feat(engine): replace docked touch bar with floating glass tab bar

Touch layout only (desktop bar unchanged): a floating glass pill
(Undo / Draw / Hint / Pause) plus a detached circular Menu button,
margin above the bottom edge on top of the safe-area inset. Draw is
the persistently expanded accent pill (icon + label); other buttons
are icon-only and slide their label out while pressed, snapping under
reduce-motion. Buttons keep the existing marker components so click
handlers, tooltips, focus ring, and chrome toggle work unchanged.
Icons: None degrades to text-fallback labels (MinimalPlugins tests /
SVG regression), keeping the bar fully usable.

Toast stack clearance now derives from TAB_BAR_CLEARANCE_PX; the
legacy touch bar spawn path and primary-button metrics are removed.

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

solitaire_engine/src/animation_plugin.rs

@@ -179,10 +179,13 @@ pub struct ToastStackRoot;
 pub struct ToastNode;
 
 /// Logical-pixel gap between the screen bottom and the toast stack,
-/// before safe-area insets. Clears the Phase F bottom action bar on
-/// touch (compact 44px buttons + primary 64px trio + bar padding);
-/// desktop's shorter bar needs less.
-const TOAST_STACK_BASE_BOTTOM_PX: f32 = if USE_TOUCH_UI_LAYOUT { 112.0 } else { 72.0 };
+/// before safe-area insets. Clears the floating glass tab bar on touch
+/// (its margin + height + breathing room); desktop's docked bar needs less.
+const TOAST_STACK_BASE_BOTTOM_PX: f32 = if USE_TOUCH_UI_LAYOUT {
+    crate::hud_plugin::tab_bar::TAB_BAR_CLEARANCE_PX
+} else {
+    72.0
+};
 
 /// Spawns the persistent [`ToastStackRoot`] container at startup.
 fn spawn_toast_stack_root(mut commands: Commands) {

