diff --git a/settings.py b/settings.py
index 79277052..ccd34580 100644
--- a/settings.py
+++ b/settings.py
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import os
 import os.path
 import shutil
 import sys
+import types
 import typing
 import warnings
 from enum import IntEnum
@@ -162,8 +163,13 @@ class Group:
             else:
                 # assign value, try to upcast to type hint
                 annotation = self.get_type_hints().get(k, None)
-                candidates = [] if annotation is None else \
-                    typing.get_args(annotation) if typing.get_origin(annotation) is Union else [annotation]
+                candidates = (
+                    [] if annotation is None else (
+                        typing.get_args(annotation)
+                        if typing.get_origin(annotation) in (Union, types.UnionType)
+                        else [annotation]
+                    )
+                )
                 none_type = type(None)
                 for cls in candidates:
                     assert isinstance(cls, type), f"{self.__class__.__name__}.{k}: type {cls} not supported in settings"
diff --git a/test/general/test_settings.py b/test/general/test_settings.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..165d7982
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/general/test_settings.py
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+from unittest import TestCase
+
+from settings import Group
+from worlds.AutoWorld import AutoWorldRegister
+
+
+class TestSettings(TestCase):
+    def test_settings_can_update(self) -> None:
+        """
+        Test that world settings can update.
+        """
+        for game_name, world_type in AutoWorldRegister.world_types.items():
+            with self.subTest(game=game_name):
+                if world_type.settings is not None:
+                    assert isinstance(world_type.settings, Group)
+                    world_type.settings.update({})  # a previous bug had a crash in this call to update
diff --git a/worlds/AutoWorld.py b/worlds/AutoWorld.py
index 3c4edc1b..ded8701d 100644
--- a/worlds/AutoWorld.py
+++ b/worlds/AutoWorld.py
@@ -33,7 +33,10 @@ class AutoWorldRegister(type):
         # lazy loading + caching to minimize runtime cost
         if cls.__settings is None:
             from settings import get_settings
-            cls.__settings = get_settings()[cls.settings_key]
+            try:
+                cls.__settings = get_settings()[cls.settings_key]
+            except AttributeError:
+                return None
         return cls.__settings
 
     def __new__(mcs, name: str, bases: Tuple[type, ...], dct: Dict[str, Any]) -> AutoWorldRegister:
diff --git a/worlds/zillion/__init__.py b/worlds/zillion/__init__.py
index d5e86bb3..e689f2f5 100644
--- a/worlds/zillion/__init__.py
+++ b/worlds/zillion/__init__.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class ZillionSettings(settings.Group):
         """
 
     rom_file: RomFile = RomFile(RomFile.copy_to)
-    rom_start: typing.Union[RomStart, bool] = RomStart("retroarch")
+    rom_start: RomStart | bool = RomStart("retroarch")
 
 
 class ZillionWebWorld(WebWorld):