diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index de46099..f56057a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,185 +1,99 @@
 # Fertig Classic Games
 
-A Phaser 3.90 collection of classic tabletop games (Backgammon, Parchisi, ...)
-and casino games (Blackjack, Texas Hold 'Em, ...). Games are single-player
-against AI opponents.
+A single-page collection of **77 classic games** — board games, card games,
+casino games, word games, and logic puzzles — all playable in the browser
+against local AI opponents. Built on [Phaser 3.90](https://phaser.io/).
 
-**This is a fully static site — no server, no database, no accounts, no npm
-needed to run it.** The frontend uses native browser ES modules (no bundler,
-no build step) and loads Phaser from a CDN. All per-player data (a single local
-profile, chips, match history, puzzle progress) lives in the browser's
-`localStorage`. Word-game dictionaries and AI run client-side from the ported
-engines in `src/words/`.
-
-## Running / deployment
-
-The repository root **is** the site. Serve it as static files from any web
-server, at the domain root **or any subdirectory** (e.g. `example.com/games/`).
-All asset paths are relative and anchored by `<base href="./">`, so no
-configuration is needed. The only runtime files are `index.html`, `styles.css`,
-and the `assets/`, `data/`, and `src/` directories.
-
-To deploy into a parent site, copy those into the desired subdirectory:
-
-```
-cp -r index.html styles.css *.png favicon.ico assets data src /var/www/parent-site/games/
-```
-
-For local testing:
-
-```
-npm run serve     # python3 -m http.server on http://localhost:8000
-```
-
-The `tools/` directory holds offline dev tooling — puzzle generators and
-`verify*` self-play scripts — run with plain `node` from the repo root
-(e.g. `node tools/verifyBookwork.js`). It is not part of the deployed site.
+**This is a fully static site.** There is no server, no database, no accounts,
+no build step, and no `npm install` required to run it. The frontend uses native
+browser ES modules and loads Phaser from a CDN. Everything that used to be a
+backend round-trip — the single local player profile, casino chip balance, match
+history, puzzle progress, and word-game dictionaries/AI — now runs entirely in
+the browser against `localStorage` and the ported engines in `src/words/`.
 
 ---
 
 ## Table of contents
 
-- [Features](#features)
-- [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)
 - [Quick start](#quick-start)
-- [Configuration (`.env`)](#configuration-env)
-- [Running the server](#running-the-server)
+- [Deployment / hosting](#deployment--hosting)
+- [The game catalog](#the-game-catalog)
 - [Project layout](#project-layout)
-- [Database schema](#database-schema)
-- [REST API](#rest-api)
-- [Frontend architecture](#frontend-architecture)
+- [Architecture](#architecture)
+  - [Scene flow](#scene-flow)
+  - [The local "backend"](#the-local-backend)
+  - [Word games](#word-games)
+  - [Assets](#assets)
 - [Adding a new game](#adding-a-new-game)
-- [Email verification](#email-verification)
-- [Profile pictures](#profile-pictures)
-- [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting)
-- [Roadmap](#roadmap)
-
----
-
-## Features
-
-- Account creation with email + username + password (bcrypt hashed)
-- Email verification with configurable SMTP — falls back to logging dev links
-  to the console when SMTP is not set up
-- Session cookies backed by SQLite (httpOnly, SameSite=Lax)
-- Profile management: display name, bio, avatar upload (PNG / JPEG / WebP)
-- Match history (wins / losses / draws) recorded for single-player games
-- Pluggable game registry — register tabletop or casino games server-side
-- Single-player games against configurable AI opponents
-- 1920×1080 canvas that scales to any viewport via `Phaser.Scale.FIT`
-- Vector-only placeholder graphics — drop sprites in later without
-  refactoring scenes
-- Mouse + keyboard controls
-
----
-
-## Prerequisites
-
-- **Node.js 20 or newer** (uses `node --watch`, native fetch, ES modules)
-- **npm 9 or newer**
-- A C/C++ toolchain for `better-sqlite3` and `bcrypt` to build native bindings:
-  - **Linux**: `build-essential`, `python3`
-  - **macOS**: Xcode command line tools (`xcode-select --install`)
-  - **Windows**: install **Visual Studio Build Tools 2022** with the
-    "Desktop development with C++" workload and **Python 3.x** (add to PATH).
-    Do **not** use the deprecated `windows-build-tools` npm package — it is
-    broken on modern Node.js. See [Troubleshooting](#troubleshooting) for
-    step-by-step instructions.
-
-No bundler, no Docker, no external database required to get started.
+- [Developer tooling (`tools/`)](#developer-tooling-tools)
+- [Data files (`data/`)](#data-files-data)
 