solitaire_engine/src/assets/hud_icon_svg.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,127 @@
+//! SVG builders for the floating tab bar's action icons.
+//!
+//! The touch tab bar (`hud_plugin::tab_bar`) is icon-first, but the bundled
+//! FiraMono face has no icon glyphs (and the Geometric Shapes block U+25xx
+//! is missing on Android entirely), so the icons are authored here as tiny
+//! stroke-based SVGs and rasterised through the same `usvg`/`resvg` pipeline
+//! as the card themes (`assets::rasterize_svg`).
+//!
+//! Icons are drawn in **white** on a transparent background inside a
+//! 24-unit logical box; the spawn site tints them to the theme colour via
+//! `ImageNode::color` (a per-node multiply), so one texture serves every
+//! button state.
+
+use bevy::image::Image;
+use bevy::math::UVec2;
+
+use super::svg_loader::{SvgLoaderError, rasterize_svg};
+
+/// Rasterisation size for one tab-bar icon texture. Icons display at
+/// 24 logical px; 96 px texels keep them crisp at the Fold's 1.2 scale
+/// factor (and any future 3× phone) while staying trivially small.
+pub const HUD_ICON_TEXTURE_PX: u32 = 96;
+
+/// The five actions the floating touch tab bar can show.
+#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
+pub enum HudIcon {
+    /// Counter-clockwise "take back" arrow.
+    Undo,
+    /// Two offset card outlines — draw from the stock.
+    Draw,
+    /// Lightbulb — highlight a suggested move.
+    Hint,
+    /// Two vertical bars.
+    Pause,
+    /// Three-line hamburger — the floating menu button.
+    Menu,
+}
+
+impl HudIcon {
+    /// Build the icon's SVG document. All icons share one visual language:
+    /// 2-unit white strokes, round caps, transparent fill, 24-unit box.
+    pub fn svg(self) -> String {
+        let body = match self {
+            // Arrow head pointing left into a half-circle sweeping back
+            // over the top — the conventional undo mark.
+            HudIcon::Undo => concat!(
+                r##"<path d="M 8 5 L 4 9 L 8 13"/>"##,
+                r##"<path d="M 4 9 H 14 A 5.5 5.5 0 0 1 14 20 H 8"/>"##,
+            ),
+            // Back card peeks out behind the front card; the front card is
+            // drawn second so its stroke reads on top.
+            HudIcon::Draw => concat!(
+                r##"<rect x="8.5" y="3" width="11" height="15" rx="2"/>"##,
+                r##"<rect x="4" y="6.5" width="11" height="15" rx="2"/>"##,
+            ),
+            // Bulb dome with a flat lamp base beneath.
+            HudIcon::Hint => concat!(
+                r##"<path d="M 9 15.5 A 6.5 6.5 0 1 1 15 15.5 V 18 H 9 Z"/>"##,
+                r##"<path d="M 10 21 H 14"/>"##,
+            ),
+            HudIcon::Pause => concat!(
+                r##"<path d="M 9 6 V 18"/>"##,
+                r##"<path d="M 15 6 V 18"/>"##,
+            ),
+            HudIcon::Menu => concat!(
+                r##"<path d="M 4 6.5 H 20"/>"##,
+                r##"<path d="M 4 12 H 20"/>"##,
+                r##"<path d="M 4 17.5 H 20"/>"##,
+            ),
+        };
+        format!(
+            concat!(
+                r##"<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="24" height="24" viewBox="0 0 24 24">"##,
+                r##"<g fill="none" stroke="#ffffff" stroke-width="2" "##,
+                r##"stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round">{body}</g>"##,
+                r##"</svg>"##,
+            ),
+            body = body
+        )
+    }
+
+    /// Rasterise this icon into a Bevy [`Image`] at
+    /// [`HUD_ICON_TEXTURE_PX`] square.
+    pub fn rasterize(self) -> Result<Image, SvgLoaderError> {
+        rasterize_svg(self.svg().as_bytes(), UVec2::splat(HUD_ICON_TEXTURE_PX))
+    }
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    const ALL: [HudIcon; 5] = [
+        HudIcon::Undo,
+        HudIcon::Draw,
+        HudIcon::Hint,
+        HudIcon::Pause,
+        HudIcon::Menu,
+    ];
+
+    /// Every icon must survive the real usvg/resvg pipeline at the real
+    /// texture size — a malformed path here would otherwise only surface
+    /// as a blank button on device.
+    #[test]
+    fn every_icon_rasterizes_at_texture_size() {
+        for icon in ALL {
+            let img = icon.rasterize().expect("icon SVG must rasterise");
+            assert_eq!(img.width(), HUD_ICON_TEXTURE_PX, "{icon:?} width");
+            assert_eq!(img.height(), HUD_ICON_TEXTURE_PX, "{icon:?} height");
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// Rasterised icons must contain visible (non-transparent) pixels —
+    /// guards against a stroke accidentally drawn outside the viewBox.
+    #[test]
+    fn every_icon_has_visible_pixels() {
+        for icon in ALL {
+            let img = icon.rasterize().expect("icon SVG must rasterise");
+            let data = img.data.as_ref().expect("rasterised image has data");
+            let opaque = data.chunks_exact(4).filter(|px| px[3] > 0).count();
+            assert!(
+                opaque > 100,
+                "{icon:?} renders only {opaque} visible pixels"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+}

solitaire_engine/src/assets/mod.rs

@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 //! custom `AssetSource` implementations used by the theme system.
 
 pub mod card_face_svg;
+pub mod hud_icon_svg;
 pub mod icon_svg;
 pub mod sources;
 pub mod svg_loader;

solitaire_engine/src/hud_plugin/fx.rs

@@ -109,12 +109,19 @@ pub(super) fn apply_action_fade(
 /// Visual feedback for every action button — paints idle / hover / pressed
 /// states by mutating `BackgroundColor` whenever the interaction state
 /// changes. One query covers all action buttons via the shared
-/// `ActionButton` marker.
+/// `ActionButton` marker. Glass tab-bar buttons are excluded: they carry
+/// their own per-button colour triple and are painted by
+/// `paint_glass_tab_buttons` instead (this system's opaque `ACTION_BTN_*`
+/// fills would destroy the translucent glass look).
 #[allow(clippy::type_complexity)]
 pub(super) fn paint_action_buttons(
     mut buttons: Query<
         (&Interaction, &mut BackgroundColor),
-        (With<ActionButton>, Changed<Interaction>),
+        (
+            With<ActionButton>,
+            Without<GlassTabButton>,
+            Changed<Interaction>,
+        ),
     >,
 ) {
     for (interaction, mut bg) in &mut buttons {

solitaire_engine/src/hud_plugin/mod.rs

@@ -12,11 +12,13 @@ use bevy::window::WindowResized;
 mod fx;
 mod interaction;
 mod spawn;
+pub(crate) mod tab_bar;
 mod updates;
 
 pub use fx::*;
 use interaction::*;
 use spawn::*;
+use tab_bar::*;
 use updates::*;
 
