diff --git a/godot-jev/README.md b/godot-jev/README.md
index 171ebe4..f5ca733 100644
--- a/godot-jev/README.md
+++ b/godot-jev/README.md
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ in that room at that moment.
 
 ## The screen
 
+The game opens on a start menu over the crypt stairs: **Enter the crypt**, **Help** and **Quit**,
+with a line saying whether Jev is listening (and which model) or offline for want of
+`TYPESAFE_API_KEY`. Help is a scrolling page on what the experiment is about: the problem, how the
+Choice over possible moves works, the act and clarify thresholds (read from the parser, not
+written into the text), the hypothesis, and how to read the screen below. Back or Esc returns to
+the menu.
+
 | Area | What it shows |
 | --- | --- |
 | Room art (top left) | A 160×90 pixel scene for the current room, scaled 4×. It fades between rooms, drops to near-black in a dark room without light, and switches to a room's variant art once the variant's flag is set (the hall after the skeleton falls). The room's name sits on a plaque in the corner. |
@@ -118,11 +125,14 @@ don't need separate art; the scene dims the room's image at runtime.
 | `demo/world.json` | The authored dungeon: 6 rooms, 5 items, 3 interactions |
 | `demo/world.gd` | Rules: possible actions, room variants, and authored responses only |
 | `demo/parser.gd` | Player text to one possible action, gated by confidence |
+| `demo/start_menu.gd` | The start menu (the main scene) and its help page |
+| `demo/help.gd` | BBCode for the help page, and the menu's Jev status line |
 | `demo/adventure.gd` | The playable scene: art, status panel, transcript and input |
+| `demo/style.gd` | Palette, fonts, framed panels and theme shared by the menu and the game |
 | `demo/transcript.gd` | BBCode for the transcript; escapes all authored and typed text |
 | `demo/art/`, `demo/fonts/` | Room images and the two pixel fonts |
 | `tools/paint_rooms.gd` | Regenerates the placeholder room art |
-| `tests/` | A headless runner and 29 tests; a script error inside a test counts as a failure |
+| `tests/` | A headless runner and 34 tests; a script error inside a test counts as a failure |
 
 Using the add-on in any game:
 
@@ -157,7 +167,7 @@ the game stays fully authored, and it's fast enough to feel like a parser, not a
 
 ```bash
 export TYPESAFE_API_KEY=sk-...        # read by the Jev autoload; local prototyping only
-godot --path .                        # play
+godot --path .                        # play (opens the start menu)
 godot --headless --path . --import
 godot --headless --path . --script res://tests/run_tests.gd
 ```
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/adventure.gd b/godot-jev/demo/adventure.gd
index fd1e4c4..5201cb3 100644
--- a/godot-jev/demo/adventure.gd
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/adventure.gd
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ extends Control
 const World := preload("res://demo/world.gd")
 const Parser := preload("res://demo/parser.gd")
 const Transcript := preload("res://demo/transcript.gd")
-const BODY_FONT := preload("res://demo/fonts/VT323-Regular.ttf")
-const TITLE_FONT := preload("res://demo/fonts/PixelifySans.ttf")
