diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/help_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/help_plugin.rs
index a22950a..76199ab 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/help_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/help_plugin.rs
@@ -86,13 +86,18 @@ fn toggle_help_screen(
 }
 
 /// Click handler for the modal's "Done" button. F1 toggles the overlay
-/// the same way; this just exposes the close action to mouse / touch.
+/// the same way; Esc closes too, so dismissal matches every other
+/// modal (Phase C dismissal audit). Nothing ever stacks above Help,
+/// so Esc needs no topmost gate.
 fn handle_help_close_button(
     mut commands: Commands,
+    keys: Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>,
     close_buttons: Query<&Interaction, (With<HelpCloseButton>, Changed<Interaction>)>,
     screens: Query<Entity, With<HelpScreen>>,
 ) {
-    if !close_buttons.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed) {
+    let clicked = close_buttons.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed);
+    let esc = keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::Escape) && !screens.is_empty();
+    if !clicked && !esc {
         return;
     }
     for entity in &screens {
@@ -583,4 +588,33 @@ mod tests {
             0
         );
     }
+
+    /// Esc must dismiss the Help modal like Done and F1 do (Phase C
+    /// dismissal audit).
+    #[test]
+    fn escape_closes_help_screen() {
+        let mut app = headless_app();
+        app.world_mut()
+            .resource_mut::<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>()
+            .press(KeyCode::F1);
+        app.update();
+
+        {
+            let mut input = app.world_mut().resource_mut::<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>();
+            input.release(KeyCode::F1);
+            input.clear();
+            input.press(KeyCode::Escape);
+        }
+        app.update();
+        app.update();
+
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.world_mut()
+                .query::<&HelpScreen>()
+                .iter(app.world())
+                .count(),
+            0,
+            "Esc must close the Help modal"
+        );
+    }
 }
diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/leaderboard_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/leaderboard_plugin.rs
index 0803fd7..49df78a 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/leaderboard_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/leaderboard_plugin.rs
@@ -343,13 +343,21 @@ fn scroll_leaderboard_panel(
     }
 }
 
+/// Done click or Esc dismisses the leaderboard (Phase C dismissal
+/// audit). Esc only fires when the leaderboard is the topmost modal —
+/// with the display-name dialog stacked on top, that dialog owns Esc.
 fn handle_leaderboard_close_button(
     mut commands: Commands,
+    keys: Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>,
     close_buttons: Query<&Interaction, (With<LeaderboardCloseButton>, Changed<Interaction>)>,
     screens: Query<Entity, With<LeaderboardScreen>>,
+    other_modal_scrims: Query<(), (With<ModalScrim>, Without<LeaderboardScreen>)>,
     mut closed_flag: ResMut<ClosedThisFrame>,
 ) {
-    if !close_buttons.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed) {
+    let clicked = close_buttons.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed);
+    let esc =
+        keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::Escape) && !screens.is_empty() && other_modal_scrims.is_empty();
+    if !clicked && !esc {
         return;
     }
     for entity in &screens {
@@ -888,12 +896,18 @@ fn handle_display_name_confirm(
 }
 
 /// Discards any typed text and closes the display-name editor modal.
+/// Cancel click or Esc dismisses the display-name dialog without
+/// saving (Phase C dismissal audit — same contract as the sync-setup
+/// dialog's Cancel/Esc pair).
 fn handle_display_name_cancel(
     button_q: Query<&Interaction, (Changed<Interaction>, With<DisplayNameCancelButton>)>,
+    keys: Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>,
     screens: Query<Entity, With<DisplayNameModal>>,
     mut commands: Commands,
 ) {
-    if !button_q.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed) {
+    let clicked = button_q.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed);
+    let esc = keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::Escape) && !screens.is_empty();
+    if !clicked && !esc {
         return;
     }
     for entity in &screens {
diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/input.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/input.rs
index f69c679..72c3676 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/input.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/input.rs
@@ -50,15 +50,21 @@ pub(super) fn handle_volume_keys(
 }
 