 ---
 
 ## Quick start
 
+No dependencies to install. You just need a static file server, because ES
+modules can't be loaded over `file://`.
+
 ```bash
 git clone <this-repo>
 cd fertig-classic-games
 
-cp example.env .env
-# Edit .env — at minimum, set SESSION_SECRET to a long random string.
-# Generate one with:
-#   node -e "console.log(require('crypto').randomBytes(48).toString('hex'))"
-
-npm install
-npm run migrate
-npm run dev
+# Any static server works. A couple of one-liners:
+npm run serve            # python3 -m http.server 8000  → http://localhost:8000
+./start_web.sh           # python3 -m http.server 3000  → http://localhost:3000
+npx serve .              # if you prefer Node
 ```
 
-Open http://localhost:3000 in your browser. Register an account; if SMTP is
-not configured (the default), the verification link is printed to the server
-console — click it to verify.
+Then open the printed URL in a modern browser. That's it — pick a game and play.
+
+> **Requirements:** a current browser with ES-module + importmap support
+> (Chrome/Edge/Firefox/Safari, ~2023+). Python 3 (or any static server) for local
+> hosting. Node.js 20+ is only needed for the optional dev tooling in `tools/`.
 
 ---
 
-## Configuration (`.env`)
+## Deployment / hosting
 
-All configuration lives in `.env` at the project root. Use `example.env` as
-the template. Fields:
+**The repository root _is_ the site.** Serve it as static files from any web
+host, CDN, or object store (GitHub Pages, Netlify, Cloudflare Pages, S3, nginx,
+Apache, …). No configuration, environment variables, or runtime are needed.
 
-### Server
-
-| Variable    | Default                  | Description                              |
-|-------------|--------------------------|------------------------------------------|
-| `NODE_ENV`  | `development`            | `development` or `production`.           |
-| `HOST`      | `0.0.0.0`                | Bind address.                            |
-| `PORT`      | `3000`                   | HTTP port.                               |
-| `BASE_URL`  | `http://localhost:3000`  | Public URL used in verification emails.  |
-| `LOG_LEVEL` | `info`                   | `error`, `warn`, `info`, `debug`.        |
-
-### Database
-
-| Variable  | Default                 | Description                       |
-|-----------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------|
-| `DB_PATH` | `./data/fertig.sqlite`  | SQLite file path. Auto-created.   |
-
-### Auth
-
-| Variable               | Default       | Description                                                                                                  |
-|------------------------|---------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `SESSION_SECRET`       | *(required)*  | Long random string. **Required in production.** A dev fallback is used if empty in development with a warning. |
-| `SESSION_COOKIE_NAME`  | `fcg_sid`     | Cookie name.                                                                                                 |
-| `SESSION_TTL_DAYS`     | `30`          | Session lifetime in days.                                                                                    |
-| `BCRYPT_ROUNDS`        | `12`          | bcrypt cost factor.                                                                                          |
-
-### Uploads (profile pictures)
-
-| Variable               | Default                              | Description                          |
-|------------------------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------|
-| `UPLOAD_DIR`           | `./public/uploads`                   | Directory for avatar files.          |
-| `MAX_UPLOAD_SIZE_MB`   | `5`                                  | Max image size in MB.                |
-| `ALLOWED_UPLOAD_MIME`  | `image/png,image/jpeg,image/webp`    | Comma-separated MIME allowlist.      |
-
-### Email
-
-| Variable                        | Default | Description                                                            |
-|---------------------------------|---------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| `SMTP_HOST`                     | *(empty)* | If empty, verification links log to the console instead of sending.  |
-| `SMTP_PORT`                     | `587`   | SMTP port.                                                             |
-| `SMTP_SECURE`                   | `false` | `true` for SMTPS (usually port 465).                                   |
-| `SMTP_USER`                     | *(empty)* | SMTP username, if your provider requires auth.                       |
-| `SMTP_PASS`                     | *(empty)* | SMTP password.                                                       |
-| `SMTP_FROM`                     | *(see example.env)* | `From:` header for outgoing mail.                            |
-| `VERIFICATION_TOKEN_TTL_HOURS`  | `24`    | How long verification links remain valid.                              |
-
----
-
-## Running the server
+Because every asset path is relative and `index.html` sets `<base href="./">`,
+the site works unchanged from a domain root **or any subdirectory**
+(e.g. `example.com/games/`). To drop it into an existing site:
 
 ```bash
-npm run dev        # node --watch, auto-restart on file changes
-npm start          # plain node, production-style
-npm run migrate    # apply any pending DB migrations
+cp -r index.html styles.css *.png favicon.ico assets data src \
+      /var/www/parent-site/games/
 ```
 