+const Style := preload("res://demo/style.gd")
+const TITLE_FONT := Style.TITLE_FONT
 
 const NOT_UNDERSTOOD := [
 	"You're not sure how to do that here.",
@@ -15,13 +15,11 @@ const NOT_UNDERSTOOD := [
 	"You hesitate. That doesn't seem possible right now.",
 ]
 const REVEAL_CHARS_PER_S := 160.0
-const BG := Color("0b0910")
-const PANEL := Color("16121c")
-const EDGE := Color("7a6038")
-const EDGE_DARK := Color("2a2130")
-const INK := Color("e8dcc0")
-const DIM := Color("8d82a3")
-const GOLD := Color("f0b85a")
+const PANEL := Style.PANEL
+const EDGE := Style.EDGE
+const EDGE_DARK := Style.EDGE_DARK
+const DIM := Style.DIM
+const GOLD := Style.GOLD
 const DARKNESS := Color(0.05, 0.045, 0.07)
 
 var world: Object
@@ -50,10 +48,7 @@ var details_text: RichTextLabel
 
 
 func _ready() -> void:
-	for font: FontFile in [BODY_FONT, TITLE_FONT]:
-		font.antialiasing = TextServer.FONT_ANTIALIASING_NONE
-		font.hinting = TextServer.HINTING_NONE
-		font.subpixel_positioning = TextServer.SUBPIXEL_POSITIONING_DISABLED
+	Style.crisp_fonts()
 	world = World.from_file("res://demo/world.json")
 	parser = Parser.new(Jev)
 	_build_ui()
@@ -248,9 +243,9 @@ func _finish_reveal() -> void:
 # --- layout -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
 func _build_ui() -> void:
-	theme = _theme()
+	theme = Style.theme()
 	var bg := ColorRect.new()
-	bg.color = BG
+	bg.color = Style.BG
 	bg.set_anchors_preset(Control.PRESET_FULL_RECT)
 	add_child(bg)
 
@@ -265,11 +260,11 @@ func _build_ui() -> void:
 	var left := VBoxContainer.new()
 	left.add_theme_constant_override("separation", 14)
 	row.add_child(left)
-	left.add_child(_framed(_art_view()))
-	var hud := _framed(_hud())
+	left.add_child(Style.framed(_art_view()))
+	var hud := Style.framed(_hud())
 	hud.size_flags_vertical = Control.SIZE_EXPAND_FILL
 	left.add_child(hud)
-	var text_box := _framed(_text_panel())
+	var text_box := Style.framed(_text_panel())
 	text_box.size_flags_horizontal = Control.SIZE_EXPAND_FILL
 	row.add_child(text_box)
 	add_child(_details_popup())
@@ -278,7 +273,7 @@ func _build_ui() -> void:
 func _details_popup() -> PopupPanel:
 	details = PopupPanel.new()
 	details.theme = theme
-	details.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", _box(PANEL, GOLD, 2, Vector4.ONE * 14))
+	details.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", Style.box(PANEL, GOLD, 2, Vector4.ONE * 14))
 	details.popup_hide.connect(func(): input.grab_focus())
 	details_text = RichTextLabel.new()
 	details_text.bbcode_enabled = true
@@ -298,7 +293,7 @@ func _art_view() -> Control:
 	art.texture_filter = CanvasItem.TEXTURE_FILTER_NEAREST
 	holder.add_child(art)
 	var tag := PanelContainer.new()
-	tag.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", _box(Color(PANEL, 0.85), EDGE, 2, Vector4(10, 2, 10, 4)))
+	tag.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", Style.box(Color(PANEL, 0.85), EDGE, 2, Vector4(10, 2, 10, 4)))
 	tag.position = Vector2(12, 12)
 	plaque = Label.new()
 	plaque.add_theme_font_override("font", TITLE_FONT)
@@ -405,54 +400,6 @@ func _caption(text: String) -> Label:
 	return label
 
 
-## A double border: a dark outer line around a brass inner line.