 /// Opens or closes the Settings panel — `O` keyboard accelerator or
-/// `ToggleSettingsRequestEvent` from the HUD Menu popover.
+/// `ToggleSettingsRequestEvent` from the HUD Menu popover. Esc closes
+/// too (Phase C dismissal audit), but only when Settings is the
+/// topmost modal — with sync-setup or the theme store stacked on top,
+/// the stacked dialog owns Esc.
 pub(super) fn toggle_settings_screen(
     keys: Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>,
     mut requests: MessageReader<ToggleSettingsRequestEvent>,
     mut screen: ResMut<SettingsScreen>,
+    other_modal_scrims: Query<(), (With<ModalScrim>, Without<SettingsPanel>)>,
 ) {
     let button_clicked = requests.read().count() > 0;
     if keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::KeyO) || button_clicked {
         screen.0 = !screen.0;
+    } else if keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::Escape) && screen.0 && other_modal_scrims.is_empty() {
+        screen.0 = false;
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/tests.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/tests.rs
index e6b7173..9916dfd 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/tests.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin/tests.rs
@@ -140,6 +140,31 @@ fn pressing_o_toggles_settings_screen_flag() {
     );
 }
 
+/// Esc closes the Settings panel like O / Done do (Phase C dismissal
+/// audit). Esc while the panel is closed must NOT open it.
+#[test]
+fn escape_closes_settings_screen_flag() {
+    let mut app = headless_app();
+
+    press(&mut app, KeyCode::Escape);
+    app.update();
+    assert!(
+        !app.world().resource::<SettingsScreen>().0,
+        "Esc on a closed panel stays closed"
+    );
+
+    press(&mut app, KeyCode::KeyO);
+    app.update();
+    assert!(app.world().resource::<SettingsScreen>().0, "O opens");
+
+    press(&mut app, KeyCode::Escape);
+    app.update();
+    assert!(
+        !app.world().resource::<SettingsScreen>().0,
+        "Esc closes settings"
+    );
+}
+
 // cycle_unlocked pure-function tests
 #[test]
 fn cycle_unlocked_wraps_at_end() {
diff --git a/solitaire_engine/src/theme_store_plugin.rs b/solitaire_engine/src/theme_store_plugin.rs
index 4b4f325..49645c5 100644
--- a/solitaire_engine/src/theme_store_plugin.rs
+++ b/solitaire_engine/src/theme_store_plugin.rs
@@ -118,6 +118,9 @@ impl Plugin for ThemeStorePlugin {
             .init_resource::<CatalogTask>()
             .init_resource::<InstallTask>()
             .init_resource::<StoreBaseUrl>()
+            // Esc-close reads keyboard input; register defensively so
+            // the plugin works under MinimalPlugins in tests.
+            .init_resource::<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>()
             .add_message::<ThemeStoreOpenRequestEvent>()
             .add_message::<InfoToastEvent>()
             .add_message::<WarningToastEvent>()
@@ -344,19 +347,23 @@ fn poll_install_task(
     );
 }
 
-/// Despawns the store modal when Close is pressed.
+/// Despawns the store modal when Close is pressed or on Esc (Phase C
+/// dismissal audit). The store only ever stacks over Settings and
+/// nothing stacks over the store, so it owns Esc whenever it is open
+/// (Settings' own Esc handler is gated on being topmost).
 fn handle_close_button(
     interactions: Query<&Interaction, (Changed<Interaction>, With<ThemeStoreCloseButton>)>,
+    keys: Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>,
     screens: Query<Entity, With<ThemeStoreScreen>>,
     mut commands: Commands,
 ) {
-    for interaction in &interactions {
-        if *interaction != Interaction::Pressed {
-            continue;
-        }
-        for entity in &screens {
-            commands.entity(entity).despawn();
-        }
+    let clicked = interactions.iter().any(|i| *i == Interaction::Pressed);
+    let esc = keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::Escape) && !screens.is_empty();
+    if !clicked && !esc {
+        return;
+    }
+    for entity in &screens {
+        commands.entity(entity).despawn();
     }
 }