docs(changelog): cut 0.44.0 — Phase B home hierarchy

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,36 @@ project follows [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+## [0.44.0] — 2026-07-13
+
+### Added
+
+- **Home is now a real home (menu redesign Phase B).** The mode picker became
+  a hierarchy: a **Continue** card (mode · elapsed · score) appears while a
+  game is in progress and returns to the table; a hero **New Game** button
+  replays your last mode with the current deal options in one tap; deal
+  options (draw 1/3, a new **winnable-only** toggle, difficulty tiers) moved
+  into a disclosure under the hero; the six modes sit in a compact symmetric
+  2×3 grid with descriptions on wide screens; and the stats strip moved to
+  the bottom. Wide viewports (desktop, unfolded foldables) get a two-pane
+  layout — launch surfaces left, Continue/daily/stats right. Cancel is now
+  **Back to table** and only appears while a live game exists. (#175)
+
+### Fixed
+
+- **Save files are self-contained (schema v6).** Like replays in 0.43.3, a
+  saved game now stores the dealt board via the upstream session serializers
+  instead of re-dealing from the seed on load; v4/v5 saves still load through
+  the legacy path and rewrite as v6 on next save. (#171)
+
+### Internal
+
+- **CI is ~9× faster.** Root-caused why the actions cache never restored on
+  the host-executor runner (per-run workdir paths poisoned the cache version
+  hash); the test workflow now uses a persistent on-runner target dir, and a
+  seconds-long `fmt` gate fails formatting mistakes before the build. Warm
+  full-gate runs: 4m29s, down from ~40 min. (#176)
+
 ## [0.43.3] — 2026-07-10
 
 ### Fixed

docs/ui-redesign-2026-07.md

@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 # Menu UX Redesign — July 2026
 
-Status: PLANNING. Visual identity (Terminal / base16-eighties) is settled and
+Status: IN PROGRESS. A / E / C / G shipped in v0.43.0; B implemented on
-out of scope — this is about **structure and interaction**, not colors or type.
+`feat/home-hierarchy` (2026-07-13); F / H and the I–M backlog remain open.
+Visual identity (Terminal / base16-eighties) is settled and out of
+scope — this is about **structure and interaction**, not colors or type.
 
 ## Diagnosis (from code survey, 2026-07-07)
 
@@ -197,8 +199,10 @@ slimming), then **B**, then **F/G/H** as independent follow-ups.
 ## Open decisions
 
 1. ~~Settings: tabs vs. sub-pages~~ — **DECIDED 2026-07-07: tabs.**
-2. Deal options: disclosure on Classic card (proposed) vs. keep global row?
+2. ~~Deal options: disclosure on Classic card vs. keep global row~~ —
-3. Time Attack + Seed: top-level cards (proposed, grid stays symmetric) vs.
+   **DECIDED 2026-07-09: disclosure on the Classic card / New Game hero.**
-   tucked under a "More" card?
+3. ~~Time Attack + Seed: top-level cards vs. "More" card~~ —
-4. Stitch mockups for Phase B, or iterate directly in-engine?
+   **DECIDED 2026-07-09: top-level cards, symmetric 2×3 grid.**
+4. ~~Stitch mockups for Phase B, or iterate directly in-engine~~ —
+   **DECIDED 2026-07-09: directly in-engine.**
 5. Phase F bottom bar: touch-only (proposed) or also desktop?

solitaire_data/src/settings.rs

@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ use std::io;
 use std::path::{Path, PathBuf};
 
 use serde::{Deserialize, Serialize};
-use solitaire_core::{DrawStockConfig, game_state::DifficultyLevel};
+use solitaire_core::{
+    DrawStockConfig,
+    game_state::{DifficultyLevel, GameMode},
+};
 
 const SETTINGS_FILE_NAME: &str = "settings.json";
 
@@ -248,6 +251,12 @@ pub struct Settings {
     /// cleanly to `None` via `#[serde(default)]`.
     #[serde(default)]
     pub last_difficulty: Option<DifficultyLevel>,
+    /// Mode of the last game the player launched from the home overlay.
+    /// The home hero "New Game" button replays this mode with one tap.
+    /// Older `settings.json` files written before this field existed
+    /// deserialize cleanly to `GameMode::Classic` via `#[serde(default)]`.
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub last_mode: GameMode,
     /// Custom public name displayed on the leaderboard. When `None`, the
     /// player's server `username` is used instead. Trimmed to 32 characters
     /// before submission. Older `settings.json` files written before this
@@ -415,6 +424,7 @@ impl Default for Settings {
             disable_smart_default_size: false,
             replay_move_interval_secs: default_replay_move_interval_secs(),
             last_difficulty: None,
+            last_mode: GameMode::Classic,
             leaderboard_display_name: None,
             leaderboard_opted_in: false,
             take_from_foundation: true,

solitaire_engine/src/ui_modal.rs

@@ -178,6 +178,32 @@ pub fn spawn_modal<M: Component, F>(
     z_panel: i32,
     build_card: F,
 ) -> Entity
+where
+    F: FnOnce(&mut ChildSpawnerCommands),
+{
+    spawn_modal_sized(
+        commands,
+        plugin_marker,
+        z_panel,
+        MODAL_CARD_MAX_WIDTH,
+        build_card,
+    )
+}
+
+/// Default maximum card width in logical pixels — every [`spawn_modal`]
+/// caller gets this. Surfaces that lay out side-by-side panes (e.g. the
+/// two-pane Home on wide viewports) can raise it via [`spawn_modal_sized`].
+pub const MODAL_CARD_MAX_WIDTH: f32 = 720.0;
+
+/// [`spawn_modal`] with an explicit card `max_width`. Behaviour is
+/// otherwise identical — same scrim, enter animation, and card chrome.
+pub fn spawn_modal_sized<M: Component, F>(
+    commands: &mut Commands,
+    plugin_marker: M,
+    z_panel: i32,
+    max_width: f32,
+    build_card: F,
+) -> Entity
 where
     F: FnOnce(&mut ChildSpawnerCommands),
 {
@@ -235,7 +261,7 @@ where
                     padding: UiRect::all(VAL_SPACE_5),
                     border: UiRect::all(Val::Px(1.0)),
                     border_radius: BorderRadius::all(Val::Px(RADIUS_LG)),
-                    max_width: Val::Px(720.0),
+                    max_width: Val::Px(max_width),
                     align_items: AlignItems::Stretch,
                     ..default()
                 },