-func _framed(content: Control) -> PanelContainer:
-	var outer := PanelContainer.new()
-	outer.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", _box(EDGE_DARK, BG, 2, Vector4.ONE * 2))
-	var inner := PanelContainer.new()
-	inner.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", _box(PANEL, EDGE, 2, Vector4.ONE * 12))
-	inner.size_flags_vertical = Control.SIZE_EXPAND_FILL
-	outer.add_child(inner)
-	inner.add_child(content)
-	return outer
-
-
-func _box(fill: Color, border: Color, width: int, padding: Vector4) -> StyleBoxFlat:
-	var style := StyleBoxFlat.new()
-	style.bg_color = fill
-	style.border_color = border
-	style.set_border_width_all(width)
-	style.content_margin_left = padding.x
-	style.content_margin_top = padding.y
-	style.content_margin_right = padding.z
-	style.content_margin_bottom = padding.w
-	return style
-
-
-func _theme() -> Theme:
-	var t := Theme.new()
-	t.default_font = BODY_FONT
-	t.default_font_size = 22
-	t.set_color("font_color", "Label", INK)
-	t.set_color("default_color", "RichTextLabel", INK)
-	t.set_color("selection_color", "RichTextLabel", Color(EDGE, 0.5))
-	t.set_color("font_color", "LineEdit", INK)
-	t.set_color("font_placeholder_color", "LineEdit", Color(DIM, 0.7))
-	t.set_color("caret_color", "LineEdit", GOLD)
-	t.set_constant("caret_width", "LineEdit", 2)
-	t.set_font_size("normal_font_size", "RichTextLabel", 22)
-	t.set_font("normal_font", "RichTextLabel", BODY_FONT)
-	t.set_constant("line_separation", "RichTextLabel", 2)
-	for state in ["normal", "focus", "read_only"]:
-		t.set_stylebox(state, "LineEdit", StyleBoxEmpty.new())
-	var scroll := _box(EDGE_DARK, EDGE_DARK, 0, Vector4.ZERO)
-	t.set_stylebox("scroll", "VScrollBar", _box(Color(0, 0, 0, 0), EDGE_DARK, 0, Vector4.ONE * 2))
-	t.set_stylebox("grabber", "VScrollBar", scroll)
-	t.set_stylebox("grabber_highlight", "VScrollBar", _box(EDGE, EDGE, 0, Vector4.ZERO))
-	t.set_stylebox("grabber_pressed", "VScrollBar", _box(EDGE, EDGE, 0, Vector4.ZERO))
-	return t
-
-
 ## The last answer's confidence, with ticks at the clarify and act thresholds.
 class ConfidenceMeter:
 	extends Control
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/help.gd b/godot-jev/demo/help.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ccb07b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/help.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+extends RefCounted
+## BBCode for the start menu's help page: what this experiment is trying to
+## show and how to read the screen while playing. The thresholds are passed
+## in from the parser, so the page can't drift from what the game does.
+
+const Transcript := preload("res://demo/transcript.gd")
+const HttpDecider := preload("res://addons/jev/http_decider.gd")
+
+
+static func page(clarify_at: float, act_at: float) -> String:
+	var k: Dictionary = Transcript.KIND
+	return "\n".join([
+		Transcript.heading("What is this?"),
+		"The Sunken Crypt is an experiment: can a game let you type anything, in your own words, while every room, item and line is still written by its author?",
+		"",
+		"Classic parser games failed on vocabulary: [i]\"I don't know the word 'grab'.\"[/i] Games run by a language model fail the other way, inventing doors and treasure nobody wrote.",
+		"",
+		Transcript.heading("How it works"),
+		"Each turn, the game lists the moves possible right now (take the torch, go north, attack the skeleton...) plus [i]none of these[/i]. Jev, a small decision model, picks the one that matches what you typed. It can't choose a door that isn't there, because that door is never one of the options.",
+		"",
+		"How sure Jev is decides what happens:",
+		"   [color=%s]act[/color]       confidence ≥ %.2f: the move happens" % [k.act, act_at],
+		"   [color=%s]clarify[/color]   confidence ≥ %.2f: \"Did you mean...\" with two choices" % [k.clarify, clarify_at],
+		"   [color=%s]unknown[/color]   anything lower, or none of these: an authored \"that doesn't seem possible\"" % k.unknown,
+		"",
+		Transcript.heading("Hypothesis"),
+		"Choosing among only the moves that are possible lets players type naturally with few dead ends, keeps the game fully authored, and is fast enough to feel like a parser rather than a chat. The experiment checks that:",
+		"   · paraphrases, typos and indirect requests land on the move you meant",
+		"   · impossible or off-topic requests come back as unknown",
+		"   · a turn answers in well under a second",
+		"   · the options Jev sees are exactly the possible moves, never more",
+		"",
+		Transcript.heading("Reading the screen"),
+		"[color=%s]Jev heard[/color] (bottom left) shows the last outcome, the move it chose, a confidence meter with ticks at %.2f and %.2f, and how long the turn took." % [Transcript.TITLE, clarify_at, act_at],
+		"Every command you type ends with a score such as [color=%s]act 0.94[/color]. Click it to see what Jev weighed: the top candidates, the options offered, and the latency." % k.act,
+		"",
+		Transcript.heading("Playing"),
+		"Find your way from the collapsed stair to the vault. Say it however you like: \"set the rag on fire\", \"stab the bones\", \"use the little key on the door\".",
+		"Enter submits, ↑ and ↓ recall earlier commands. When Jev asks which move you meant, type 1 or 2, or click one.",
+		"",
+		"[color=%s]Jev needs TYPESAFE_API_KEY in the environment. Without it the game still runs, but every turn reports that the parser is offline.[/color]" % Transcript.QUIET,
+	])
+
+
+## One line for the menu: can Jev answer, and with which model?