-The server serves both the API (`/api/*`) and the static frontend (`/`,
-`/src/...`, `/uploads/...`) on the same port.
+The only files the deployed site needs are `index.html`, `styles.css`, the
+favicons/PWA icons in the root, and the `assets/`, `data/`, and `src/`
+directories. The `tools/` directory is dev-only and never shipped.
 
-After it starts you should see:
+Player state (profile, chips, history, puzzle progress) lives in each visitor's
+own browser `localStorage` under the `fcg:` prefix — nothing is stored or synced
+server-side, so hosting is entirely stateless.
 
-```
-[server] listening on http://0.0.0.0:3000
-```
+---
+
+## The game catalog
+
+77 games are registered in `src/data/gamesRegistry.js` and grouped into five
+menu categories:
+
+| Category | Count | Examples |
+|----------|-------|----------|
+| **Tabletop** | 21 | Backgammon, Chess, Checkers, Go, Othello, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Risk, Monopoly, Blokus, Labyrinth, Mahjong, Stratego, Battleship, Mastermind, Connect 4, Forbidden Island, Azul, Chinese Checkers, Mexican Train, Parchisi |
+| **Cards** | 18 | Cribbage, Gin Rummy, Rummikub, Canasta, Hearts, Uno, Phase 10, Skip-Bo, Go Fish, Old Maid, Nerts, Dominion, Splendor, Freecell, Solitaire Tour, Spire Climb, Zahtzee, Farkle |
+| **Casino** | 9 | Blackjack, Texas Hold 'Em, Baccarat, Pai Gow Poker, Video Poker, Craps, Roulette, Bingo, Slot Machines |
+| **Word** | 15 | Wordle Race, Scrabble, Boggle, Ghost, Word Ladder, Word Search, Hangman, Spelling Bee, Sudoku, Mini Crossword, Tectonic, Bookwork, Kiitos, Tri-Ominoes, Jumble |
+| **Logic & Puzzle** | 14 | 2048, Rush Hour, Hexsweeper, Jell-o Monsters, Shift, Mahjong Match, Jewel Quest, Zuma, Bejeweled Blitz, Mini Motorways, Dot Link, Katamino, Genius Square, Block Fighter |
+
+Each game is a self-contained `Phaser.Scene` (plus its own logic/AI/data helper
+modules) under `src/games/<slug>/`. Games are single-player against 0–7
+configurable AI opponents depending on the title; several ship a video tutorial.
 
