docs: cut v0.21.2 — accessibility extensions + replay polish + first real Toast Error consumer

Promotes [Unreleased] to [0.21.2] dated 2026-05-08 and opens a
fresh empty [Unreleased]. Patch release covering 6 substantive
post-v0.21.1 commits (plus the v0.21.1 handoff refresh).

Three through-lines:

- **Accessibility extensions.** Closes the two threads v0.21.1
  left explicitly open. Reduce-motion was previously gated only
  on card slide_secs; v0.21.2 extends it to splash scanline +
  cursor pulse (`ed152e2`). HC borders had `BORDER_SUBTLE_HC`
  defined but no consumers; v0.21.2 builds the
  `HighContrastBorder` marker + `update_high_contrast_borders`
  system (`c9af1ea`) and rolls it out across 8 surfaces
  (`d87761d` + `ec804d5`).

- **Replay polish.** New floating MOVE chip rendered above the
  destination pile of the most-recently-applied move during
  playback (`2fb2d63`). World-space `Text2d` entity that
  reuses the same `LayoutResource` pile coordinates as every
  other piece of pile geometry — stays correctly positioned
  through window resizes without any UI / camera math.

- **First real `ToastVariant::Error` consumer.** Wires
  `MoveRejectedEvent` to a 2-second pink-bordered "Invalid move"
  toast (`68d50b5`). Joins the existing `card_invalid.wav`
  audio + destination-pile shake visual as the
  accessibility-focused readable text channel.

cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings clean.
1195 passing / 0 failing (net +3 from v0.21.1's 1192).

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 <noreply@anthropic.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,9 +6,135 @@ project follows [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/).
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
-No threads in flight. v0.21.1 cut on 2026-05-08; CHANGELOG accumulates
+No threads in flight. v0.21.2 cut on 2026-05-08; CHANGELOG accumulates
 the next cycle here.
 
+## [0.21.2] — 2026-05-08
+
+Patch release for the post-v0.21.1 polish work. Three through-
+lines: **accessibility extensions** (reduce-motion gating for
+splash animations, full HC chrome rollout across 8 surfaces),
+**replay polish** (floating MOVE chip above the focused card
+during playback), and the **first real consumer of
+`ToastVariant::Error`** (invalid-move feedback as the third leg
+of the existing audio + visual rejection-feedback stool).
+
+The accessibility extensions close two threads v0.21.1 left
+explicitly open: reduce-motion was previously gated only on card
+slide_secs, and HC borders had `BORDER_SUBTLE_HC` defined but no
+consumers. v0.21.2 finishes both — non-essential motion in the
+splash boot screen now respects reduce-motion, and every static-
+border chrome surface (modal scaffold, tooltip, help / stats /
+home / settings panels) boosts to the HC variant under high-
+contrast mode. Dynamic-paint sites (HUD action buttons, modal
+buttons, radial menu rim) intentionally stay un-tagged because
+their existing paint cycles would race the HC system; they
+remain open for a future iteration that needs a different shape.
+
+### Added
+
+- **`sync_pile_marker_visibility` system precursor was v0.21.1's;
+  this cycle adds**: `update_high_contrast_borders` system in
+  `settings_plugin` (`c9af1ea`). Walks all entities tagged with
+  `HighContrastBorder` each Update tick, swaps `BorderColor` to
+  `BORDER_SUBTLE_HC` when high-contrast mode is on. Compares
+  current colour and only mutates when different so Bevy's
+  change-detection doesn't trigger repaints every frame. New
+  `HighContrastBorder { default_color: Color }` component carries
+  the off-state colour at each tagged site so the system can
+  revert correctly.
+- **HC chrome rollout — 8 tagged surfaces** (`c9af1ea` modal
+  scaffold; `d87761d` tooltip + onboarding key chips + help
+  panel key chips + stats panel cells; `ec804d5` home Level/XP/
+  Score row + home mode-selector buttons + home mode-hotkey
+  chips + 4 settings panel surfaces). Each tagging is one line
+  on the spawn tuple. The marker-component architecture pays
+  back proportionally to the number of consumers — the per-
+  commit cost dropped from ~75 lines (foundation + first
+  surface) to ~13 lines (4 surfaces) to ~9 lines (7 surfaces).
+- **Floating MOVE chip during replay** (`2fb2d63`). New
+  `ReplayFloatingProgressChip` marker on a `Text2d` entity
+  rendered in 2D world space above the destination pile of the
+  most-recently-applied move. Sibling of the banner overlay (not
+  a child) because it lives in world-space coordinates, not the
+  UI tree. Lifecycle matches the banner: `spawn_overlay` spawns
+  the chip alongside the banner when a replay starts;
+  `react_to_state_change` despawns it when the replay ends.
+  World-space placement (rather than UI-space + camera projection)
+  uses the same `LayoutResource` pile coordinates that drive
+  every other piece of pile geometry — stays correctly positioned
+  through window resizes for free. Hidden when cursor=0 (no
+  moves applied yet) or when the last applied move was a
+  `StockClick` (no destination pile to follow).
+- **`handle_move_rejected_toast` system + first real
+  `ToastVariant::Error` consumer** (`68d50b5`). When
+  `MoveRejectedEvent` fires (illegal placement attempt), spawns
+  a 2-second pink-bordered "Invalid move" toast. Joins the
+  existing `card_invalid.wav` (audio cue) and destination-pile
+  shake (visual cue) as the accessibility-focused readable text
+  channel — covers deaf players (no audio reliance) and
+  reduce-motion players (no shake reliance) with a persistent
+  ~2 s text cue. Drops the `#[allow(dead_code)]` from
+  `ToastVariant::Error` and updates its doc to point at the new
+  consumer.
+
+### Changed
+
+- **Splash scanline overlay skipped under reduce-motion**
+  (`ed152e2`). `spawn_splash` reads `Settings::reduce_motion_mode`
+  and skips the scanline texture / overlay node entirely when
+  on. Without the scanlines the boot screen still reads as
+  terminal-themed (foreground content, borders, palette swatches
+  unchanged); the scanlines are decorative.
+- **Splash cursor pulse held under reduce-motion** (`ed152e2`).
+  `pulse_splash_cursor` reads `Settings::reduce_motion_mode` and
+  skips the per-frame sine-pulse multiplier when on — the cursor
+  still fades in / out with the global splash alpha (essential
+  timing) but doesn't blink. Spec calls out non-essential motion
+  as the reduce-motion target; the global fade is essential
+  (otherwise the splash would hard-cut on/off, which is
+  jarring), and the cursor blink is decorative.
+- **`AnimationPlugin::build` registers
+  `MoveRejectedEvent`** (`68d50b5`). Bevy's `add_message` is
+  idempotent, so the duplicate registration with
+  `feedback_anim_plugin` (which already registered the message)
+  coexists cleanly. Required for the new
+  `handle_move_rejected_toast` system to run under
+  MinimalPlugins (tests).
+
+### Documentation
+
+- `docs/ui-mockups/design-system.md` and `SESSION_HANDOFF.md`
+  refreshed in lockstep with the rollouts. The handoff's
+  Resume-prompt menu trimmed twice this cycle as Options A and F
+  closed in v0.21.1, then this commit cycle's accessibility
+  extensions implicitly closed the "future scope" footnotes
+  v0.21.1 left on F's documentation.
+
+### Stats
+
+- **1195 passing tests / 0 failing** across the workspace
+  (net +3 from v0.21.1's 1192 baseline). New tests added by
+  this cycle:
+  - `splash_skips_scanline_overlay_under_reduce_motion`
+    (`ed152e2`) pins the reduce-motion gate on the splash
+    scanline overlay. Discovered an asset-fixture bootstrapping
+    detail along the way: under `MinimalPlugins`,
+    `Assets<Image>` isn't auto-inserted; the test had to add
+    `bevy::asset::AssetPlugin::default()` and
+    `init_asset::<bevy::image::Image>()`. Pattern flagged for
+    future asset-using tests.
+  - `floating_chip_spawns_and_despawns_with_overlay`
+    (`2fb2d63`) pins the floating MOVE chip's lifecycle:
+    absent on Inactive, exactly one on Playing, absent again
+    on return to Inactive.
+  - `move_rejected_event_spawns_error_toast` (`68d50b5`) pins
+    the new toast wiring: firing a `MoveRejectedEvent` spawns
+    exactly one `ToastOverlay` on the next tick.
+- Zero clippy warnings under `cargo clippy --workspace
+  --all-targets -- -D warnings`.
+- `cargo test --workspace` clean.
+
 ## [0.21.1] — 2026-05-08
 
