diff --git a/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/frag.glsl b/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/frag.glsl
index 5d64b0e2..3cba6033 100644
--- a/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/frag.glsl
+++ b/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/frag.glsl
@@ -52,5 +52,5 @@ void main() {
 
 	position = fragIn.position;
 	normal = fragIn.normal;
-	color.rgb *= fragIn.brightness * 0.8 + 0.2;
+	color.rgb *= sqrt(fragIn.brightness) * 0.8 + 0.2;
 }
diff --git a/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/vert.glsl b/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/vert.glsl
index 5f6dc5e9..baaff230 100644
--- a/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/vert.glsl
+++ b/client/src/main/resources/shaders/block/vert.glsl
@@ -55,5 +55,5 @@ void main() {
 
     fragIn.mult = mult;
     fragInFlat.texIndex = texIndex;
-    fragIn.brightness = brightness;
+    fragIn.brightness = brightness * brightness;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/src/main/scala/hexacraft/client/render/BlockVboData.scala b/client/src/main/scala/hexacraft/client/render/BlockVboData.scala
index 64cd50fa..540d66c5 100644
--- a/client/src/main/scala/hexacraft/client/render/BlockVboData.scala
+++ b/client/src/main/scala/hexacraft/client/render/BlockVboData.scala
@@ -301,13 +301,15 @@ object BlockVboData {
         }
       case _ =>
         cornerIdx match {
-          case 0 => b += Offset(0, 1, 0)
-          case 1 => b += Offset(0, 1, 0)
-          case 2 => b += Offset(0, -1, 0)
-          case 3 => b += Offset(0, -1, 0)
+          case 0 => b += Offset(0, 1, 0); b += Offset(0, 1, 0)
+          case 1 => b += Offset(0, 1, 0); b += Offset(0, 1, 0)
+          case 2 => b += Offset(0, -1, 0); b += Offset(0, -1, 0)
+          case 3 => b += Offset(0, -1, 0); b += Offset(0, -1, 0)
         }
     }
 
+    // TODO: calculate ambient occlusion based on the neighbors, and make sure it's independent of `side`
+
     var brSum = 0f
     var brCount = 0
     var bIdx = 0
@@ -320,7 +322,11 @@ object BlockVboData {
       }
       bIdx += 1
     }
-    if brCount == 0 then brightness(neighborBlockCoords) else brSum / brCount
+    if brCount == 0 then brightness(neighborBlockCoords)
+    else {
+      val ambientOcclusionFactor = (brCount - 1).toFloat / (bLen - 1) * 0.2f + 0.8f // TODO: temporary
+      brSum / brCount * ambientOcclusionFactor
+    }
   }
 
   private def oppositeSide(s: Int): Int = {