+static func status_line(decider: Object) -> String:
+	if decider == null:
+		return "Jev is offline: no decider configured"
+	if decider.get_script() == HttpDecider:
+		if decider.api_key.is_empty():
+			return "Jev is offline: set TYPESAFE_API_KEY to play"
+		return "Jev is listening · model %s" % decider.model
+	return "Jev is scripted: answers are canned, not live"
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/help.gd.uid b/godot-jev/demo/help.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07dd1b4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/help.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://c8aalc6t3lkaq
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.gd b/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2195e8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,147 @@
+extends Control
+## The start menu: enter the crypt, read what the experiment is about, or quit.
+## Help swaps the title for a scrolling page; Back or Esc swaps it back.
+
+const Style := preload("res://demo/style.gd")
+const Help := preload("res://demo/help.gd")
+const Parser := preload("res://demo/parser.gd")
+const World := preload("res://demo/world.gd")
+const GAME := "res://demo/adventure.tscn"
+const BACKDROP := "stairs"
+const TAGLINE := "Type anything. Only what the author wrote can happen."
+
+var title_view: Control
+var help_view: Control
+var help_text: RichTextLabel
+var play_button: Button
+var help_button: Button
+var quit_button: Button
+var back_button: Button
+
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	Style.crisp_fonts()
+	theme = Style.theme()
+	var bg := ColorRect.new()
+	bg.color = Style.BG
+	bg.set_anchors_preset(Control.PRESET_FULL_RECT)
+	add_child(bg)
+	var art := TextureRect.new()
+	art.set_anchors_preset(Control.PRESET_FULL_RECT)
+	art.texture = load(World.art_path(BACKDROP))
+	art.expand_mode = TextureRect.EXPAND_IGNORE_SIZE
+	art.stretch_mode = TextureRect.STRETCH_KEEP_ASPECT_COVERED
+	art.texture_filter = CanvasItem.TEXTURE_FILTER_NEAREST
+	art.modulate = Color(0.35, 0.32, 0.4)
+	add_child(art)
+	title_view = _title_view()
+	add_child(title_view)
+	help_view = _help_view()
+	add_child(help_view)
+	_show_help(false)
+	play_button.grab_focus()
+
+
+func _unhandled_input(event: InputEvent) -> void:
+	if help_view.visible and event.is_action_pressed("ui_cancel"):
+		_show_help(false)
+		accept_event()
+
+
+func _show_help(on: bool) -> void:
+	title_view.visible = not on
+	help_view.visible = on
+	if on:
+		help_text.scroll_to_line(0)
+		back_button.grab_focus()
+	elif is_inside_tree():
+		help_button.grab_focus()
+
+
+func _play() -> void:
+	get_tree().change_scene_to_file(GAME)
+
+
+func _title_view() -> Control:
+	var center := CenterContainer.new()
+	center.set_anchors_preset(Control.PRESET_FULL_RECT)
+	var column := VBoxContainer.new()
+	column.add_theme_constant_override("separation", 12)
+	center.add_child(column)
+	var title := Label.new()
+	title.text = ProjectSettings.get_setting("application/config/name")
+	title.horizontal_alignment = HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_CENTER
+	title.add_theme_font_override("font", Style.TITLE_FONT)
+	title.add_theme_font_size_override("font_size", 72)
+	title.add_theme_color_override("font_color", Style.GOLD)
+	title.add_theme_color_override("font_shadow_color", Style.BG)
+	title.add_theme_constant_override("shadow_offset_x", 4)
+	title.add_theme_constant_override("shadow_offset_y", 4)
+	column.add_child(title)
+	var tagline := Label.new()
+	tagline.text = TAGLINE
+	tagline.horizontal_alignment = HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_CENTER
+	tagline.add_theme_font_size_override("font_size", 26)
+	column.add_child(tagline)
+	var gap := Control.new()
+	gap.custom_minimum_size.y = 28
+	column.add_child(gap)
+	play_button = _button(column, "Enter the crypt", _play)