 // On wasm32 AvatarPlugin is gated out; define a placeholder type so the
@@ -595,6 +597,12 @@ impl Plugin for HudPlugin {
                     handle_menu_backdrop_click,
                     close_menu_popover_on_escape,
                     paint_action_buttons,
+                    paint_glass_tab_buttons,
+                    drive_tab_expansion,
+                    // Writes tab-label TextColor and reads TextFont — entity-
+                    // disjoint from the UiTextFx readout writers (tab labels
+                    // vs HUD readouts), which Bevy can't prove, so declare it.
+                    animate_tab_expansion.ambiguous_with(UiTextFx),
                 )
                     .chain()
                     .in_set(HudButtons)

solitaire_engine/src/hud_plugin/spawn.rs

@@ -360,6 +360,7 @@ pub(super) fn handle_avatar_button(
 pub(super) fn spawn_action_buttons(
     font_res: Option<Res<FontResource>>,
     windows: Query<&Window>,
+    images: Option<ResMut<Assets<Image>>>,
     mut commands: Commands,
 ) {
     let action_font_size =
@@ -370,9 +371,18 @@ pub(super) fn spawn_action_buttons(
         ..default()
     };
 
-    // Bottom bar: full-width, centered, sits above the gesture-navigation zone.
+    // Touch layout: the floating glass tab bar (pill + circular Menu).
+    // `Assets<Image>` is absent under `MinimalPlugins`; `rasterize_into`
+    // returning `None` switches the bar to its text-fallback form.
+    if USE_TOUCH_UI_LAYOUT {
+        let icons = images.and_then(|mut imgs| TabIcons::rasterize_into(&mut imgs));
+        spawn_glass_tab_bar(&mut commands, &font, icons.as_ref());
+        return;
+    }
+
+    // Desktop bottom bar: full-width, centered, docked to the bottom edge.
     // `SafeAreaAnchoredBottom` applies the correct logical-pixel inset once
-    // Android reports it (frames 1-3); initial value is 0.0.
+    // the platform reports it; initial value is 0.0.
     commands
         .spawn((
             Node {
@@ -400,73 +410,10 @@ pub(super) fn spawn_action_buttons(
             HudActionBar,
         ))
         .with_children(|row| {
-            if USE_TOUCH_UI_LAYOUT {
-                spawn_touch_action_bar(row, &font);
-            } else {
             spawn_desktop_action_bar(row, &font);
-            }
         });
 }
 
-/// Phase F touch action bar — five buttons, three of them big.
-///
-/// The core gameplay trio (**Undo · Draw · Hint**) gets enlarged
-/// thumb-reach targets; Menu and Pause stay compact at the edges. The
-/// utility actions the desktop bar carries are reachable elsewhere on
-/// touch and are deliberately absent here: Help lives in Menu → System,
-/// mode switching lives on the Home screen (Phase B), and New Game is
-/// Home's hero button. Draw duplicates the stock-pile tap so the most
-/// frequent action of all no longer requires reaching the top half of a
-/// tall folded screen.
-pub(super) fn spawn_touch_action_bar(row: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands, font: &TextFont) {
-    // The trailing `order` argument feeds `Focusable { group: Hud, order }`
-    // so Tab (external keyboard) cycles the bar in visual reading order.
-    spawn_action_button(
-        row,
-        MenuButton,
-        "Menu",
-        None,
-        "Open Home, Stats, Achievements, Profile, Settings, or Leaderboard.",
-        font,
-        0,
-        TEXT_SECONDARY,
-    );
-    spawn_primary_action_button(
-        row,
-        UndoButton,
-        "Undo",
-        "Take back your last move. Hold to keep undoing. Costs points and blocks No Undo.",
-        font,
-        1,
-    );
-    spawn_primary_action_button(
-        row,
-        DrawButton,
-        "Draw",
-        "Draw from the stock — same as tapping the deck.",
-        font,
-        2,
-    );
-    spawn_primary_action_button(
-        row,
-        HintButton,
-        TOUCH_HINT_LABEL,
-        "Highlight a suggested move. Cycles through alternatives on repeat taps.",
-        font,
-        3,
-    );
-    spawn_action_button(
-        row,
-        PauseButton,
-        "Pause",
-        None,
-        "Pause the game and freeze the timer.",
-        font,
-        4,
-        TEXT_SECONDARY,
-    );
-}
-
 /// Desktop action bar — unchanged by Phase F (decision 5: the touch bar
 /// is touch-only). All seven actions, uniform sizing.
 pub(super) fn spawn_desktop_action_bar(row: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands, font: &TextFont) {
@@ -585,44 +532,9 @@ pub(super) fn spawn_action_button<M: Component>(
     );
 }
 
