diff --git a/criterion b/criterion
deleted file mode 160000
index 83a49e7..0000000
--- a/criterion
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit 83a49e723df6b54fe2329ad941c2124df69e7bc6
diff --git a/flatty b/flatty
deleted file mode 160000
index d39ed64..0000000
--- a/flatty
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit d39ed645a92353af12885035e7c6c4836e3ec6d7
diff --git a/frosty.nimble b/frosty.nimble
index e8545fb..f5ef1b0 100644
--- a/frosty.nimble
+++ b/frosty.nimble
@@ -1,18 +1,19 @@
-version = "0.4.5"
+version = "0.4.6"
 author = "disruptek"
 description = "serialize native Nim types to strings, streams, or sockets"
 license = "MIT"
 
-requires "https://github.com/narimiran/sorta < 1.0.0"
+when defined(frostySorted):
+  requires "https://github.com/narimiran/sorta < 1.0.0"
 when not defined(release):
   requires "https://github.com/disruptek/criterion < 1.0.0"
-  requires "https://github.com/disruptek/testes > 1.0.0 & < 2.0.0"
+  requires "https://github.com/disruptek/balls > 2.0.0 & < 3.0.0"
 
 task test, "run unit tests":
   when defined(windows):
-    exec "testes.cmd"
+    exec "balls.cmd"
   else:
-    exec "testes"
+    exec "balls"
 
 task demo, "generate benchmark":
   exec """demo docs/bench.svg "nim c --out=\$1 --gc:arc --define:danger tests/bench.nim""""
diff --git a/jason b/jason
deleted file mode 160000
index c821204..0000000
--- a/jason
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit c821204a37d417e795aa54a9afc7ca5137971d46
diff --git a/skcbor b/skcbor
deleted file mode 160000
index c0e13fc..0000000
--- a/skcbor
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit c0e13fc747bba15dad6d061a5db2891db5f41486
diff --git a/skflatbuffers b/skflatbuffers
deleted file mode 160000
index e8e3fe8..0000000
--- a/skflatbuffers
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit e8e3fe8264723f6fbf92c57cfac4fc4abe516d20
diff --git a/sorta b/sorta
deleted file mode 160000
index be57458..0000000
--- a/sorta
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit be57458b5b075151cbc192a99c2a43e513a6340a
diff --git a/testes b/testes
deleted file mode 160000
index e6ddd95..0000000
--- a/testes
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Subproject commit e6ddd9501b69e8e02ae88289dd6a47e10548263e
diff --git a/tests/test.nim b/tests/test.nim
index dd5f113..dc91279 100644
--- a/tests/test.nim
+++ b/tests/test.nim
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import std/random
 import std/json
 import std/options
 
-import testes
+import balls
 import frosty
 
 const
@@ -196,13 +196,13 @@ for mode in [fmWrite, fmRead]:
   try:
     case mode
     of fmWrite:
-      testes:
+      suite "writes":
         block:
           ## writing values to stream
           freeze(vals, fh)
       echo "file size in meg: ", fileSize(fn)
     of fmRead:
-      testes:
+      suite "reads":
         block:
           ## reading values from stream
           thaw(fh, q)
diff --git a/tests/tvariant.nim b/tests/tvariant.nim
index 75a7b75..bab90fc 100644
--- a/tests/tvariant.nim
+++ b/tests/tvariant.nim
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import testes
+import balls
 import frosty
 
 type
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ type
     of Odd:
       odd: bool
 
-testes:
+suite "object variants":
   var s: string
   block:
     ## write a case object