+	help_button = _button(column, "Help", _show_help.bind(true))
+	quit_button = _button(column, "Quit", func(): get_tree().quit())
+	quit_button.visible = OS.get_name() != "Web"
+	var status := Label.new()
+	var jev := get_node_or_null("/root/Jev")
+	status.text = Help.status_line(jev.decider if jev else null)
+	status.horizontal_alignment = HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_CENTER
+	status.add_theme_color_override("font_color", Style.DIM)
+	var status_gap := Control.new()
+	status_gap.custom_minimum_size.y = 20
+	column.add_child(status_gap)
+	column.add_child(status)
+	return center
+
+
+func _button(parent: Control, label: String, action: Callable) -> Button:
+	var holder := CenterContainer.new()
+	parent.add_child(holder)
+	var button := Button.new()
+	button.text = label
+	button.custom_minimum_size.x = 300
+	button.pressed.connect(action)
+	holder.add_child(button)
+	return button
+
+
+func _help_view() -> Control:
+	var margin := MarginContainer.new()
+	margin.set_anchors_preset(Control.PRESET_FULL_RECT)
+	for side in ["left", "right"]:
+		margin.add_theme_constant_override("margin_" + side, 160)
+	for side in ["top", "bottom"]:
+		margin.add_theme_constant_override("margin_" + side, 40)
+	var column := VBoxContainer.new()
+	column.add_theme_constant_override("separation", 12)
+	help_text = RichTextLabel.new()
+	help_text.bbcode_enabled = true
+	help_text.selection_enabled = true
+	help_text.size_flags_vertical = Control.SIZE_EXPAND_FILL
+	var thresholds := Parser.new(null)
+	help_text.text = Help.page(thresholds.clarify_confidence, thresholds.act_confidence)
+	column.add_child(help_text)
+	var row := HBoxContainer.new()
+	row.alignment = BoxContainer.ALIGNMENT_END
+	column.add_child(row)
+	var hint := Label.new()
+	hint.text = "Esc to go back"
+	hint.add_theme_color_override("font_color", Style.DIM)
+	hint.size_flags_horizontal = Control.SIZE_EXPAND_FILL
+	row.add_child(hint)
+	back_button = Button.new()
+	back_button.text = "Back"
+	back_button.custom_minimum_size.x = 160
+	back_button.pressed.connect(_show_help.bind(false))
+	row.add_child(back_button)
+	var frame := Style.framed(column)
+	margin.add_child(frame)
+	return margin
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.gd.uid b/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed58619
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://4id3d27qcswh
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.tscn b/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.tscn
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e486c8f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/start_menu.tscn
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+[gd_scene load_steps=2 format=3]
+
+[ext_resource type="Script" path="res://demo/start_menu.gd" id="1_menu"]
+
+[node name="StartMenu" type="Control"]
+layout_mode = 3
+anchors_preset = 15
+anchor_right = 1.0
+anchor_bottom = 1.0
+grow_horizontal = 2
+grow_vertical = 2
+script = ExtResource("1_menu")
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/style.gd b/godot-jev/demo/style.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2ec61b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/style.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,81 @@
+extends RefCounted
+## The look shared by the start menu and the game: palette, pixel fonts,
+## brass-framed panels and the theme.
+
+const BODY_FONT := preload("res://demo/fonts/VT323-Regular.ttf")
+const TITLE_FONT := preload("res://demo/fonts/PixelifySans.ttf")
+
+const BG := Color("0b0910")
+const PANEL := Color("16121c")
+const EDGE := Color("7a6038")
+const EDGE_DARK := Color("2a2130")
+const INK := Color("e8dcc0")
+const DIM := Color("8d82a3")
+const GOLD := Color("f0b85a")
+
+
+## Pixel fonts stay sharp only without antialiasing, hinting or subpixel offsets.