-/// Enlarged variant for the touch bar's core gameplay trio (Phase F):
-/// bigger padding / minimum target and a scaled-up label so Undo, Draw,
-/// and Hint read (and hit) as the primary actions. Hotkey chips are
-/// irrelevant on touch, so the variant takes none.
-pub(super) fn spawn_primary_action_button<M: Component>(
-    row: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands,
-    marker: M,
-    label: &str,
-    tooltip: &'static str,
-    font: &TextFont,
-    order: i32,
-) {
-    let (pad, min_w, min_h) = primary_action_button_metrics();
-    let primary_font = TextFont {
-        font: font.font.clone(),
-        // 1.35× the bar's responsive size, capped so landscape tablets
-        // don't blow the row height out.
-        font_size: (font.font_size * 1.35).min(24.0),
-        ..default()
-    };
-    spawn_action_button_sized(
-        row,
-        marker,
-        label,
-        None,
-        tooltip,
-        &primary_font,
-        order,
-        TEXT_PRIMARY,
-        pad,
-        min_w,
-        min_h,
-    );
-}
-
-/// Shared body of [`spawn_action_button`] / [`spawn_primary_action_button`]
-/// — one place owns the component set so `paint_action_buttons`, tooltips,
-/// and the focus ring treat every bar button identically.
+/// Shared body of [`spawn_action_button`] — one place owns the component
+/// set so `paint_action_buttons`, tooltips, and the focus ring treat every
+/// bar button identically.
 #[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
 fn spawn_action_button_sized<M: Component>(
     row: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands,