 Patch release for the post-v0.21.0 work — closes Resume-prompt

SESSION_HANDOFF.md

@@ -1,75 +1,46 @@
 # Solitaire Quest — Session Handoff
 
-**Last updated:** 2026-05-08 — **v0.21.0 cut and tagged at `04f9bf9`**,
+**Last updated:** 2026-05-08 — **v0.21.1 cut and tagged at `daa655a`**,
 working tree clean, all post-tag work pushed to origin.
 
-v0.21.0 closes the visual-identity arc opened in v0.20.0. Three
-through-lines landed in this cycle: the **card-face / suit /
-card-back artwork migration** that v0.20.0 deliberately deferred
-(both rendering paths in lockstep — `assets/cards/*.png` fallback
-plus the bundled-default theme SVGs at
-`solitaire_engine/assets/themes/default/*.svg` that
-`include_bytes!()`-embed into the binary), the **splash boot-
-screen + replay-overlay polish** that closed Resume-prompt
-Options B and C, and a late-cycle **`ACCENT_PRIMARY` palette
-swap** from cyan `#6fc2ef` to brick red `#a54242` after a quick
-stakeholder review of the shipped art.
+v0.21.1 is a patch release for the post-v0.21.0 work: closes
+Resume-prompt Options A (app icon — runtime `Window::icon` plus
+the 9-size PNG hierarchy) and F (high-contrast + reduce-motion
+accessibility modes — Settings flags wired through engine and
+UI). Plus a card-visual iteration cycle that moved through three
+states (v0.21.0 Terminal pink/gray → brief 4-colour-deck
+experiment → traditional 2-colour Microsoft-Solitaire-on-dark-mode
+red/near-white) and two visible-bug fixes (suit-coloured border
+anti-aliasing artifact at rounded corners, pile-marker
+bleed-through producing "gray L" shapes at occupied piles —
+the latter implemented the previously-documented-but-not-enforced
+"markers visible only at empty piles" invariant).
 
-Full v0.21.0 detail lives in `CHANGELOG.md` § [0.21.0]. This
+Full v0.21.1 detail lives in `CHANGELOG.md` § [0.21.1]. This
 file from here on focuses on what's *open* post-cut and how to
 resume.
 
 ## Status at pause
 
 - **HEAD locally:** see `git rev-parse HEAD`. The cut commit is
-  `04f9bf9`; any post-cut docs edits ride on top of that.
-- **HEAD on origin:** matches local. v0.21.0 is fully on origin.
+  `daa655a`; any post-cut docs edits ride on top of that.
+- **HEAD on origin:** matches local. v0.21.1 is fully on origin.
 - **Working tree:** clean. No WIP outstanding.
 - **`artwork/` directory:** still untracked. Intentional.
 - **Build:** `cargo clippy --workspace --all-targets -- -D warnings`
   clean.
-- **Tests:** **1184 passing / 0 failing** across the workspace
-  (net +8 from v0.20.0's 1176 baseline). Detail in
-  `CHANGELOG.md` § [0.21.0] § Stats.
-- **Tags on origin:** `v0.9.0` through `v0.21.0`. v0.21.0 is on
-  `04f9bf9`; v0.20.0 stays on `41a009a`.
+- **Tests:** **1192 passing / 0 failing** across the workspace
+  (net +8 from v0.21.0's 1184 baseline). Detail in
+  `CHANGELOG.md` § [0.21.1] § Stats.
+- **Tags on origin:** `v0.9.0` through `v0.21.1`. v0.21.1 is on
+  `daa655a`; v0.21.0 stays on `04f9bf9`; v0.20.0 stays on
+  `41a009a`.
 