 ---
 
@@ -187,291 +101,189 @@ After it starts you should see:
 
 ```
 fertig-classic-games/
-├── example.env                  Configuration template (commit this)
-├── .env                         Your local configuration (gitignored)
-├── package.json
-├── README.md
+├── index.html              Entry point: importmap for Phaser + <base href="./">
+├── styles.css              Page chrome (canvas container + DOM overlay layer)
+├── package.json            "serve" script; no runtime deps
+├── start_web.sh            Convenience local server (python http.server)
+├── favicon*/apple-touch/…  Favicons and PWA icons
 │
-├── server/                      Backend (Node.js, ES modules)
-│   ├── index.js                 Express bootstrap
-│   ├── config.js                Loads & validates .env
-│   ├── db/
-│   │   ├── index.js             better-sqlite3 connection singleton
-│   │   ├── migrate.js           SQL migration runner
-│   │   └── migrations/
-│   │       └── 001_init.sql     Initial schema
-│   ├── auth/
-│   │   ├── routes.js            /api/auth/* endpoints
-│   │   ├── service.js           bcrypt, sessions, verification tokens
-│   │   └── middleware.js        loadUser, requireAuth
-│   ├── profile/
-│   │   ├── routes.js            /api/profile/*, multer upload
-│   │   └── service.js
-│   ├── history/
-│   │   └── routes.js            /api/history
-│   ├── email/
-│   │   └── mailer.js            Nodemailer wrapper with console fallback
-│   └── games/
-│       └── registry.js          Game definitions
+├── src/                    The entire application (native ES modules)
+│   ├── main.js             Phaser.Game config; registers every scene; DOM-overlay sync
+│   ├── config.js           Canvas dimensions (1920×1080) and the UI color palette
+│   ├── data/
+│   │   └── gamesRegistry.js  The catalog: registerGame() for all 77 games
+│   ├── scenes/             Shell scenes (menu, profile, opponent select, room)
+│   ├── services/           api.js → localApi.js → localStore.js (the local backend)
+│   ├── ui/                 Reusable widgets: Button, Modal, TextInput, Portrait,
+│   │                       music/speech/tutorial/fullscreen helpers
+│   ├── words/              Client-side word-game engines + wordRouter dispatcher
+│   └── games/<slug>/       One folder per game (Scene + Logic + AI + Data + tutorial.md)
 │
-├── public/                      Frontend, served as static files
-│   ├── index.html               Loads Phaser via importmap
-│   ├── styles.css
-│   ├── uploads/                 Avatars (gitignored)
-│   └── src/
-│       ├── main.js              Phaser.Game + scale config
-│       ├── config.js            UI colors, dimensions, API base
-│       ├── services/
-│       │   ├── api.js           fetch wrapper
-│       │   └── auth.js          Client-side auth store
-│       ├── ui/
-│       │   ├── Button.js
-│       │   ├── TextInput.js     DOM-overlay input that follows canvas scale
-│       │   └── Modal.js
-│       ├── scenes/
-│       │   ├── BootScene.js
-│       │   ├── PreloadScene.js
-│       │   ├── LandingScene.js
-│       │   ├── LoginScene.js
-│       │   ├── RegisterScene.js
-│       │   ├── VerifyScene.js
-│       │   ├── ProfileScene.js
-│       │   ├── GameMenuScene.js
-│       │   ├── OpponentSelectScene.js
-│       │   └── GameRoomScene.js
-│       └── games/                One subdirectory per game (uno/, blackjack/, ...)
+├── data/                   Static JSON game data + word lists (fetched at runtime)
+│   ├── *.json              Per-game level banks, artwork maps, opponents, music, etc.
+│   ├── crosswords/         Mini-crossword puzzle bank
+│   └── wordlists/          enable1.txt (dictionary) + common.txt
 │
-└── data/                        SQLite database (gitignored)
-    └── fertig.sqlite
+├── assets/                 Runtime media
+│   ├── images/             Spritesheets, backgrounds, board art (81 files)
+│   ├── fonts/              Bitmap/web fonts
+│   ├── fx/                 Sound effects (71 files)
+│   ├── music/              Background music tracks (21 files)
+│   ├── speech/             AI opponent voice clips (393 files)
+│   ├── videos/             In-game portrait/animation clips (90 files)
+│   └── tutorial-videos/    How-to-play videos (17 files)
+│
+└── tools/                  Offline dev scripts (run with node; NOT deployed)
+    ├── gen*.js             Puzzle/level-bank generators
+    └── verify*.js          Headless self-play verification harnesses
 ```
 
