      setInitialGameSettingsAndLocalStorage(defaultInitialGameSettings);
       return;
     }
 
     localStorage.setItem(
       'initialGameSettings',
-      JSON.stringify(initialGameSettings)
+      JSON.stringify(parsedInitialGameSettings.data)
     );
   }, [initialGameSettings, savedGameSettings]);
 
diff --git a/src/Types/Settings.ts b/src/Types/Settings.ts
index 8399300..de626b3 100644
--- a/src/Types/Settings.ts
+++ b/src/Types/Settings.ts
@@ -35,17 +35,33 @@ export type InitialGameSettings = {
 };
 
 export const initialGameSettingsSchema = z.object({
-  startingLifeTotal: z.number().min(1).max(200).default(20),
-  useCommanderDamage: z.boolean().default(false),
-  gameFormat: z.nativeEnum(GameFormat).optional(),
-  numberOfPlayers: z.number().min(1).max(6).default(2),
-  orientation: z.nativeEnum(Orientation).default(Orientation.Landscape),
+  startingLifeTotal: z.number().min(1).max(200),
+  useCommanderDamage: z.boolean(),
+  gameFormat: z.nativeEnum(GameFormat),
+  numberOfPlayers: z.number().min(1).max(6),
+  orientation: z.nativeEnum(Orientation),
 });
 
+export const defaultInitialGameSettings = {
+  numberOfPlayers: 4,
+  startingLifeTotal: 40,
+  useCommanderDamage: true,
+  orientation: Orientation.Landscape,
+  gameFormat: GameFormat.Commander,
+};
+
 export const settingsSchema = z.object({
-  keepAwake: z.boolean().default(true),
-  showStartingPlayer: z.boolean().default(true),
-  showPlayerMenuCog: z.boolean().default(true),
-  goFullscreenOnStart: z.boolean().default(true),
-  preStartMode: z.nativeEnum(PreStartMode).default(PreStartMode.None),
+  keepAwake: z.boolean(),
+  showStartingPlayer: z.boolean(),
+  showPlayerMenuCog: z.boolean(),
+  goFullscreenOnStart: z.boolean(),
+  preStartMode: z.nativeEnum(PreStartMode),
 });
+
+export const defaultSettings: Settings = {
+  goFullscreenOnStart: true,
+  keepAwake: true,
+  showStartingPlayer: true,
+  showPlayerMenuCog: true,
+  preStartMode: PreStartMode.None,
+};