-## Since the v0.21.0 cut
+## Since the v0.21.1 cut
 
-Two Resume-prompt options closed post-tag (2026-05-08):
-
-- **Option A — App icon round** (`3eb3a26` + `716a025`). 9-size
-  PNG hierarchy in `assets/icon/` (16/24/32/48/64/128/256/512/
-  1024 px), generated by a new `icon_generator` example from a
-  shared `icon_svg` builder (Terminal `▌RS` mark on dark
-  `#151515` with brick-red accent). Runtime `Window::icon`
-  wired via `WinitWindows` on desktop only (Android draws its
-  launcher icon from the APK manifest). The follow-up fix
-  `716a025` wraps `NonSend<WinitWindows>` in `Option<...>`
-  to satisfy Bevy 0.18's stricter system-param validation —
-  the resource doesn't exist on the first few frames before
-  winit's `Resumed` event fires. New deps (target-gated
-  non-Android): direct `winit = "0.30"` for `Icon`
-  construction, direct `tiny-skia` for PNG → RGBA decode.
-  Pin test `icon_svg_pin` guards future rasteriser drift.
-- **Option F — Accessibility modes** (`c5787c6` + `07e0357`).
-  High-contrast and reduce-motion settings flags wired through
-  the engine and surfaced as Settings panel toggles. HC boosts
-  `RED_SUIT_COLOUR` to `#ff8aa0` and `BLACK_SUIT_COLOUR` to
-  `#f5f5f5` for card text rendering; reduce-motion forces
-  `effective_slide_secs` to 0 regardless of `AnimSpeed`. CBM
-  and HC compose: lime CBM wins on red when both are on; HC
-  still applies to black suits when both are on. Six new
-  tests pin the truth tables. UI toggles sit alongside the
-  Color-blind row in Settings → Cosmetic; tab-walk visits
-  all three accessibility flags in one vertical run.
-
-Three Resume-prompt options remain live: B (APK launch
-verification), C (replay-overlay extensions), D (Toast
-Warning/Error wiring), E (Phase 8 sync). The visible-payoff
-pieces of the post-v0.21.0 menu have shipped; what's left is
-Android runtime work, replay-overlay polish, sync infrastructure,
-and toast-event sourcing.
+No threads in flight. Working tree clean as of 2026-05-08. New
+work since the cut would land here as commit narratives; for
+the v0.21.1 contents themselves, see `CHANGELOG.md` § [0.21.1].
 
 ## Open punch list
 
@@ -232,20 +203,19 @@ into a v0.21.1 / v0.22.0 cut.
 ```
 You are a senior Rust + Bevy developer working on Solitaire Quest.
 Working directory: <Rusty_Solitaire clone path on this machine>.
-Branch: master. v0.21.0 is tagged at 04f9bf9 (cut 2026-05-08).
-Working tree clean. v0.21.0 closed the visual-identity arc that
-v0.20.0 deferred — full Terminal cards on both rendering paths
-(asset PNGs + bundled-default theme SVGs), splash boot screen,
-replay-overlay banner enrichments, and a project-wide ACCENT_PRIMARY
-swap from cyan to brick red `#a54242`. See CHANGELOG.md § [0.21.0]
-for full detail.
+Branch: master. v0.21.1 is tagged at daa655a (cut 2026-05-08, a
+patch release rolling up app-icon, accessibility modes, and the
+card-visual iteration cycle that closed Resume-prompt Options A
+and F). v0.21.0 stays at 04f9bf9. Working tree clean. See
+CHANGELOG.md § [0.21.1] for full detail of what shipped in the
+patch release.
 
 State: HEAD locally — see `git rev-parse HEAD`. All workspace tests
-pass (1184+; check with `cargo test --workspace`), clippy clean.
+pass (1192+; check with `cargo test --workspace`), clippy clean.
 
 READ FIRST (in order, before doing anything):
   1. SESSION_HANDOFF.md  — this file
-  2. CHANGELOG.md        — [0.21.0] section is the most recent cut
+  2. CHANGELOG.md        — [0.21.1] section is the most recent cut
   3. CLAUDE.md           — unified-3.0 rule set
   4. CLAUDE_SPEC.md      — formal architecture spec
   5. ARCHITECTURE.md     — crate responsibilities + data flow
@@ -260,38 +230,34 @@ READ FIRST (in order, before doing anything):
                            fresh machine)
 
 DECISION TO ASK THE PLAYER FIRST:
-  A. *Closed 2026-05-08 by `3eb3a26` + `716a025`.* App icon
-     round — runtime `Window::icon` wired plus a 9-size PNG
-     hierarchy at `assets/icon/`. `.ico` / `.icns` bundle
-     formats stay open if the project later ships as a
-     packaged macOS / Windows app.
-  B. APK launch verification on AVD / device — `adb install` +
+  A. APK launch verification on AVD / device — `adb install` +
      `adb logcat` to shake out runtime bugs the build / unit
      tests can't catch. Likely surfaces JNI ClipboardManager
      and Android Keystore stubs that need real bridges. Larger
      scope; needs an Android device or emulator running.
-  C. Replay-overlay extensions — either the floating `MOVE N/M`
+     (Was Resume-prompt B before the post-v0.21.1 menu trim.)
+  B. Replay-overlay extensions — either the floating `MOVE N/M`
      chip above the focused card (smaller, cross-plugin; needs
      cursor → card-position plumbing in `card_plugin`) or the
      full screen-takeover redesign (multi-session: move-log
      scroll, mini tableau preview, WIN MOVE marker, data-layer
      impact for `Replay::win_move_index`).
-  D. Toast Warning / Error variant wiring. UI infrastructure
+  C. Toast Warning / Error variant wiring. UI infrastructure
      exists in `ToastVariant`; no in-engine event uses Warning
      (gold) or Error (pink) yet. Wire when a real warning- or
      error-flavoured event materialises.
-  E. Phase 8 (sync) — local storage scaffolding, self-hosted
+  D. Phase 8 (sync) — local storage scaffolding, self-hosted
      Axum server, `SolitaireServerClient` impl, GPGS stub
      wired into Settings. The biggest open arc by scope; rolls
      up several Phase Android dependencies (Keystore,
      ClipboardManager).
-  F. *Closed 2026-05-08 by `c5787c6` + `07e0357`.* High-contrast
-     and reduced-motion accessibility modes — Settings flags
-     + UI toggles + engine wiring. Card text rendering uses
-     HC variants when on; card slide_secs forces to 0 when
-     reduce-motion is on. Future scope: extend HC through
-     chrome borders, buttons; gate splash + warning-chip
-     animations on reduce-motion.
+  E. Extend high-contrast through chrome — `BORDER_SUBTLE_HC`
+     was defined in v0.21.1 but isn't yet consumed; popover
+     edges, button borders, focus rings still use the default
+     non-HC tokens. Plus reduce-motion still doesn't gate
+     splash scanline / cursor pulse / warning-chip pulse —
+     v0.21.1 only gated card slide_secs. Both are small,
+     finite, half-day scope.
 
 WORKFLOW NOTES:
   - Use the system git config (already correct).
@@ -308,6 +274,12 @@ WORKFLOW NOTES:
     migration walked past this" follow-ups that all matched
     this shape — codified here so future similar work can
     pattern-match instead of rediscovering.
+  - Doc-vs-implementation drift pattern: v0.21.1's pile-marker
+    visibility fix (`4d48cad`) implemented an invariant that
+    had been declared in a module doc comment but was never
+    enforced in code. When future work touches a module with
+    a "this does X" doc comment, verify the code actually does
+    X and add a test if not. Two layers, two checks.
 
-OPEN AT THE START: ask which of A–F. Don't pick unilaterally.
+OPEN AT THE START: ask which of A–E. Don't pick unilaterally.
 ```