+static func crisp_fonts() -> void:
+	for font: FontFile in [BODY_FONT, TITLE_FONT]:
+		font.antialiasing = TextServer.FONT_ANTIALIASING_NONE
+		font.hinting = TextServer.HINTING_NONE
+		font.subpixel_positioning = TextServer.SUBPIXEL_POSITIONING_DISABLED
+
+
+static func box(fill: Color, border: Color, width: int, padding: Vector4) -> StyleBoxFlat:
+	var style := StyleBoxFlat.new()
+	style.bg_color = fill
+	style.border_color = border
+	style.set_border_width_all(width)
+	style.content_margin_left = padding.x
+	style.content_margin_top = padding.y
+	style.content_margin_right = padding.z
+	style.content_margin_bottom = padding.w
+	return style
+
+
+## A double border: a dark outer line around a brass inner line.
+static func framed(content: Control) -> PanelContainer:
+	var outer := PanelContainer.new()
+	outer.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", box(EDGE_DARK, BG, 2, Vector4.ONE * 2))
+	var inner := PanelContainer.new()
+	inner.add_theme_stylebox_override("panel", box(PANEL, EDGE, 2, Vector4.ONE * 12))
+	inner.size_flags_vertical = Control.SIZE_EXPAND_FILL
+	outer.add_child(inner)
+	inner.add_child(content)
+	return outer
+
+
+static func theme() -> Theme:
+	var t := Theme.new()
+	t.default_font = BODY_FONT
+	t.default_font_size = 22
+	t.set_color("font_color", "Label", INK)
+	t.set_color("default_color", "RichTextLabel", INK)
+	t.set_color("selection_color", "RichTextLabel", Color(EDGE, 0.5))
+	t.set_color("font_color", "LineEdit", INK)
+	t.set_color("font_placeholder_color", "LineEdit", Color(DIM, 0.7))
+	t.set_color("caret_color", "LineEdit", GOLD)
+	t.set_constant("caret_width", "LineEdit", 2)
+	t.set_font_size("normal_font_size", "RichTextLabel", 22)
+	t.set_font("normal_font", "RichTextLabel", BODY_FONT)
+	t.set_constant("line_separation", "RichTextLabel", 2)
+	for state in ["normal", "focus", "read_only"]:
+		t.set_stylebox(state, "LineEdit", StyleBoxEmpty.new())
+	var scroll := box(EDGE_DARK, EDGE_DARK, 0, Vector4.ZERO)
+	t.set_stylebox("scroll", "VScrollBar", box(Color(0, 0, 0, 0), EDGE_DARK, 0, Vector4.ONE * 2))
+	t.set_stylebox("grabber", "VScrollBar", scroll)
+	t.set_stylebox("grabber_highlight", "VScrollBar", box(EDGE, EDGE, 0, Vector4.ZERO))
+	t.set_stylebox("grabber_pressed", "VScrollBar", box(EDGE, EDGE, 0, Vector4.ZERO))
+	var pad := Vector4(18, 6, 18, 8)
+	t.set_font("font", "Button", TITLE_FONT)
+	t.set_font_size("font_size", "Button", 22)
+	t.set_color("font_color", "Button", INK)
+	t.set_color("font_hover_color", "Button", GOLD)
+	t.set_color("font_focus_color", "Button", GOLD)
+	t.set_color("font_pressed_color", "Button", BG)
+	t.set_stylebox("normal", "Button", box(PANEL, EDGE_DARK, 2, pad))
+	t.set_stylebox("hover", "Button", box(PANEL, EDGE, 2, pad))
+	t.set_stylebox("focus", "Button", box(Color(0, 0, 0, 0), GOLD, 2, pad))
+	t.set_stylebox("pressed", "Button", box(GOLD, GOLD, 2, pad))
+	return t
diff --git a/godot-jev/demo/style.gd.uid b/godot-jev/demo/style.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3a401c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/demo/style.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://bahip40ue74jc
diff --git a/godot-jev/project.godot b/godot-jev/project.godot
index fea6cc3..d5bbab4 100644
--- a/godot-jev/project.godot
+++ b/godot-jev/project.godot
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ config_version=5
 
 config/name="The Sunken Crypt"
 config/description="A dungeon crawl whose parser understands anything the player types, but can only choose moves the author wrote."