solitaire_engine/src/hud_plugin/tab_bar.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,470 @@
+//! Floating "liquid glass" touch tab bar — layout and animation.
+//!
+//! Replaces the docked full-width touch action bar (Phase F) with an
+//! iOS-26-style floating arrangement: a pill of icon buttons hovering
+//! above the bottom edge, plus a detached circular Menu button to its
+//! right. The *visual treatment* (translucent sheen, specular rim, drop
+//! shadow) lives in [`crate::ui_glass`]; this module owns only geometry,
+//! button wiring, and the expand/collapse label animation, so the glass
+//! material can be swapped without touching layout.
+//!
+//! Interaction compatibility: every button keeps the same marker
+//! components as the old bar (`UndoButton`, `DrawButton`, …) plus
+//! `ActionButton`, `Button`, `Tooltip`, and `Focusable`, so the click
+//! handlers, tooltips, focus ring, and the tap-to-toggle chrome guard in
+//! `interaction.rs` all work unchanged.
+//!
+//! Expansion model (user decision, 2026-07-15): **Draw** — the most
+//! frequent action — is the persistently-expanded "active" pill showing
+//! icon + label; the other buttons are icon-only and reveal their label
+//! with a width-animated slide while pressed.
+
+use super::*;
+use crate::assets::hud_icon_svg::HudIcon;
+use crate::ui_glass::{GLASS_BORDER_PX, glass_surface};
+use crate::ui_theme::{ACCENT_PRIMARY_HOVER, SPACE_3};
+use bevy::text::{LineBreak, TextLayout};
+use bevy::ui::Overflow;
+
+/// Height of both the pill and the circular Menu button, in logical px.
+/// 64 keeps the inner 48-px buttons comfortably past the 44-px touch
+/// floor with 8 px of glass around them.
+pub(crate) const TAB_BAR_HEIGHT: f32 = 64.0;
+
+/// Gap between the bar and the bottom screen edge (the "floating" margin;
+/// the Android gesture-bar inset is added on top by `SafeAreaAnchoredBottom`).
+const TAB_BAR_MARGIN: f32 = SPACE_3;
+
+/// Vertical space UI stacked above the bar (the toast stack) must clear:
+/// floating margin + bar height + one spacing step of breathing room.
+pub(crate) const TAB_BAR_CLEARANCE_PX: f32 = TAB_BAR_MARGIN + TAB_BAR_HEIGHT + SPACE_2;
+
+/// Diameter of a button inside the pill (and its fully-round radius ×2).
+const TAB_BUTTON_SIZE: f32 = 48.0;
+
+/// Displayed icon size in logical px (texture is rasterised larger; see
+/// `assets::hud_icon_svg::HUD_ICON_TEXTURE_PX`).
+const TAB_ICON_PX: f32 = 24.0;
+
+/// FiraMono glyph advance as a fraction of font size. The bar is
+/// monospace-only, so `chars × advance × font_size` is the exact label
+/// width — the same ratio `action_bar_font_size` documents.
+const FIRA_ADVANCE: f32 = 0.62;
+
+/// Gap between an icon and its revealed label, folded into the animated
+/// wrapper width so it collapses together with the text.
+const LABEL_LEAD_PX: f32 = SPACE_2;
+
+/// Idle fill of an inactive icon button — fully transparent so the pill's
+/// glass shows through untouched.
+const GLASS_BTN_IDLE: Color = Color::srgba(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.0);
+/// Hover fill of an inactive icon button (desktop pointer / DPAD focus).
+const GLASS_BTN_HOVER: Color = Color::srgba(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.08);
+/// Pressed fill of an inactive icon button.
+const GLASS_BTN_PRESSED: Color = Color::srgba(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.14);
+/// Pressed state of the active (accent-filled) pill — darker than idle so
+/// the press reads as the surface receding, mirroring `BG_ELEVATED_PRESSED`.
+const GLASS_ACTIVE_PRESSED: Color = Color::srgb(0.55, 0.22, 0.22);
+
+/// Idle / hovered / pressed fills for one tab-bar button. Presence of this
+/// component also routes the button to `paint_glass_tab_buttons` instead of
+/// the legacy `paint_action_buttons` (which excludes it).
+#[derive(Component, Debug)]
+pub struct GlassTabButton {
+    idle: Color,
+    hovered: Color,
+    pressed: Color,
+}
+
+/// Animated label-reveal state, on the clipping wrapper node between the
+/// button and its `Text` label. `progress` ∈ [0, 1] maps to wrapper width
+/// via [`expansion_width`]; `target` is where it is heading.
+#[derive(Component, Debug)]
+pub struct TabLabelWrap {
+    /// Current reveal amount, 0 = collapsed, 1 = fully expanded.
+    pub progress: f32,
+    /// Reveal amount the animation is moving towards.
+    pub target: f32,
+    /// `true` keeps the label expanded regardless of interaction —
+    /// the persistent Draw pill, and every button in text-fallback mode.
+    persistent: bool,
+    /// Label length; width is recomputed from the live font size each
+    /// frame so viewport-driven font rescales stay correct.
+    label_chars: usize,
+    /// Last width written to the node, to skip no-op layout writes.
+    last_width: f32,
