diff --git a/pytiled_parser/objects.py b/pytiled_parser/objects.py
index 49a15e6..a805a7b 100644
--- a/pytiled_parser/objects.py
+++ b/pytiled_parser/objects.py
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ class _TextObjectDefaults(_TiledObjectDefaults):
     font_family: str = "sans-serif"
     font_size: int = 16
     wrap: bool = False
-    color: Color = Color(0xFF, 0, 0, 0)
+    color: str = "#000000"
     bold: bool = False
     italic: bool = False
     underline: bool = False
@@ -422,7 +422,7 @@ class ObjectLayer(Layer):
 
     tiled_objects: List[TiledObject]
 
-    color: Optional[Color] = None
+    color: Optional[str] = None
     draw_order: Optional[str] = "topdown"
 
 
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ class TileMap:
     hex_side_length: Optional[int] = None
     stagger_axis: Optional[int] = None
     stagger_index: Optional[int] = None
-    background_color: Optional[Color] = None
+    background_color: Optional[str] = None
 
     properties: Optional[Properties] = None
 
diff --git a/pytiled_parser/xml_parser.py b/pytiled_parser/xml_parser.py
index 4f7c19d..8ca4649 100644
--- a/pytiled_parser/xml_parser.py
+++ b/pytiled_parser/xml_parser.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import pytiled_parser.utilities as utilities
 
 
 def _decode_base64_data(
-    data_text: str, compression: Optional[str], layer_width: int
+    data_text: str, layer_width: int, compression: Optional[str] = None
 ) -> List[List[int]]:
     tile_grid: List[List[int]] = [[]]
 
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ def _decode_base64_data(
     return tile_grid
 
 
-def _decode_csv_layer(data_text: str) -> List[List[int]]:
+def _decode_csv_data(data_text: str) -> List[List[int]]:
     """Decodes csv encoded layer data.
 
     Credit:
@@ -57,10 +57,10 @@ def _decode_csv_layer(data_text: str) -> List[List[int]]:
     tile_grid = []
     lines: List[str] = data_text.split("\n")
     # remove erronious empty lists due to a newline being on both ends of text
-    lines = lines[1:]
-    lines = lines[:-1]
+    lines = lines[1:-1]
     for line in lines:
         line_list = line.split(",")
+        # FIXME: what is this for?
         while "" in line_list:
             line_list.remove("")
         line_list_int = [int(item) for item in line_list]
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def _decode_data(
         raise AttributeError(f"{element} lacks layer data.")
 
     if encoding == "csv":
-        return _decode_csv_layer(data_text)
+        return _decode_csv_data(data_text)
 
     return _decode_base64_data(data_text, compression, layer_width)
 
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ def _parse_layer(
         layer_element: The layer element to be parsed.
 
     Returns:
-
+        FIXME
     """
     id = int(layer_element.attrib["id"])
 
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ def _parse_object_layer(element: etree.Element,) -> objects.ObjectLayer:
     tiled_objects = _parse_objects(element.findall("./object"))
 
     try:
-        color = utilities.parse_color(element.attrib["color"])
+        color = element.attrib["color"]
     except KeyError:
         pass
 
@@ -495,7 +495,7 @@ def _parse_image_element(image_element: etree.Element) -> objects.Image:
     """Parse image element given.
 
     Returns:
-        :Color: Color in Arcade's preffered format.
+        : Color in Arcade's preffered format.
     """
     image = objects.Image(image_element.attrib["source"])
 
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ def _parse_image_element(image_element: etree.Element) -> objects.Image:
         image.size = objects.Size(int(width_attrib), int(height_attrib))
 
     try:
-        image.trans = utilities.parse_color(image_element.attrib["trans"])
+        image.trans = image_element.attrib["trans"]
     except KeyError:
         pass
 
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ def _parse_properties_element(
         elif property_type == "float":
             properties[name] = float(value)
         elif property_type == "color":
-            properties[name] = utilities.parse_color(value)
+            properties[name] = value
         elif property_type == "file":
             properties[name] = Path(value)
         elif property_type == "bool":
@@ -731,11 +731,9 @@ def parse_tile_map(tmx_file: Union[str, Path]) -> objects.TileMap:
         pass
 
     try:
-        backgroundcolor = map_element.attrib["backgroundcolor"]
+        tile_map.background_color = map_element.attrib["backgroundcolor"]
     except KeyError:
         pass
-    else:
-        tile_map.background_color = utilities.parse_color(backgroundcolor)
 
     properties_element = map_tree.find("./properties")
     if properties_element is not None:
diff --git a/tests/test_data/test_map_simple_meme.tmx b/tests/test_data/test_map_simple_meme.tmx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc47bdc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_data/test_map_simple_meme.tmx
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<map version="1.2" tiledversion="1.2.3" orientation="orthogonal" renderorder="right-down" width="8" height="6" tilewidth="32" tileheight="32" infinite="0" nextlayerid="2" nextobjectid="1">
+ <properties>
+  <property name="bool property - false" type="bool" value="false"/>
+  <property name="bool property - true" type="bool" value="true"/>
+  <property name="color property" type="color" value="#ff49fcff"/>
+  <property name="file property" type="file" value="../../../../../../../../var/log/syslog"/>
+  <property name="float property" type="float" value="1.23456789"/>
+  <property name="int property" type="int" value="13"/>
+  <property name="string property" value="Hello, World!!"/>
+ </properties>
+ <tileset firstgid="1" source="tile_set_image.tsx"/>
+ <layer id="1" name="Tile Layer 1" width="8" height="6">
+  <data encoding="base64" compression="gzip">
+   H4sIAAAAAAAAAw3DBRKCQAAAwDMRA7BQLMTE9v+vY3dmWyGEth279uwbOTB26MixExNTM6fOnLtwae7KtYUbt+7ce7D0aOXJsxev3rxb+/Dpy7cfv/782wAcvDirwAAAAA==
+  </data>
+ </layer>
+</map>
diff --git a/tests/unit2/test_parser.py b/tests/unit2/test_parser.py
index a03f8bd..3d58ab1 100644
--- a/tests/unit2/test_parser.py
+++ b/tests/unit2/test_parser.py
@@ -2,17 +2,169 @@ import pytest
 
 import xml.etree.ElementTree as etree
 
-from typing import Callable
+from contextlib import contextmanager
+from typing import Callable, List, Optional, Tuple
 
