diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/GlobalUsings.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/GlobalUsings.cs
index 19bbcbb..a30eee1 100644
--- a/SrcMod/Shell/GlobalUsings.cs
+++ b/SrcMod/Shell/GlobalUsings.cs
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ global using SrcMod.Shell.Extensions;
 global using SrcMod.Shell.Interop;
 global using SrcMod.Shell.Modules.ObjectModels;
 global using SrcMod.Shell.ObjectModels;
+global using SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
 global using System;
 global using System.Collections;
 global using System.Collections.Generic;
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueConvert.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueConvert.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index a52b2fe..0000000
--- a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueConvert.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,30 +0,0 @@
-namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
-
-public static class KeyValueConvert
-{
-    private static readonly Dictionary<string, string> p_escapeCodes = new()
-    {
-        { "\'", "\\\'" },
-        { "\"", "\\\"" },
-        { "\\", "\\\\" },
-        { "\0", "\\\0" },
-        { "\a", "\\\a" },
-        { "\b", "\\\b" },
-        { "\f", "\\\f" },
-        { "\n", "\\\n" },
-        { "\r", "\\\r" },
-        { "\t", "\\\t" },
-        { "\v", "\\\v" }
-    };
-
-    public static string SerializeName(string content, KeyValueSerializer.Options? options = null)
-    {
-        options ??= KeyValueSerializer.Options.Default;
-        if (options.useNameQuotes) content = $"\"{content}\"";
-        if (options.useEscapeCodes)
-            foreach (KeyValuePair<string, string> escapeCode in p_escapeCodes)
-                content = content.Replace(escapeCode.Key, escapeCode.Value);
-
-        return content;
-    }
-}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueNode.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueNode.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 5d88f77..0000000
--- a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueNode.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
-
-public class KeyValueNode
-{
-    public int SubNodeCount => p_subNodes.Count;
-
-    public object value;
-
-    private Dictionary<string, KeyValueNode> p_subNodes;
-
-    internal KeyValueNode()
-    {
-        value = new();
-        p_subNodes = new();
-    }
-
-    public KeyValueNode this[string name] => p_subNodes[name];
-}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueSerializer.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueSerializer.cs
deleted file mode 100644
index 399ac4a..0000000
--- a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/KeyValueSerializer.cs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,41 +0,0 @@
-namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
-
-public class KeyValueSerializer
-{
-    public int? IndentSize => p_options.indentSize;
-    public bool UseEscapeCodes => p_options.useEscapeCodes;
-    public bool UseNameQuotes => p_options.useNameQuotes;
-    public bool UseValueQuotes => p_options.useValueQuotes;
-
-    private readonly Options p_options;
-
-    public KeyValueSerializer() : this(Options.Default) { }
-    public KeyValueSerializer(Options options)
-    {
-        p_options = options;
-    }
-
-    public StringBuilder Serialize(StringBuilder builder, KeyValueNode parentNode, string? parentNodeName = null)
-    {
-        if (parentNodeName is not null) builder.AppendLine(KeyValueConvert.SerializeName(parentNodeName, p_options));
-        return builder;
-    }
-
-    public record class Options
-    {
-        public static Options Default => new();
-
-        public int? indentSize;
-        public bool useEscapeCodes;
-        public bool useNameQuotes;
-        public bool useValueQuotes;
-
-        public Options()
-        {
-            indentSize = null;
-            useEscapeCodes = false;
-            useNameQuotes = true;
-            useValueQuotes = false;
-        }
-    }
-}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfConvert.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfConvert.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c64cda
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfConvert.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
+
+interface static class VdfConvert
+{
+    private static readonly Dictionary<string, string> p_escapeCodes = new()
+    {
+        { "\'", "\\\'" },
+        { "\"", "\\\"" },
+        { "\\", "\\\\" },
+        { "\0", "\\\0" },
+        { "\a", "\\\a" },
+        { "\b", "\\\b" },
+        { "\f", "\\\f" },
+        { "\n", "\\\n" },
+        { "\r", "\\\r" },
+        { "\t", "\\\t" },
+        { "\v", "\\\v" }
+    };
+
+    public static void SerializeNode(StreamWriter writer, VdfNode node, string name,
+        ref VdfOptions options, int indentLevel)
+    {
+        if (node is VdfSingleNode single) SerializeSingleNode(writer, single, name, ref options, indentLevel);