 ---
 
-## Database schema
+## Architecture
 
-Created by `server/db/migrations/001_init.sql`. Run `npm run migrate` to apply
-any pending migrations.
+The frontend is deliberately buildless: `index.html` declares an
+`<script type="importmap">` that maps the bare specifier `phaser` to a CDN ES
+module, and everything else uses relative `import` statements. The Phaser canvas
+is a fixed **1920×1080** design surface scaled to any viewport with
+`Phaser.Scale.FIT` + `CENTER_BOTH`.
 
-- **`users`** — `id, email, username, password_hash, email_verified,
-  verification_token, verification_expires_at, created_at`
-- **`sessions`** — `id, user_id, expires_at, created_at`
-- **`profiles`** — `user_id (PK/FK), display_name, avatar_path, bio,
-  updated_at`
-- **`games`** — `id, slug, name, category ('tabletop'|'casino'),
-  max_players, supports_multiplayer`
-- **`matches`** — `id, game_id, started_at, ended_at, status`
-- **`match_players`** — `match_id, user_id, seat, result
-  ('win'|'loss'|'draw'|'abandoned'), score`
+### Scene flow
 
-Add new migrations as `server/db/migrations/00N_description.sql` — they are
-applied in lexicographic order and tracked in `schema_migrations`.
+Scenes live in `src/scenes/` and run in this order:
 
----
+```
+Boot → Preload → Landing → (Profile | GameMenu) → OpponentSelect → GameRoom → <ConcreteGame>
+```
 
-## REST API
+- **BootScene / PreloadScene** — bootstrap and load shared assets.
+- **LandingScene** — title screen with menu music and fullscreen toggle.
+- **ProfileScene** — edit the single local profile (name, avatar, bio).
+- **GameMenuScene** — browse the catalog by category.
+- **OpponentSelectScene** — choose opponent count/skill, playfield, card back,
+  and any per-game options (expansion, difficulty, word length, …).
+- **GameRoomScene** — a thin router. Its `slugDispatch` map turns the selected
+  game's `slug` into a scene key and starts the concrete game scene, forwarding
+  the chosen setup as scene-init data.
 
-All endpoints are JSON. Session is carried by the `fcg_sid` cookie
-automatically; the client uses `credentials: 'same-origin'` in fetch calls.
+Every concrete game scene is registered in the `scene` array in `src/main.js`.
 
-### Auth — `/api/auth`
+`main.js` also pins Phaser's DOM-overlay container to the real canvas box on
+every resize (`syncDomContainer`), so DOM elements like text inputs and video
+portraits line up exactly with their in-canvas targets under `Scale.FIT`.
 
-| Method | Path        | Auth | Description                                                                                  |
-|--------|-------------|------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| POST   | `/register` | —    | Body: `{ email, username, password }`. Creates user, sends verification, sets session.       |
-| POST   | `/login`    | —    | Body: `{ identifier, password }` where `identifier` is email or username.                    |
-| POST   | `/logout`   | —    | Destroys session.                                                                            |
-| GET    | `/me`       | —    | Returns `{ user }` or `{ user: null }`.                                                       |
-| GET    | `/verify`   | —    | `?token=...`. Marks user as verified. Returns HTML so a user clicking the email link sees text. |
+### The local "backend"
 
-### Profile — `/api/profile`
+There is no HTTP backend. The chokepoint `src/services/api.js` exposes the same
+`api.get/post/patch/delete/upload` surface the old server client had, but instead
+of `fetch` it calls `src/services/localApi.js`, an in-browser shim that mirrors
+the old REST responses (`{ status, data }`). This kept ~135 call sites across the
+games working unchanged when the server was removed.
 