solitaire_engine/src/animation_plugin.rs

@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ use crate::card_animation::{sample_curve, CardAnimation, MotionCurve};
 use crate::card_plugin::CardEntity;
 use crate::challenge_plugin::ChallengeAdvancedEvent;
 use crate::daily_challenge_plugin::{DailyChallengeCompletedEvent, DailyGoalAnnouncementEvent};
-use crate::events::{InfoToastEvent, XpAwardedEvent};
-use crate::events::{AchievementUnlockedEvent, GameWonEvent};
+use crate::events::{
+    AchievementUnlockedEvent, GameWonEvent, InfoToastEvent, MoveRejectedEvent, XpAwardedEvent,
+};
 use crate::game_plugin::GameMutation;
 use crate::layout::LayoutResource;
 use crate::pause_plugin::PausedResource;
@@ -162,6 +163,7 @@ impl Plugin for AnimationPlugin {
             .add_message::<ChallengeAdvancedEvent>()
             .add_message::<SettingsChangedEvent>()
             .add_message::<InfoToastEvent>()
+            .add_message::<MoveRejectedEvent>()
             .add_message::<XpAwardedEvent>()
             .init_resource::<EffectiveSlideDuration>()
             .init_resource::<ToastQueue>()
@@ -183,6 +185,7 @@ impl Plugin for AnimationPlugin {
                     handle_settings_toast,
                     handle_auto_complete_toast,
                     handle_xp_awarded_toast,
+                    handle_move_rejected_toast,
                     tick_toasts,
                     (enqueue_toasts, drive_toast_display).chain(),
                 )
@@ -565,9 +568,11 @@ pub enum ToastVariant {
     /// event; kept so future warning-flavoured toasts have a slot.
     #[allow(dead_code)]
     Warning,
-    /// Failure / rejected action — pink border. Currently unused; kept so
-    /// future error-flavoured toasts have a slot.
-    #[allow(dead_code)]
+    /// Failure / rejected action — pink border. Used by
+    /// [`handle_move_rejected_toast`] for illegal-placement
+    /// feedback; the third leg of the rejection-feedback stool
+    /// alongside `card_invalid.wav` (audio) and the destination-
+    /// pile shake (visual).
     Error,
     /// Reward / milestone — lavender border. Used for XP awards,
     /// achievement unlocks, level-ups, daily/weekly/challenge completions.
@@ -622,6 +627,30 @@ fn handle_xp_awarded_toast(mut commands: Commands, mut events: MessageReader<XpA
     }
 }
 
+/// Spawns a 2-second pink-bordered Error toast when the player tries an
+/// illegal placement (`MoveRejectedEvent`). Adds a third leg to the
+/// existing rejection feedback stool — `card_invalid.wav` already plays
+/// (audio cue) and `feedback_anim_plugin::queue_shake_for_rejected_move`
+/// fires the destination-pile shake (visual cue). The toast is the
+/// accessibility-focused leg: persistent ~2 s text that's readable for
+/// deaf players and impossible to miss for players who blink during the
+/// shake. First in-engine consumer of `ToastVariant::Error` — exercises
+/// the variant's pink border accent and the design-system "rejected
+/// action" semantic.
+fn handle_move_rejected_toast(
+    mut commands: Commands,
+    mut events: MessageReader<MoveRejectedEvent>,
+) {
+    for _ev in events.read() {
+        spawn_toast(
+            &mut commands,
+            "Invalid move".to_string(),
+            2.0,
+            ToastVariant::Error,
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 /// Ticks down `ToastTimer` on each toast and despawns it when the timer expires.
 ///
 /// Skipped while the game is paused so toast countdowns freeze along with the
@@ -966,6 +995,44 @@ mod tests {
         let _ = count;
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn move_rejected_event_spawns_error_toast() {
+        // The first in-engine consumer of `ToastVariant::Error`. Firing
+        // a `MoveRejectedEvent` (illegal placement) must spawn exactly
+        // one `ToastOverlay` carrying the rejection-feedback message.
+        // Pairs the existing audio (`card_invalid.wav`) and visual
+        // (`feedback_anim_plugin::queue_shake_for_rejected_move`) feedback
+        // with an accessibility-focused readable text cue.
+        use solitaire_core::pile::PileType;
+        let mut app = App::new();
+        app.add_plugins(MinimalPlugins).add_plugins(AnimationPlugin);
+
+        // Baseline: no toast overlays exist before the event.
+        let before = app
+            .world_mut()
+            .query::<&ToastOverlay>()
+            .iter(app.world())
+            .count();
+
+        app.world_mut().write_message(MoveRejectedEvent {
+            from: PileType::Tableau(0),
+            to: PileType::Tableau(1),
+            count: 1,
+        });
+        app.update();
+
+        let after = app
+            .world_mut()
+            .query::<&ToastOverlay>()
+            .iter(app.world())
+            .count();
+        assert_eq!(
+            after,
+            before + 1,
+            "MoveRejectedEvent must spawn exactly one error toast",
+        );
+    }
+
     // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Task #67 — Toast queue pure-function tests
     // -----------------------------------------------------------------------

solitaire_engine/src/help_plugin.rs

@@ -14,8 +14,8 @@ use crate::ui_modal::{
     ScrimDismissible,
 };
 use crate::ui_theme::{
-    Z_MODAL_PANEL, BORDER_SUBTLE, RADIUS_SM, SPACE_2, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY,
-    TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_1, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3,
+    BORDER_SUBTLE, HighContrastBorder, RADIUS_SM, SPACE_2, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY,
+    TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_1, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, Z_MODAL_PANEL,
 };
 