+}
+
+/// Marker on the label `Text` inside a [`TabLabelWrap`].
+#[derive(Component, Debug)]
+pub struct TabLabel;
+
+/// Rasterised icon textures for the five tab-bar actions.
+pub(super) struct TabIcons {
+    undo: Handle<Image>,
+    draw: Handle<Image>,
+    hint: Handle<Image>,
+    pause: Handle<Image>,
+    menu: Handle<Image>,
+}
+
+impl TabIcons {
+    /// Rasterise all five icons into `images`. Returns `None` (and warns)
+    /// if any icon fails — the caller then falls back to text-only labels,
+    /// so a bad SVG degrades the look, never the playability.
+    pub(super) fn rasterize_into(images: &mut Assets<Image>) -> Option<Self> {
+        let mut add = |icon: HudIcon| match icon.rasterize() {
+            Ok(img) => Some(images.add(img)),
+            Err(e) => {
+                warn!("tab_bar: failed to rasterise {icon:?} icon: {e}");
+                None
+            }
+        };
+        Some(Self {
+            undo: add(HudIcon::Undo)?,
+            draw: add(HudIcon::Draw)?,
+            hint: add(HudIcon::Hint)?,
+            pause: add(HudIcon::Pause)?,
+            menu: add(HudIcon::Menu)?,
+        })
+    }
+}
+
+/// Wrapper width in logical px for a label of `chars` monospace glyphs at
+/// `font_size`, revealed to `progress`. Pure so the animation curve is
+/// unit-testable without an app.
+pub(super) fn expansion_width(chars: usize, font_size: f32, progress: f32) -> f32 {
+    progress.clamp(0.0, 1.0) * (LABEL_LEAD_PX + chars as f32 * font_size * FIRA_ADVANCE)
+}
+
+/// Advance `progress` towards `target` by one frame of `dt` seconds.
+/// Linear tween over `MOTION_SLIDE_SECS`, snapping when reduce-motion is
+/// active. Pure for the same reason as [`expansion_width`].
+pub(super) fn step_expansion(progress: f32, target: f32, dt: f32, reduce_motion: bool) -> f32 {
+    if reduce_motion {
+        return target;
+    }
+    let max_step = dt / crate::ui_theme::MOTION_SLIDE_SECS;
+    progress + (target - progress).clamp(-max_step, max_step)
+}
+
+/// Spawns the floating glass tab bar: one full-width invisible flex row
+/// (carrying the `HudActionBar` marker so chrome show/hide keeps working)
+/// centring the glass pill and the detached circular Menu button.
+///
+/// `icons: None` (rasteriser unavailable, e.g. `MinimalPlugins` tests, or
+/// an SVG regression) switches every button to text-fallback: labels stay
+/// expanded so the bar remains fully usable without textures.
+pub(super) fn spawn_glass_tab_bar(
+    commands: &mut Commands,
+    font: &TextFont,
+    icons: Option<&TabIcons>,
+) {
+    let text_fallback = icons.is_none();
+    commands
+        .spawn((
+            Node {
+                position_type: PositionType::Absolute,
+                bottom: Val::Px(TAB_BAR_MARGIN),
+                left: Val::Px(0.0),
+                width: Val::Percent(100.0),
+                flex_direction: FlexDirection::Row,
+                justify_content: JustifyContent::Center,
+                align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+                column_gap: VAL_SPACE_3,
+                ..default()
+            },
+            ZIndex(Z_HUD),
+            SafeAreaAnchoredBottom {
+                base_bottom: TAB_BAR_MARGIN,
+            },
+            HudActionBar,
+        ))
+        .with_children(|bar| {
+            // The main pill: Undo · [Draw] · Hint · Pause.
+            bar.spawn((
+                Node {
+                    height: Val::Px(TAB_BAR_HEIGHT),
+                    flex_direction: FlexDirection::Row,
+                    align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+                    padding: UiRect::axes(Val::Px(SPACE_2), Val::Px(0.0)),
+                    column_gap: Val::Px(4.0),
+                    border: UiRect::all(Val::Px(GLASS_BORDER_PX)),
+                    border_radius: BorderRadius::all(Val::Px(TAB_BAR_HEIGHT / 2.0)),
+                    ..default()
+                },
+                glass_surface(),
+            ))
+            .with_children(|pill| {
+                spawn_tab_button(
+                    pill,
+                    UndoButton,
+                    "Undo",
+                    "Take back your last move. Hold to keep undoing. Costs points and blocks No Undo.",
+                    font,
+                    0,
+                    icons.map(|i| i.undo.clone()),
+                    false,
+                    text_fallback,
+                );
+                spawn_tab_button(
+                    pill,
+                    DrawButton,
+                    "Draw",
+                    "Draw from the stock — same as tapping the deck.",
+                    font,
+                    1,
+                    icons.map(|i| i.draw.clone()),
+                    true,