-| Method | Path       | Auth      | Description                                                                       |
-|--------|------------|-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| GET    | `/`        | Required  | Returns the current user's profile.                                               |
-| PATCH  | `/`        | Required  | Body: `{ displayName?, bio? }`. Returns the updated profile.                      |
-| POST   | `/avatar`  | Required  | Multipart with field `avatar`. Stores the file and updates `avatar_path`.         |
+`localApi.dispatch(method, path, …)` handles the former endpoints against
+`localStorage`:
 
-### History — `/api/history`
+| Former route | Now backed by |
+|--------------|---------------|
+| `/auth/*`, `/profile*` | A single implicit local profile in `localStore.js` |
+| `/profile/chips*` | Casino chip balance (default 2000; low-balance reset) |
+| `/games` | `gamesRegistry.listGames()` |
+| `/history*` | Match results array (bounded to last 100) |
+| `/puzzles/:slug/{progress,complete,reset}` | Ordered per-game level progress |
+| `/words/*` | Delegated to `src/words/wordRouter.js` |
 
-| Method | Path  | Auth     | Description                                                |
-|--------|-------|----------|------------------------------------------------------------|
-| GET    | `/`   | Required | Last 100 matches for the user, plus `{ wins, losses, draws }`. |
+`src/services/localStore.js` is the typed `localStorage` wrapper. All keys are
+namespaced under `fcg:` (`fcg:profile`, `fcg:history`, `fcg:puzzleProgress`) so
+player data is easy to find, export, or clear.
 
-### Misc
+### Word games
 
-| Method | Path           | Auth | Description                                          |
-|--------|----------------|------|------------------------------------------------------|
-| GET    | `/api/health`  | —    | `{ ok: true }`.                                      |
-| GET    | `/api/games`   | —    | Lists registered games from `games/registry.js`.    |
+Word games need a dictionary and move-search logic that used to live on the
+server. Those engines were ported verbatim into `src/words/` (Scrabble, Ghost,
+Word Ladder, Word Search, Sudoku, Tectonic, Boggle, Spelling Bee, Mini Crossword,
+Kiitos, …). `wordRouter.js` fetches the dictionaries from `data/wordlists/` once
+in the browser and routes `/words/*` calls to the right engine, returning the
+same response shapes the old Express routes did.
 
----
+### Assets
 
-## Frontend architecture
-
-- **No bundler.** `public/index.html` uses an `<script type="importmap">` to
-  resolve `phaser` to a CDN ES module. The rest of the app uses relative ES
-  imports.
-- **Scenes** live in `public/src/scenes/`. The flow is:
-  `Boot → Preload → Landing → (Login | Register | Verify) → Profile |
-  GameMenu → OpponentSelect → GameRoom`.
-- **`auth` store** (`services/auth.js`) is a tiny pub-sub the scenes
-  subscribe to so they re-render when the signed-in user changes.
-- **`api`** (`services/api.js`) is a thin fetch wrapper that throws on
-  non-2xx responses with `err.status` and `err.data` attached.
-- **DOM-overlay inputs.** Phaser doesn't have a native text input, so
-  `ui/TextInput.js` positions a real `<input>` element over the canvas and
-  repositions it on scale-resize. The `#dom-layer` div has
-  `pointer-events: none` so the canvas stays interactive, and child elements
-  re-enable pointer events.
+Media is loaded from `assets/` (spritesheets, backgrounds, SFX, music, AI voice
+clips, tutorial and portrait videos). Per-game data — level banks, artwork maps,
+opponent rosters, music playlists — is JSON in `data/`, fetched at runtime. Many
+games render primarily with vector/procedural graphics and layer optional
+drop-in spritesheets on top, so art can be added without refactoring scenes.
 