 /// Marker on the help overlay root node.
@@ -263,6 +263,7 @@ fn spawn_help_screen(commands: &mut Commands, font_res: Option<&FontResource>) {
                                 ..default()
                             },
                             BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+                            HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
                         ))
                         .with_children(|chip| {
                             chip.spawn((

solitaire_engine/src/home_plugin.rs

@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@ use crate::ui_modal::{
     ScrimDismissible,
 };
 use crate::ui_theme::{
-    ACCENT_PRIMARY, BG_ELEVATED, BG_ELEVATED_HI, BORDER_STRONG, BORDER_SUBTLE, RADIUS_MD,
-    STATE_INFO, TEXT_DISABLED, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG,
+    ACCENT_PRIMARY, BG_ELEVATED, BG_ELEVATED_HI, BORDER_STRONG, BORDER_SUBTLE, HighContrastBorder,
+    RADIUS_MD, STATE_INFO, TEXT_DISABLED, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG,
     TYPE_CAPTION, TYPE_DISPLAY, VAL_SPACE_1, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, Z_MODAL_PANEL,
 };
 
@@ -840,6 +840,7 @@ fn spawn_home_header_chips(parent: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands, ctx: &HomeContext<
             },
             BackgroundColor(BG_ELEVATED),
             BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+            HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
         ))
         .with_children(|row| {
             for (label, value) in [
@@ -943,6 +944,7 @@ fn spawn_draw_mode_chip<M: Component>(
             },
             BackgroundColor(bg),
             BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+            HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
         ))
         .with_children(|c| {
             c.spawn((Text::new(label.to_string()), font.clone(), TextColor(fg)));
@@ -1156,6 +1158,7 @@ fn spawn_mode_card(
                             ..default()
                         },
                         BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+                        HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
                     ))
                     .with_children(|chip| {
                         chip.spawn((

solitaire_engine/src/onboarding_plugin.rs

@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ use crate::ui_modal::{
     spawn_modal_header, ButtonVariant,
 };
 use crate::ui_theme::{
-    BORDER_SUBTLE, RADIUS_SM, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_CAPTION, TYPE_BODY, VAL_SPACE_1,
-    VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, Z_ONBOARDING,
+    BORDER_SUBTLE, HighContrastBorder, RADIUS_SM, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY,
+    TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_1, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, Z_ONBOARDING,
 };
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -386,6 +386,7 @@ fn spawn_slide_hotkeys(commands: &mut Commands, font_res: Option<&FontResource>)
                         ..default()
                     },
                     BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+                    HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
                 ))
                 .with_children(|chip| {
                     chip.spawn((

solitaire_engine/src/replay_overlay.rs

@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ use bevy::prelude::*;
 use chrono::Datelike;
 
 use crate::font_plugin::FontResource;
+use crate::layout::LayoutResource;
 use crate::replay_playback::{stop_replay_playback, ReplayPlaybackState};
+use solitaire_data::ReplayMove;
 use crate::ui_modal::{spawn_modal_button, ButtonVariant};
 use crate::ui_theme::{
     ACCENT_PRIMARY, BG_ELEVATED_HI, BORDER_SUBTLE, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY,
@@ -88,6 +90,21 @@ pub struct ReplayOverlayBannerText;
 #[derive(Component, Debug)]
 pub struct ReplayOverlayProgressText;
 
+/// Marker on the **floating** progress chip — a 2D world-space text
+/// entity rendered above the destination pile of the most-recently-
+/// applied move. Sits independently of the banner overlay (which
+/// lives in the UI tree and never moves) so the player can see
+/// progress without breaking eye contact with the focal card.
+///
+/// Lifecycle matches the banner overlay: spawned by `spawn_overlay`
+/// when a replay starts, despawned by `react_to_state_change` when
+/// it ends. Position updated each frame by
+/// `update_floating_progress_chip`. Hidden when cursor=0 (no moves
+/// applied yet) or the last applied move was a `StockClick` (no
+/// destination pile to follow).
+#[derive(Component, Debug)]
+pub struct ReplayFloatingProgressChip;
+
 /// Marker on the right-hand "Stop" button. Click handler queries for this
 /// and calls [`stop_replay_playback`] when an `Interaction::Pressed`
 /// transition is seen.
@@ -149,6 +166,7 @@ impl Plugin for ReplayOverlayPlugin {
                 react_to_state_change,
                 update_banner_label,
                 update_progress_text,
+                update_floating_progress_chip,
                 update_scrub_fill,
                 handle_stop_button,
             )
@@ -170,6 +188,7 @@ fn react_to_state_change(
     mut commands: Commands,
     state: Res<ReplayPlaybackState>,
     existing: Query<Entity, With<ReplayOverlayRoot>>,
+    floating_chips: Query<Entity, With<ReplayFloatingProgressChip>>,
     font_res: Option<Res<FontResource>>,
 ) {
     if !state.is_changed() {
@@ -185,6 +204,13 @@ fn react_to_state_change(
         for entity in &existing {
             commands.entity(entity).despawn();
         }
+        // Floating chip lives outside the UI tree (world-space
+        // entity), so the banner-root despawn doesn't reach it.
+        // Despawn separately on the same state transition so both
+        // disappear together when the replay ends.
+        for entity in &floating_chips {
+            commands.entity(entity).despawn();
+        }
     }
     // The `should_be_visible && already_spawned` branch is a no-op here —
     // the per-frame text update systems below repaint the banner label
@@ -200,6 +226,11 @@ fn spawn_overlay(
     state: &ReplayPlaybackState,
 ) {
     let font_handle = font_res.map(|f| f.0.clone()).unwrap_or_default();
+    // Clone for the floating chip spawn that runs *after* the
+    // banner's `.with_children(|banner| { ... })` closure consumes
+    // the original `font_handle`. Cheap — Bevy's `Handle<Font>` is
+    // `Arc`-backed, the clone bumps a refcount.
+    let font_handle_for_floating = font_handle.clone();
 
     let banner_label = if state.is_completed() {
         "\u{258C} replay complete" // ▌ — cursor-block prefix; matches the splash boot-screen convention.
@@ -365,6 +396,30 @@ fn spawn_overlay(
                     ));
                 });
         });
+
+    // Floating progress chip — a 2D world-space `Text2d` rendered
+    // above the destination pile of the most-recently-applied move.
+    // Sibling of (not child of) the banner overlay because it lives
+    // in world-space coordinates, not the UI tree. Spawned hidden;
+    // `update_floating_progress_chip` shows + positions it on the
+    // first frame the cursor advances past 0. Lifecycle matches
+    // the banner overlay — `react_to_state_change` despawns both
+    // when the replay state transitions back to `Inactive`.
+    commands.spawn((
+        ReplayFloatingProgressChip,
+        Text2d::new(format_progress(state)),
+        TextFont {
+            font: font_handle_for_floating,
+            font_size: TYPE_BODY,
+            ..default()
+        },
+        TextColor(TEXT_PRIMARY),
+        // High Z keeps the chip above every card stack
+        // (Z_DROP_OVERLAY = 50, Z_STOCK_BADGE = 30, regular cards
+        // stack to the low double digits at most).
+        Transform::from_xyz(0.0, 0.0, 100.0),
+        Visibility::Hidden,
+    ));
 }
 