-run/main_scene="res://demo/adventure.tscn"
+run/main_scene="res://demo/start_menu.tscn"
 config/features=PackedStringArray("4.7")
 
 [autoload]
diff --git a/godot-jev/tests/run_tests.gd b/godot-jev/tests/run_tests.gd
index 6f4c711..aac2546 100644
--- a/godot-jev/tests/run_tests.gd
+++ b/godot-jev/tests/run_tests.gd
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ const SUITES := [
 	"res://tests/test_world.gd",
 	"res://tests/test_parser.gd",
 	"res://tests/test_transcript.gd",
+	"res://tests/test_menu.gd",
 ]
 
 var failures := 0
diff --git a/godot-jev/tests/test_menu.gd b/godot-jev/tests/test_menu.gd
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d62f315
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/tests/test_menu.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+extends "res://tests/suite.gd"
+
+const Help := preload("res://demo/help.gd")
+const Parser := preload("res://demo/parser.gd")
+const HttpDecider := preload("res://addons/jev/http_decider.gd")
+const ScriptedDecider := preload("res://addons/jev/scripted_decider.gd")
+const MENU := "res://demo/start_menu.tscn"
+
+
+func _open_menu() -> Control:
+	var menu: Control = load(MENU).instantiate()
+	(Engine.get_main_loop() as SceneTree).root.add_child(menu)
+	if not menu.is_node_ready():
+		await menu.ready
+	return menu
+
+
+func test_the_game_starts_at_the_menu() -> void:
+	eq(ProjectSettings.get_setting("application/run/main_scene"), MENU, "main scene")
+
+
+func test_the_menu_links_to_the_game_and_the_help_page() -> void:
+	var menu: Control = await _open_menu()
+	eq(menu.play_button.text, "Enter the crypt", "play button")
+	eq(menu.help_button.text, "Help", "help button")
+	check(ResourceLoader.exists(menu.GAME), "the play button's scene exists")
+	check(not menu.help_view.visible, "help starts hidden")
+	menu.help_button.pressed.emit()
+	check(menu.help_view.visible and not menu.title_view.visible, "Help opens the help page")
+	check(menu.help_text.text == Help.page(Parser.new(null).clarify_confidence, Parser.new(null).act_confidence), "it shows the help page")
+	menu.back_button.pressed.emit()
+	check(menu.title_view.visible and not menu.help_view.visible, "Back returns to the menu")
+	menu.queue_free()
+
+
+func test_the_help_page_explains_the_experiment() -> void:
+	var out := Help.page(0.4, 0.75)
+	for topic in ["Hypothesis", "How it works", "none of these", "Jev heard", "TYPESAFE_API_KEY"]:
+		check(out.contains(topic), "mentions %s" % topic)
+
+
+func test_the_help_page_uses_the_parser_thresholds() -> void:
+	var out := Help.page(0.31, 0.82)
+	check(out.contains("0.82") and out.contains("0.31"), "thresholds come from the arguments")
+	check(not out.contains("0.75"), "no hard-coded act threshold")
+
+
+func test_the_status_line_says_whether_jev_can_answer() -> void:
+	var offline := HttpDecider.new()
+	check(Help.status_line(offline).contains("offline"), "no key is offline")
+	var online := HttpDecider.new()
+	online.api_key = "sk-test"
+	online.model = "jev-test"
+	check(Help.status_line(online).contains("jev-test"), "with a key it names the model")
+	check(Help.status_line(ScriptedDecider.new(func(_s, _q): return {})).contains("scripted"), "a scripted decider says so")
+	check(Help.status_line(null).contains("offline"), "no decider is offline")
+	offline.free()
+	online.free()
diff --git a/godot-jev/tests/test_menu.gd.uid b/godot-jev/tests/test_menu.gd.uid
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62814ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/godot-jev/tests/test_menu.gd.uid
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+uid://cshi7px200ayl