+                    text_fallback,
+                );
+                spawn_tab_button(
+                    pill,
+                    HintButton,
+                    TOUCH_HINT_LABEL,
+                    "Highlight a suggested move. Cycles through alternatives on repeat taps.",
+                    font,
+                    2,
+                    icons.map(|i| i.hint.clone()),
+                    false,
+                    text_fallback,
+                );
+                spawn_tab_button(
+                    pill,
+                    PauseButton,
+                    "Pause",
+                    "Pause the game and freeze the timer.",
+                    font,
+                    3,
+                    icons.map(|i| i.pause.clone()),
+                    false,
+                    text_fallback,
+                );
+            });
+
+            // The detached circular Menu button, same glass material.
+            bar.spawn((
+                MenuButton,
+                ActionButton,
+                Button,
+                GlassTabButton {
+                    idle: GLASS_BTN_IDLE,
+                    hovered: GLASS_BTN_HOVER,
+                    pressed: GLASS_BTN_PRESSED,
+                },
+                Tooltip::new(
+                    "Open Home, Stats, Achievements, Profile, Settings, or Leaderboard.",
+                ),
+                Focusable {
+                    group: FocusGroup::Hud,
+                    order: 4,
+                },
+                Node {
+                    width: Val::Px(TAB_BAR_HEIGHT),
+                    height: Val::Px(TAB_BAR_HEIGHT),
+                    justify_content: JustifyContent::Center,
+                    align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+                    border: UiRect::all(Val::Px(GLASS_BORDER_PX)),
+                    border_radius: BorderRadius::all(Val::Px(TAB_BAR_HEIGHT / 2.0)),
+                    ..default()
+                },
+                BackgroundColor(GLASS_BTN_IDLE),
+                glass_surface(),
+            ))
+            .with_children(|circle| {
+                if let Some(icons) = icons {
+                    spawn_tab_icon(circle, icons.menu.clone(), TEXT_PRIMARY);
+                } else {
+                    // Text fallback: a menu glyph-free label keeps the
+                    // button discoverable without any texture.
+                    circle.spawn((
+                        Text::new("Menu"),
+                        TextLayout::new_with_linebreak(LineBreak::NoWrap),
+                        font.clone(),
+                        TextColor(TEXT_PRIMARY),
+                    ));
+                }
+            });
+        });
+}
+
+/// Spawns one button inside the pill: icon, then the width-animated label
+/// wrapper. `active` gives the accent-filled persistent pill (Draw);
+/// `text_fallback` pins every label open when icons are unavailable.
+#[allow(clippy::too_many_arguments)]
+fn spawn_tab_button<M: Component>(
+    pill: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands,
+    marker: M,
+    label: &str,
+    tooltip: &'static str,
+    font: &TextFont,
+    order: i32,
+    icon: Option<Handle<Image>>,
+    active: bool,
+    text_fallback: bool,
+) {
+    let (idle, hovered, pressed) = if active {
+        (ACCENT_PRIMARY, ACCENT_PRIMARY_HOVER, GLASS_ACTIVE_PRESSED)
+    } else {
+        (GLASS_BTN_IDLE, GLASS_BTN_HOVER, GLASS_BTN_PRESSED)
+    };
+    let icon_tint = if active { TEXT_PRIMARY } else { TEXT_SECONDARY };
+    let persistent = active || text_fallback;
+    let start = if persistent { 1.0 } else { 0.0 };
+    let chars = label.chars().count();
+
+    pill.spawn((
+        marker,
+        ActionButton,
+        Button,
+        GlassTabButton {
+            idle,
+            hovered,
+            pressed,
+        },
+        Tooltip::new(tooltip),
+        Focusable {
+            group: FocusGroup::Hud,
+            order,
+        },
+        Node {
+            height: Val::Px(TAB_BUTTON_SIZE),
+            min_width: Val::Px(TAB_BUTTON_SIZE),
+            flex_direction: FlexDirection::Row,
+            justify_content: JustifyContent::Center,
+            align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+            padding: UiRect::axes(Val::Px(SPACE_3), Val::Px(0.0)),
+            border_radius: BorderRadius::all(Val::Px(TAB_BUTTON_SIZE / 2.0)),
+            ..default()
+        },
+        BackgroundColor(idle),
+    ))
+    .with_children(|b| {
+        if let Some(handle) = icon {
+            spawn_tab_icon(b, handle, icon_tint);
+        }
+        // The clipping wrapper the animation drives. Label text sits
+        // left-anchored inside, so growing the width reveals it
+        // left-to-right and shrinking clips it from the right.