 /// Pure helper — returns the scrub-fill width as a percentage of the
@@ -425,6 +480,78 @@ fn update_progress_text(
     }
 }
 
+/// Repositions the floating progress chip above the destination
+/// pile of the most-recently-applied move and repaints its text.
+///
+/// The chip is hidden when:
+/// - the cursor is at 0 (no moves applied yet — chip would have
+///   nowhere meaningful to land), OR
+/// - the most-recently-applied move was a `StockClick` (no
+///   destination pile — stock-click feedback already lives at
+///   the stock pile and we don't want the chip to jitter back
+///   to the stock pile every cycle).
+///
+/// When visible, the chip's world-space `Transform.translation`
+/// is set to the destination pile's centre plus a fixed upward
+/// offset (`card_size.y * 0.6`) so the chip floats just above
+/// the top edge of the card. World-space placement (rather than
+/// UI-space + camera projection) keeps the math trivial and means
+/// the chip stays correctly positioned through window resizes
+/// without any extra wiring — `LayoutResource` already drives
+/// every other piece of pile geometry.
+fn update_floating_progress_chip(
+    state: Res<ReplayPlaybackState>,
+    layout: Option<Res<LayoutResource>>,
+    mut chips: Query<
+        (&mut Transform, &mut Visibility, &mut Text2d),
+        With<ReplayFloatingProgressChip>,
+    >,
+) {
+    let Some(layout) = layout else {
+        return;
+    };
+
+    // Resolve the destination pile of the last-applied move (if
+    // any). `cursor` is the index of the *next* move to apply, so
+    // the most-recently-applied move sits at `cursor - 1`.
+    let dest_pile = match state.as_ref() {
+        ReplayPlaybackState::Playing { replay, cursor, .. } if *cursor > 0 => {
+            match &replay.moves[cursor - 1] {
+                ReplayMove::Move { to, .. } => Some(to.clone()),
+                ReplayMove::StockClick => None,
+            }
+        }
+        _ => None,
+    };
+
+    let Some(world_pos) = dest_pile
+        .as_ref()
+        .and_then(|p| layout.0.pile_positions.get(p).copied())
+    else {
+        // Nothing to point at — hide every chip and exit.
+        for (_, mut visibility, _) in chips.iter_mut() {
+            *visibility = Visibility::Hidden;
+        }
+        return;
+    };
+
+    // Position above the destination pile by ~60 % of a card
+    // height. Half a card lifts above the centre, the extra 10 %
+    // is breathing room above the top edge so the chip doesn't
+    // visually clip the card.
+    let above = Vec2::new(0.0, layout.0.card_size.y * 0.6);
+    let target = (world_pos + above).extend(100.0);
+    let label = format_progress(&state);
+
+    for (mut transform, mut visibility, mut text2d) in chips.iter_mut() {
+        transform.translation = target;
+        *visibility = Visibility::Inherited;
+        if **text2d != label {
+            **text2d = label.clone();
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Repaints the bottom-edge accent scrub fill to mirror cursor progress.
 /// Same change-detection guard as the text updaters — the overlay
 /// already early-exits when nothing moved, so an idle replay leaves the
@@ -668,6 +795,56 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    /// Lifecycle: the floating progress chip spawns alongside the
+    /// banner overlay when playback starts, and despawns when
+    /// playback ends. (Position correctness needs `LayoutResource`,
+    /// which isn't set up in this headless fixture; the lifecycle
+    /// test below is what's load-bearing for the spawn/despawn
+    /// pairing.)
+    #[test]
+    fn floating_chip_spawns_and_despawns_with_overlay() {
+        let mut app = headless_app();
+        // Inactive → no chip.
+        app.update();
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.world_mut()
+                .query::<&ReplayFloatingProgressChip>()
+                .iter(app.world())
+                .count(),
+            0,
+            "no floating chip while playback is Inactive",
+        );
+
+        set_state(
+            &mut app,
+            ReplayPlaybackState::Playing {
+                replay: synthetic_replay(5),
+                cursor: 0,
+                secs_to_next: 0.5,
+            },
+        );
+        app.update();
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.world_mut()
+                .query::<&ReplayFloatingProgressChip>()
+                .iter(app.world())
+                .count(),
+            1,
+            "floating chip must spawn when playback starts",
+        );
+
+        set_state(&mut app, ReplayPlaybackState::Inactive);
+        app.update();
+        assert_eq!(
+            app.world_mut()
+                .query::<&ReplayFloatingProgressChip>()
+                .iter(app.world())
+                .count(),
+            0,
+            "floating chip must despawn when playback ends",
+        );
+    }
+
     /// Manually flipping the resource back to `Inactive` (e.g. via the
     /// playback core's auto-clear after `Completed`) tears the overlay
     /// down without any further input.

solitaire_engine/src/settings_plugin.rs

@@ -34,9 +34,9 @@ use crate::ui_modal::{
 };
 use crate::ui_tooltip::Tooltip;
 use crate::ui_theme::{
-    BG_BASE, BG_ELEVATED, BG_ELEVATED_HI, BORDER_SUBTLE, RADIUS_SM, SPACE_2, STATE_SUCCESS,
-    TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG, TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3,
-    Z_MODAL_PANEL,
+    BG_BASE, BG_ELEVATED, BG_ELEVATED_HI, BORDER_SUBTLE, BORDER_SUBTLE_HC, HighContrastBorder,
+    RADIUS_SM, SPACE_2, STATE_SUCCESS, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG,
+    TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, Z_MODAL_PANEL,
 };
 
 /// Side length of a swatch button in the card-back / background pickers.
@@ -364,6 +364,7 @@ impl Plugin for SettingsPlugin {
                     update_anim_speed_text,
                     update_color_blind_text,
                     update_high_contrast_text,
+                    update_high_contrast_borders,
                     update_reduce_motion_text,
                     update_tooltip_delay_text,
                     update_time_bonus_multiplier_text,
@@ -637,6 +638,42 @@ fn update_high_contrast_text(
     }
 }
 
