diff --git a/src/scenes/GameMenuScene.js b/src/scenes/GameMenuScene.js
index 4e9a2f1..a335ea6 100644
--- a/src/scenes/GameMenuScene.js
+++ b/src/scenes/GameMenuScene.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as Phaser from 'phaser';
 import { GAME_HEIGHT, GAME_WIDTH, COLORS } from '../config.js';
 import { api } from '../services/api.js';
 import { Button } from '../ui/Button.js';
+import { Plaque } from '../ui/Plaque.js';
 import { addFullscreenButton } from '../ui/FullscreenButton.js';
 import { playMenuMusic, stopMenuMusic } from '../ui/MenuMusic.js';
 import { TutorialModal } from '../ui/TutorialModal.js';
@@ -38,8 +39,13 @@ export default class GameMenuScene extends Phaser.Scene {
       fontSize: '64px',
       color: COLORS.textHex,
     }).setOrigin(0.5).setDepth(1);
+    titleText.setLetterSpacing(2);
+    titleText.setShadow(0, 4, 'rgba(0,0,0,0.9)', 8);
     this._titleText = titleText;
-    this._titleBg = this.add.rectangle(cx, 60, titleText.width + 64, titleText.height + 28, 0x000000, 0.7);
+    const plateW = titleText.width + 64;
+    const plateH = titleText.height + 28;
+    this._titleBg = new Plaque(this, plateW, plateH).setPosition(cx, 60).setDepth(0.5);
+    this._titlePlateW = plateW;
 
     const loadingText = this.add.text(cx, 540, 'Loading game list…', {
       fontSize: '24px', color: COLORS.mutedHex,
@@ -134,7 +140,15 @@ export default class GameMenuScene extends Phaser.Scene {
     if (this._hintText) { this._hintText.destroy(); this._hintText = null; }
     if (this._titleText) {
       this._titleText.setText('Choose a game');
-      this._titleBg.setSize(this._titleText.width + 64, this._titleText.height + 28);
+      const newW = this._titleText.width + 64;
+      const newH = this._titleText.height + 28;
+      if (this._titlePlateW && Math.abs(this._titlePlateW - newW) > 1) {
+        this._titleBg.animateSize(newW, newH, 240, 'Quad.easeOut');
+        this._titlePlateW = newW;
+      }
+      // Little pop so the label swap reads as intentional.
+      this._titleText.setScale(0.9);
+      this.tweens.add({ targets: this._titleText, scaleX: 1, scaleY: 1, duration: 240, ease: 'Back.easeOut' });
     }
     for (const [k, btn] of Object.entries(this._tabs)) {
       btn.setActive(k === key);
diff --git a/src/scenes/LandingScene.js b/src/scenes/LandingScene.js
index ee83657..6febc39 100644
--- a/src/scenes/LandingScene.js
+++ b/src/scenes/LandingScene.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as Phaser from 'phaser';
 import { GAME_HEIGHT, GAME_WIDTH, COLORS } from '../config.js';
 import { auth } from '../services/auth.js';
 import { Button } from '../ui/Button.js';
+import { Plaque } from '../ui/Plaque.js';
 import { addFullscreenButton } from '../ui/FullscreenButton.js';
 import { playMenuMusic } from '../ui/MenuMusic.js';
 
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ export default class LandingScene extends Phaser.Scene {
       color: COLORS.accentHex,
     }).setOrigin(0.5).setDepth(1);
     this._welcomeText = welcomeText;
+    welcomeText.setShadow(0, 3, 'rgba(0,0,0,0.8)', 5);
 
     const hasAvatar = !!user?.avatarPath;
     const totalW = hasAvatar ? avatarR * 2 + avatarGap + welcomeText.width : welcomeText.width;
@@ -76,7 +78,8 @@ export default class LandingScene extends Phaser.Scene {
 
     welcomeText.setX(hasAvatar ? groupLeft + avatarR * 2 + avatarGap + welcomeText.width / 2 : cx);
 
-    this._welcomeBg = this.add.rectangle(cx, y, totalW + pad.x * 2, welcomeText.height + pad.y * 2, 0x000000, 0.45);
+    this._welcomeBg = new Plaque(this, totalW + pad.x * 2, welcomeText.height + pad.y * 2, { radius: 16 })
+      .setPosition(cx, y);
 
     if (hasAvatar) {
       const avatarCx = groupLeft + avatarR;
diff --git a/src/ui/Plaque.js b/src/ui/Plaque.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..24b15b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/Plaque.js
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import * as Phaser from 'phaser';
+import { COLORS } from '../config.js';
+
+// A rounded, brass-trimmed plaque in the same design language as the
+// category tabs. Use instead of a flat black rectangle behind title text.
+export class Plaque extends Phaser.GameObjects.Graphics {
+  constructor(scene, width = 300, height = 90, options = {}) {
+    super(scene, false);
+    const {
+      fill      = 0x241c10,
+      fillAlpha = 0.92,
+      border    = COLORS.accent,
+      radius    = 18,
+    } = options;
+    this._opts = { fill, fillAlpha, border, radius };
+    this._w = width;
+    this._h = height;
+    this.postFX.addShadow(0, 3, 0.004, 1.5, 0x000000, 8, 0.65);
+    this.redraw(width, height);
+    scene.add.existing(this);
+  }
+
+  redraw(w, h) {
+    this._w = w;
+    this._h = h;
+    const { fill, fillAlpha, border, radius } = this._opts;
+    const r = Math.max(4, Math.min(radius, w / 2, h / 2));
+    this.clear();
+    this.fillStyle(fill, fillAlpha);
+    this.fillRoundedRect(-w / 2, -h / 2, w, h, r);
+    // Faint warm highlight just inside the top edge reads as a raised plate.
+    this.lineStyle(2, 0xfff6dd, 0.16);
+    this.lineBetween(-w / 2 + r + 4, -h / 2 + 4, w / 2 - r - 4, -h / 2 + 4);
+    this.lineStyle(2, border, 1);
+    this.strokeRoundedRect(-w / 2, -h / 2, w, h, r);
+  }
+
+  // Animate the plate to a new size. Graphics in this Phaser build exposes
+  // no setScaleX/setScaleY (and scaling a redrawn shape is unreliable), so
+  // we tween a size proxy and redraw every frame instead.
+  animateSize(w, h, duration = 240, ease = 'Quad.easeOut', onComplete) {
+    if (this._sizeTween) this._sizeTween.stop();
+    const proxy = { w: this._w, h: this._h };
+    this._sizeTween = this.scene.tweens.add({
+      targets: proxy,
+      w,
+      h,
+      duration,
+      ease,
+      onUpdate: () => {
+        if (!this.scene) return; // destroyed mid-animation
+        this.redraw(proxy.w, proxy.h);
+      },
+      onComplete: () => {
+        this._sizeTween = null;
+        if (!this.scene) return; // destroyed mid-animation
+        this.redraw(w, h);
+        if (onComplete) onComplete();
+      },
+    });
+  }
+}