-from pytiled_parser import xml_parser
+from pytiled_parser import objects, xml_parser, utilities
 
 
-def _get_root_element(xml: str) -> Callable:
-    pass
+@contextmanager
+def does_not_raise():
+    yield
 
 
-layer_data = []
+def _get_root_element(xml: str) -> etree.Element:
+    return etree.fromstring(xml)
 
 
-def test_parse_layer(element, expected):
-    pass
+layer_data = [
+    (
+        '<layer id="1" name="Tile Layer 1" width="10" height="10">'
+        "</layer>",
+        (int(1), "Tile Layer 1", None, None, None),
+    ),
+    (
+        '<layer id="2" name="Tile Layer 2" width="10" height="10" opacity="0.5">'
+        "</layer>",
+        (int(2), "Tile Layer 2", None, float(0.5), None),
+    ),
+    (
+        '<layer id="5" name="Tile Layer 4" width="10" height="10" offsetx="49" offsety="-50">'
+        "<properties>"
+        "</properties>"
+        "</layer>",
+        (
+            int(5),
+            "Tile Layer 4",
+            objects.OrderedPair(49, -50),
+            None,
+            "properties",
+        ),
+    ),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("xml,expected", layer_data)
+def test_parse_layer(xml, expected, monkeypatch):
+    def mockreturn(properties):
+        return "properties"
+
+    monkeypatch.setattr(xml_parser, "_parse_properties_element", mockreturn)
+
+    assert xml_parser._parse_layer(_get_root_element(xml)) == expected
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "test_input,expected",
+    [
+        ("#001122", (0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0xFF)),
+        ("001122", (0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0xFF)),
+        ("#FF001122", (0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0xFF)),
+        ("FF001122", (0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0xFF)),
+        ("FF001122", (0x00, 0x11, 0x22, 0xFF)),
+    ],
+)
+def test_color_parsing(test_input, expected):
+    """
+    Tiled has a few different types of color representations.
+    """
+    assert utilities.parse_color(test_input) == expected
+
+
+data_csv = [
+    (
+        "\n1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,\n"
+        "9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,\n"
+        "17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,\n"
+        "25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,\n"
+        "33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,\n"
+        "41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48\n",
+        [
+            [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8],
+            [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16],
+            [17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24],
+            [25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32],
+            [33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40],
+            [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48],
+        ],
+    ),
+    ("\n0,0,0,0,0\n", [[0, 0, 0, 0, 0]]),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("data_csv,expected", data_csv)
+def test_decode_csv_data(data_csv, expected):
+    assert xml_parser._decode_csv_data(data_csv) == expected
+
+
+data_base64 = [
+    (
+        "AQAAAAIAAAADAAAABAAAAAUAAAAGAAAABwAAAAgAAAAJAAAACgAAAAsAAAAMAAAADQAAAA4AAAAPAAAAEAAAABEAAAASAAAAEwAAABQAAAAVAAAAFgAAABcAAAAYAAAAGQAAABoAAAAbAAAAHAAAAB0AAAAeAAAAHwAAACAAAAAhAAAAIgAAACMAAAAkAAAAJQAAACYAAAAnAAAAKAAAACkAAAAqAAAAKwAAACwAAAAtAAAALgAAAC8AAAAwAAAA",
+        8,
+        None,
+        [
+            [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8],
+            [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16],
+            [17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24],
+            [25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32],
+            [33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40],
+            [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48],
+        ],
+        does_not_raise(),
+    ),
+    (
+        "eJwNwwUSgkAAAMAzEQOwUCzExPb/r2N3ZlshhLYdu/bsGzkwdujIsRMTUzOnzpy7cGnuyrWFG7fu3Huw9GjlybMXr968W/vw6cu3H7/+/NsAMw8EmQ==",
+        8,
+        "zlib",
+        [
+            [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8],
+            [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16],
+            [17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24],
+            [25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32],
+            [33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40],
+            [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48],
+        ],
+        does_not_raise(),
+    ),
+    (
+        "H4sIAAAAAAAAAw3DBRKCQAAAwDMRA7BQLMTE9v+vY3dmWyGEth279uwbOTB26MixExNTM6fOnLtwae7KtYUbt+7ce7D0aOXJsxev3rxb+/Dpy7cfv/782wAcvDirwAAAAA==",
+        8,
+        "gzip",
+        [
+            [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8],
+            [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16],
+            [17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24],
+            [25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32],
+            [33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40],
+            [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48],
+        ],
+        does_not_raise(),
+    ),
+    (
+        "SGVsbG8gV29ybGQh",
+        8,
+        "lzma",
+        [
+            [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8],
+            [9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16],
+            [17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24],
+            [25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32],
+            [33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40],
+            [41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48],
+        ],
+        pytest.raises(ValueError),
+    ),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "data_base64,width,compression,expected,raises", data_base64
+)
+def test_decode_base64_data(
+    data_base64, width, compression, expected, raises
+):
+    with raises:
+        assert (
+            xml_parser._decode_base64_data(data_base64, width, compression)
+            == expected
+        )