+/// Repaints `BorderColor` on every entity tagged with
+/// [`HighContrastBorder`] based on `Settings::high_contrast_mode`.
+/// Off → the marker's `default_color`; on → `BORDER_SUBTLE_HC`
+/// (`#a0a0a0`). Compares against the current border colour and
+/// only mutates when different so Bevy's change-detection
+/// doesn't trigger repaints every frame.
+///
+/// Spec at `design-system.md` §Accessibility (#2): under HC,
+/// outlines boost from `#505050` (BORDER_STRONG) to `#a0a0a0` so
+/// modal panels, popover edges, and focus-ring carriers stay
+/// legible on low-quality displays / for low-vision users.
+///
+/// Tagged sites in v0.21.x: the modal scaffold's card border
+/// (`ui_modal::spawn_modal`). More sites can be tagged in
+/// follow-ups by adding `HighContrastBorder::with_default(...)`
+/// to their spawn tuple.
+fn update_high_contrast_borders(
+    settings: Res<SettingsResource>,
+    mut borders: Query<(&HighContrastBorder, &mut BorderColor)>,
+) {
+    let high_contrast = settings.0.high_contrast_mode;
+    for (marker, mut border) in borders.iter_mut() {
+        let target = if high_contrast {
+            BORDER_SUBTLE_HC
+        } else {
+            marker.default_color
+        };
+        // Only mutate when actually different — avoids per-frame
+        // change-detection churn. `border.left` is representative
+        // because every tagged site uses `BorderColor::all(...)`.
+        if border.left != target {
+            *border = BorderColor::all(target);
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 fn update_reduce_motion_text(
     settings: Res<SettingsResource>,
     mut text_nodes: Query<&mut Text, With<ReduceMotionText>>,
@@ -1913,6 +1950,7 @@ fn picker_row(
                     },
                     BackgroundColor(bg),
                     BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+                    HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
                 ))
                 .with_children(|b| {
                     let text_color = if is_selected { BG_BASE } else { TEXT_PRIMARY };
@@ -2054,6 +2092,7 @@ fn theme_picker_row(
                     },
                     BackgroundColor(bg),
                     BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+                    HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
                 ))
                 .with_children(|b| {
                     spawn_thumbnail_pair(b, entry.thumbnails.as_ref());
@@ -2175,6 +2214,7 @@ fn sync_row(parent: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands, status_text: &str, font_res: Opti
                 },
                 BackgroundColor(BG_ELEVATED_HI),
                 BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+                HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
             ))
             .with_children(|b| {
                 b.spawn((
@@ -2235,6 +2275,7 @@ fn icon_button(
             },
             BackgroundColor(BG_ELEVATED_HI),
             BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+            HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
         ))
         .with_children(|b| {
             b.spawn((Text::new(label.to_string()), glyph_font, TextColor(TEXT_PRIMARY)));

solitaire_engine/src/splash_plugin.rs

@@ -219,12 +219,27 @@ fn spawn_splash(
 
     let font_handle = font_res.map(|f| f.0.clone()).unwrap_or_default();
 
+    // Settings is borrowed twice — once for the first_run_complete
+    // gate above, once here for the reduce-motion gate. The borrow
+    // above already happened (and was let-go via the `settings.as_deref()`
+    // pattern's auto-drop), so this re-read is safe.
+    let reduce_motion = settings.is_some_and(|s| s.0.reduce_motion_mode);
+
     // Generate the scanline texture handle up-front (when the asset
     // store is available — always true in production; opt-out under
     // bare `MinimalPlugins` test fixtures so existing tests that
     // don't init `Assets<Image>` keep working with the rest of the
-    // splash content unchanged).
-    let scanline_handle = images.map(|mut images| images.add(build_scanline_image()));
+    // splash content unchanged). Also skipped when reduce-motion is
+    // on — the scanline overlay is the "CRT scanline effect" the
+    // design-system spec calls out as non-essential motion under
+    // reduce-motion (`design-system.md` §Accessibility #3). Without
+    // it the boot screen still reads as terminal-themed; the
+    // scanlines are decorative.
+    let scanline_handle = if reduce_motion {
+        None
+    } else {
+        images.map(|mut images| images.add(build_scanline_image()))
+    };
 
     commands
         .spawn((
@@ -712,15 +727,29 @@ fn cursor_pulse_factor(age: Duration, period: f32, min: f32) -> f32 {
 ///
 /// No-op when no `SplashRoot` exists (the splash has already
 /// despawned, or we're under a test fixture that doesn't spawn one).
+///
+/// Under `Settings::reduce_motion_mode`, the per-frame pulse
+/// multiplier is skipped — the cursor still fades in / out with
+/// the global splash alpha (essential timing) but doesn't blink
+/// (decorative motion). Spec at `design-system.md` §Accessibility
+/// (#3): reduce-motion suppresses non-essential motion only;
+/// fade-in / fade-out timelines stay intact because the splash
+/// itself would otherwise hard-cut on/off, which is jarring.
 fn pulse_splash_cursor(
     roots: Query<&SplashAge, With<SplashRoot>>,
+    settings: Option<Res<SettingsResource>>,
     mut pulses: Query<(&SplashFadableBg, &mut BackgroundColor), With<SplashCursorPulse>>,
 ) {
     let Some(age) = roots.iter().next() else {
         return;
     };
     let global = splash_alpha(age.0).unwrap_or(0.0);
-    let pulse = cursor_pulse_factor(age.0, MOTION_PULSE_PERIOD_SECS, PULSE_ALPHA_MIN);
+    let reduce_motion = settings.is_some_and(|s| s.0.reduce_motion_mode);
+    let pulse = if reduce_motion {
+        1.0
+    } else {
+        cursor_pulse_factor(age.0, MOTION_PULSE_PERIOD_SECS, PULSE_ALPHA_MIN)
+    };
     let combined = (global * pulse).clamp(0.0, 1.0);
     for (fadable, mut bg) in &mut pulses {
         let mut c = fadable.base_color;
@@ -954,6 +983,46 @@ mod tests {
         );
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn splash_skips_scanline_overlay_under_reduce_motion() {
+        // The CRT scanline overlay is decorative motion that
+        // `Settings::reduce_motion_mode` suppresses per the
+        // design-system spec (§Accessibility #3). The splash
+        // root itself still spawns — the cursor still fades in
+        // and out (essential timing), but the scanline overlay
+        // node is omitted entirely.
+        use solitaire_data::Settings;
+        let mut app = App::new();
+        app.add_plugins(MinimalPlugins)
+            .add_plugins(bevy::asset::AssetPlugin::default())
+            .init_asset::<bevy::image::Image>()
+            .add_plugins(SplashPlugin);
+        app.init_resource::<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>();
+        app.init_resource::<ButtonInput<MouseButton>>();
+        app.insert_resource(SettingsResource(Settings {
+            first_run_complete: false,
+            reduce_motion_mode: true,
+            ..Settings::default()
+        }));
+        app.update();
+        // The splash root spawns (essential motion intact)
+        assert_eq!(
+            count_splash_roots(&mut app),
+            1,
+            "splash should still spawn under reduce-motion — only the scanline + pulse are gated",
+        );
+        // The scanline overlay is gone
+        let scanline_count = app
+            .world_mut()
+            .query::<&SplashScanlineOverlay>()
+            .iter(app.world())
+            .count();
+        assert_eq!(
+            scanline_count, 0,
+            "scanline overlay must NOT spawn under reduce-motion",
+        );
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn splash_despawns_after_total_duration() {
         let mut app = headless_app();