+        else if (node is VdfTreeNode tree) SerializeTreeNode(writer, tree, name, ref options, indentLevel);
+        else throw new("Unknown node type.");
+    }
+
+    private static void SerializeSingleNode(StreamWriter writer, VdfSingleNode node, string name,
+        ref VdfOptions options, int indentLevel)
+    {
+        string serializedName = SerializeString(name, ref options),
+               serializedValue = SerializeObject(node.value, ref options);
+        writer.WriteLine($"{new string(' ', indentLevel)}{serializedName} {serializedValue}");
+    }
+    private static void SerializeTreeNode(StreamWriter writer, VdfTreeNode node, string name,
+        ref VdfOptions options, int indentLevel)
+    {
+        string serializedName = SerializeString(name, ref options),
+               serializedValue = ""; // TODO: serialize each value with a higher indent
+
+        string indent = new(' ', indentLevel);
+        writer.WriteLine($"{indent}{serializedName}\n{indent}{{\n{serializedValue}\n{indent}}}");
+    }
+
+    private static string SerializeObject(object obj, ref VdfOptions options)
+    {
+        // TODO: serialize an object
+        return "";
+    }
+
+    private static string SerializeString(string content, ref VdfOptions options)
+    {
+        if (options.useEscapeCodes)
+            foreach (KeyValuePair<string, string> escapeCode in p_escapeCodes)
+                content = content.Replace(escapeCode.Key, escapeCode.Value);
+        return content;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfNode.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfNode.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..36f3326
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfNode.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
+
+public abstract class VdfNode
+{
+
+}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfOptions.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfOptions.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d4fafa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfOptions.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
+
+public record class VdfOptions
+{
+    public static VdfOptions Default => new();
+
+    public bool closeWhenFinished;
+    public int indentSize;
+    public bool useEscapeCodes;
+    public bool useQuotes;
+
+    public VdfOptions()
+    {
+        closeWhenFinished = true;
+        indentSize = 4;
+        useEscapeCodes = false;
+        useQuotes = false;
+    }
+}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfSerializer.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfSerializer.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da46265
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfSerializer.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
+
+public class VdfSerializer
+{
+    public VdfOptions Options => p_options;
+
+    private VdfOptions p_options;
+
+    public VdfSerializer() : this(VdfOptions.Default) { }
+    public VdfSerializer(VdfOptions options)
+    {
+        p_options = options;
+    }
+
+    public void Serialize(Stream stream, VdfNode parentNode, string parentNodeName)
+    {
+        StreamWriter writer = p_options.closeWhenFinished ? new(stream) : new(stream, leaveOpen: true);
+        VdfConvert.SerializeNode(writer, parentNode, parentNodeName, ref p_options, 0);
+        writer.Close();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfSingleNode.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfSingleNode.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5e68b48
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfSingleNode.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
+
+public class VdfSingleNode : VdfNode
+{
+    public object value;
+
+    public VdfSingleNode(object? value = null) : base()
+    {
+        this.value = value ?? new();
+    }
+}
diff --git a/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfTreeNode.cs b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfTreeNode.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e39e8cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/SrcMod/Shell/Valve/VdfTreeNode.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+namespace SrcMod.Shell.Valve;
+
+public class VdfTreeNode : VdfNode
+{
+    public int SubNodeCount => p_subNodes.Count;
+
+    private Dictionary<string, VdfNode> p_subNodes;
+
+    public VdfTreeNode(Dictionary<string, VdfNode>? subNodes = null) : base()
+    {
+        p_subNodes = subNodes ?? new();
+    }
+
+    public VdfNode this[string key]
+    {
+        get => p_subNodes[key];
+        set
+        {
+            if (p_subNodes.ContainsKey(key)) p_subNodes[key] = value;
+            else p_subNodes.Add(key, value);
+        }
+    }
+    public VdfNode this[int index]
+    {
+        get => p_subNodes.Values.ElementAt(index);
+        set
+        {
+            if (p_subNodes.Count >= index || index < 0) throw new IndexOutOfRangeException();
+            p_subNodes[p_subNodes.Keys.ElementAt(index)] = value;
+        }
+    }
+}