 ---
 
 ## Adding a new game
 
-1. **Register the game on the server.** In `server/games/registry.js`:
+1. **Register it** in `src/data/gamesRegistry.js`:
 
-    ```js
-    registerGame({
-      slug: 'cribbage',
-      name: 'Cribbage',
-      category: 'tabletop',         // or 'casino' or 'cards'
-      minPlayers: 2,
-      maxPlayers: 4,
-      minOpponents: 1,
-      maxOpponents: 3,
-    });
-    ```
-
-    The game menu picks it up automatically.
-
-2. **Implement the game scene.** Each game is a `Phaser.Scene` that reads its
-   setup from the data passed by `GameRoomScene`:
-
-    ```js
-    // public/src/games/cribbage/CribbageGame.js
-    import * as Phaser from 'phaser';
-
-    export default class CribbageGame extends Phaser.Scene {
-      constructor() { super('CribbageGame'); }
-      init(data) {
-        this.gameDef   = data.game;
-        this.opponents = data.opponents;   // selected AI opponents
-        this.playfield = data.playfield;
-        this.cardBack  = data.cardBack;
-      }
-      create() { /* render board, run the game + AI locally */ }
-    }
-    ```
-
-3. **Register the scene and route to it.** Add the scene to the `scene` array
-   in `public/src/main.js`, then add its slug → scene-key mapping to the
-   `slugDispatch` object in `public/src/scenes/GameRoomScene.js`.
-
-4. **Record results (optional).** When a match finishes, `POST` to
-   `/api/history/single-player` to record the win / loss / draw for history.
-
----
-
-## Email verification
-
-When `SMTP_HOST` is set, `nodemailer` is used to send a real email. When it's
-empty, `server/email/mailer.js` instead prints the verification link to the
-server console:
-
-```
-[mailer:dev] Verification link for user@example.com:
-  http://localhost:3000/api/auth/verify?token=...
-```
-
-Click that link (or visit it in the browser) to verify the account. The
-registration response also includes the dev link as `verification.devLink`,
-which the frontend shows on the verify screen.
-
-### Using Gmail / a real provider in development
-
-Add to `.env`:
-
-```
-SMTP_HOST=smtp.gmail.com
-SMTP_PORT=587
-SMTP_SECURE=false
-SMTP_USER=you@gmail.com
-SMTP_PASS=your-app-password   # NOT your normal password, use an app password
-SMTP_FROM="Fertig Classic Games <you@gmail.com>"
-```
-
----
-
-## Profile pictures
-
-- Uploaded via `POST /api/profile/avatar` (multipart form, field name
-  `avatar`).
-- Stored on the filesystem under `UPLOAD_DIR` (default `./public/uploads`).
-- The DB stores the **public path** (e.g. `/uploads/u1-1715800000-abcd.png`),
-  not the file contents.
-- The `public/uploads/` directory is gitignored. Back it up alongside
-  `data/fertig.sqlite` if you want to preserve user content.
-
----
-
-## Troubleshooting
-
-**`SESSION_SECRET must be set in production`** — set a long random
-`SESSION_SECRET` in `.env`. In `NODE_ENV=development` the server falls back
-to an insecure default with a warning.
-
-**`SqliteError: no such table: ...`** — you haven't run migrations. Run
-`npm run migrate`.
-
-**`better-sqlite3` or `bcrypt` build failure on install** — install platform
-build tools (see [Prerequisites](#prerequisites)) and re-run `npm install`.
-
-**Windows build failure / `windows-build-tools` error** — the
-`windows-build-tools` npm package is deprecated and broken on modern Node.js.
-Use one of these approaches instead:
-
-*Option 1 — Re-run the Node.js installer (easiest)*: Download the Node.js
-installer from nodejs.org. On the "Tools for Native Modules" step, check the
-box to automatically install Chocolatey, Python, and VS Build Tools.
-
-*Option 2 — Manual install*:
-1. Download **Visual Studio Build Tools 2022** from Microsoft and install it
-   with the **"Desktop development with C++"** workload selected.
-2. Install **Python 3.x** from python.org, checking "Add to PATH" during
-   installation.
-3. Open an Administrator PowerShell and run:
-   ```powershell
-   npm install -g node-gyp
+   ```js
+   registerGame({
+     slug: 'cribbage',
+     name: 'Cribbage',
+     category: 'cards',        // tabletop | cards | casino | word | logic
+     cardGame: true,           // uses the shared card-back picker
+     minPlayers: 2, maxPlayers: 2,
+     minOpponents: 1, maxOpponents: 1,
+     defaultOpponents: null,   // optional preselected opponent count
+     hasTutorial: true,        // shows the how-to-play video button
+     iconFrame: 64,            // frame index into the game-icons spritesheet
+   });
    ```
-4. Re-run `npm install` in the project directory.
 