solitaire_engine/src/stats_plugin.rs

@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ use crate::ui_modal::{
     ScrimDismissible,
 };
 use crate::ui_theme::{
-    ACCENT_PRIMARY, BORDER_SUBTLE, RADIUS_SM, STATE_INFO, STATE_WARNING, STREAK_MILESTONES,
-    TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG, TYPE_CAPTION, TYPE_HEADLINE, VAL_SPACE_2,
-    VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4, Z_MODAL_PANEL,
+    ACCENT_PRIMARY, BORDER_SUBTLE, HighContrastBorder, RADIUS_SM, STATE_INFO, STATE_WARNING,
+    STREAK_MILESTONES, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG, TYPE_CAPTION,
+    TYPE_HEADLINE, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4, Z_MODAL_PANEL,
 };
 
 /// Bevy resource wrapping the current stats.
@@ -1017,6 +1017,7 @@ fn spawn_stat_cell(parent: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands, value: &str, label: &str)
                 ..default()
             },
             BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+            HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
         ))
         .with_children(|cell| {
             // Large value label — accent yellow makes the number sing

solitaire_engine/src/ui_modal.rs

@@ -58,8 +58,9 @@ use crate::settings_plugin::SettingsResource;
 use crate::ui_theme::{
     scaled_duration, ACCENT_PRIMARY, ACCENT_PRIMARY_HOVER, ACCENT_SECONDARY, BG_BASE, BG_ELEVATED,
     BG_ELEVATED_HI, BG_ELEVATED_PRESSED, BG_ELEVATED_TOP, BORDER_STRONG, BORDER_SUBTLE,
-    MOTION_MODAL_SECS, RADIUS_LG, RADIUS_MD, SCRIM, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY_LG,
-    TYPE_CAPTION, TYPE_HEADLINE, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4, VAL_SPACE_5,
+    HighContrastBorder, MOTION_MODAL_SECS, RADIUS_LG, RADIUS_MD, SCRIM, TEXT_PRIMARY,
+    TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY_LG, TYPE_CAPTION, TYPE_HEADLINE, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3,
+    VAL_SPACE_4, VAL_SPACE_5,
 };
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -230,6 +231,13 @@ where
                 Transform::from_scale(Vec3::splat(MODAL_ENTER_START_SCALE)),
                 BackgroundColor(BG_ELEVATED),
                 BorderColor::all(BORDER_STRONG),
+                // Honour `Settings::high_contrast_mode`: under HC the
+                // border boosts from `BORDER_STRONG` (#505050) to
+                // `BORDER_SUBTLE_HC` (#a0a0a0) so the modal panel
+                // edge stays clearly visible against the scrim and
+                // surface beneath. `update_high_contrast_borders` in
+                // `settings_plugin` does the per-frame swap.
+                HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_STRONG),
             ))
             .with_children(build_card);
         })

solitaire_engine/src/ui_theme.rs

@@ -226,6 +226,32 @@ pub const BORDER_SUBTLE: Color = Color::srgba(0.208, 0.208, 0.208, 1.0);
 /// vision users.
 pub const BORDER_SUBTLE_HC: Color = Color::srgba(0.627, 0.627, 0.627, 1.0);
 
+/// Marker for entities whose [`BorderColor`] should swap to
+/// [`BORDER_SUBTLE_HC`] when `Settings::high_contrast_mode` is on.
+/// Tag any UI node where border legibility is accessibility-critical
+/// — modal panels, popovers, settings rows, focus-ring carriers —
+/// then add the `apply_high_contrast_borders` system to react to
+/// settings changes.
+///
+/// `default_color` records the off-state colour the entity was
+/// spawned with so the system can revert when HC is toggled back
+/// off. Different sites use different defaults (`BORDER_SUBTLE` for
+/// idle popover edges, `BORDER_STRONG` for active modal cards) — the
+/// marker captures whichever one applies at this entity.
+#[derive(bevy::prelude::Component, Debug, Clone, Copy)]
+pub struct HighContrastBorder {
+    /// Border colour to use when high-contrast mode is *off* — the
+    /// site's normal idle / active-state colour.
+    pub default_color: bevy::prelude::Color,
+}
+
+impl HighContrastBorder {
+    /// Convenience constructor — `HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE)`.
+    pub const fn with_default(default_color: bevy::prelude::Color) -> Self {
+        Self { default_color }
+    }
+}
+
 /// Strong border — hover outline, focused button, active popover.
 /// `outline` from the design system. `#505050`.
 pub const BORDER_STRONG: Color = Color::srgba(0.314, 0.314, 0.314, 1.0);

solitaire_engine/src/ui_tooltip.rs

@@ -36,8 +36,8 @@ use bevy::ui::{ComputedNode, UiGlobalTransform};
 use crate::font_plugin::FontResource;
 use crate::settings_plugin::SettingsResource;
 use crate::ui_theme::{
-    BG_ELEVATED_HI, BORDER_SUBTLE, MOTION_TOOLTIP_DELAY_SECS, RADIUS_SM, TEXT_PRIMARY,
-    TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_2, Z_TOOLTIP,
+    BG_ELEVATED_HI, BORDER_SUBTLE, HighContrastBorder, MOTION_TOOLTIP_DELAY_SECS, RADIUS_SM,
+    TEXT_PRIMARY, TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_2, Z_TOOLTIP,
 };
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -189,6 +189,7 @@ fn spawn_tooltip_overlay(
             },
             BackgroundColor(BG_ELEVATED_HI),
             BorderColor::all(BORDER_SUBTLE),
+            HighContrastBorder::with_default(BORDER_SUBTLE),
             Visibility::Hidden,
             // Pin above the focus ring so a tooltip on a focused element
             // is never occluded by the focus outline.