-If you have the broken `windows-build-tools` package installed globally,
-uninstall it first (run PowerShell as Administrator):
-```powershell
-npm uninstall -g windows-build-tools
-```
-If that fails with a permission error, manually delete
-`C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools`.
+   The menu, opponent-select screen, and history all pick it up from here.
 
-**Verification email never arrives** — if `SMTP_HOST` is empty, by design no
-email is sent; check the server console for the dev link. If SMTP *is* set,
-check provider auth (Gmail requires an app password, not your account
-password) and `SMTP_PORT` / `SMTP_SECURE` for your provider.
+2. **Implement the scene** at `src/games/<slug>/<Name>Game.js`. It's a
+   `Phaser.Scene` whose `init(data)` receives the chosen setup (`opponents`,
+   `playfield`, `cardBack`, `difficulty`, expansion/word-length options, …) and
+   whose `create()` renders the board and runs the game + AI locally. Follow the
+   established per-game module split (e.g. `<Name>Logic.js`, `<Name>AI.js`,
+   `<Name>Data.js`) so the scene stays presentation-focused. Add a `tutorial.md`
+   if applicable.
 
-**Avatar upload fails with `Unsupported image type`** — only the MIME types
-in `ALLOWED_UPLOAD_MIME` are accepted. Add more if needed.
+3. **Wire it up:**
+   - import and add the scene class to the `scene` array in `src/main.js`;
+   - add the `slug → SceneKey` entry to `slugDispatch` in
+     `src/scenes/GameRoomScene.js`.
 
-**Layout looks wrong / inputs misaligned** — the DOM overlay repositions on
-the Phaser `resize` event. If you resize the window very fast, give it a
-beat; if it persists, file an issue.
+4. **Persist progress (optional):** for level-based puzzles, call
+   `/puzzles/<slug>/{progress,complete,reset}`; to record win/loss/draw, POST to
+   `/history/single-player`. Both are served by the local API shim.
 
 ---
 
-## Roadmap
+## Developer tooling (`tools/`)
 
-- [ ] Smarter AI opponents per game
-- [ ] Richer match history views and per-game stats
-- [ ] Replace placeholder vector graphics with sprites
+Offline Node scripts, not part of the deployed site. Run them with plain `node`
+from the repo root (Node.js 20+):
 
-Contributions welcome — start by registering a game in `games/registry.js`
-(see [Adding a new game](#adding-a-new-game)).
+- **Generators** (`genRushHour.js`, `genZuma.js`, `genKatamino.js`,
+  `genMiniCrossword.js`, `genJumble.js`, `buildCommonWords.js`, …) produce the
+  level banks and word lists that live in `data/`.
+- **Verifiers** (`verifyCribbage.js`, `verifyRisk.js`, `verifyRummikub.js`, …)
+  are headless self-play/assertion harnesses that exercise each game's engine and
+  AI to catch regressions. They exit non-zero on failure:
+
+  ```bash
+  node tools/verifyCribbage.js
+  node tools/verifyRisk.js --games=300
+  ```
+
+---
+
+## Data files (`data/`)
+
+Runtime JSON fetched by the games:
+
+- **Per-game banks & artwork maps** — e.g. `rushhour.json`, `zuma.json`,
+  `katamino.json`, `dotlink.json`, `jumble.json`, `spireclimb-artwork.json`,
+  `slots-artwork.json`, `shift-artwork.json`.
+- **Shared UI options** — `playfields.json`, `colored-playfields.json`,
+  `card-backs.json`, `opponents.json`, `music.json`.
+- **Word data** — `wordlists/enable1.txt` (main dictionary),
+  `wordlists/common.txt` (curated common words), `crosswords/minicrossword.json`.
+
+All are static assets; editing them (or regenerating them via `tools/`) changes
+game content without touching code.