+        b.spawn((
+            TabLabelWrap {
+                progress: start,
+                target: start,
+                persistent,
+                label_chars: chars,
+                last_width: f32::NAN,
+            },
+            Node {
+                overflow: Overflow::clip(),
+                width: Val::Px(expansion_width(chars, font.font_size, start)),
+                height: Val::Percent(100.0),
+                align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+                justify_content: JustifyContent::FlexEnd,
+                ..default()
+            },
+        ))
+        .with_children(|wrap| {
+            let mut color = TEXT_PRIMARY;
+            color.set_alpha(start);
+            wrap.spawn((
+                TabLabel,
+                ActionButtonLabel,
+                Text::new(label),
+                TextLayout::new_with_linebreak(LineBreak::NoWrap),
+                font.clone(),
+                TextColor(color),
+            ));
+        });
+    });
+}
+
+/// One fixed-size tinted icon node.
+fn spawn_tab_icon(parent: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands, handle: Handle<Image>, tint: Color) {
+    parent.spawn((
+        ImageNode {
+            color: tint,
+            ..ImageNode::new(handle)
+        },
+        Node {
+            width: Val::Px(TAB_ICON_PX),
+            height: Val::Px(TAB_ICON_PX),
+            flex_shrink: 0.0,
+            ..default()
+        },
+    ));
+}
+
+/// Sets each label wrapper's animation target from its button's
+/// interaction state: persistent wrappers pin to 1, the rest expand while
+/// pressed or hovered and collapse on release.
+pub(super) fn drive_tab_expansion(
+    buttons: Query<(&Interaction, &Children), With<GlassTabButton>>,
+    mut wraps: Query<&mut TabLabelWrap>,
+) {
+    for (interaction, children) in &buttons {
+        for child in children.iter() {
+            let Ok(mut wrap) = wraps.get_mut(child) else {
+                continue;
+            };
+            let target = if wrap.persistent || !matches!(interaction, Interaction::None) {
+                1.0
+            } else {
+                0.0
+            };
+            // Bypass change detection on no-ops so `animate_tab_expansion`
+            // and layout stay idle while nothing moves.
+            if wrap.target != target {
+                wrap.target = target;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Advances every label reveal towards its target and writes the wrapper
+/// width + label alpha. Width is derived from the label's *live* font size,
+/// so the Fold's posture-change font rescale re-widens expanded labels
+/// automatically. Node writes are skipped when the width is unchanged to
+/// avoid dirtying UI layout every frame.
+pub(super) fn animate_tab_expansion(
+    time: Res<Time>,
+    settings: Option<Res<SettingsResource>>,
+    mut wraps: Query<(&mut TabLabelWrap, &mut Node, &Children)>,
+    mut labels: Query<(&TextFont, &mut TextColor), With<TabLabel>>,
+) {
+    let reduce_motion = settings.as_deref().is_some_and(|s| s.0.reduce_motion_mode);
+    let dt = time.delta_secs();
+    for (mut wrap, mut node, children) in &mut wraps {
+        for child in children.iter() {
+            let Ok((font, mut text_color)) = labels.get_mut(child) else {
+                continue;
+            };
+            let next = step_expansion(wrap.progress, wrap.target, dt, reduce_motion);
+            let width = expansion_width(wrap.label_chars, font.font_size, next);
+            // `!=` (not epsilon) is deliberate: last_width starts NaN so the
+            // first frame always writes, and equal floats mean a true no-op.
+            if next != wrap.progress || width != wrap.last_width {
+                wrap.progress = next;
+                wrap.last_width = width;
+                node.width = Val::Px(width);
+                text_color.0.set_alpha(next);
+            }
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+/// Idle / hover / pressed feedback for glass tab buttons — the glass
+/// counterpart of `paint_action_buttons`, using each button's own colour
+/// triple so the accent-filled active pill and the transparent icon
+/// buttons share one system.
+pub(super) fn paint_glass_tab_buttons(
+    mut buttons: Query<(&Interaction, &GlassTabButton, &mut BackgroundColor), Changed<Interaction>>,
+) {
+    for (interaction, style, mut bg) in &mut buttons {
+        bg.0 = match interaction {
+            Interaction::Pressed => style.pressed,
+            Interaction::Hovered => style.hovered,
+            Interaction::None => style.idle,
+        };
+    }
+}

solitaire_engine/src/hud_plugin/tests.rs

@@ -907,6 +907,10 @@ fn hud_focus_only_engages_when_button_hovered() {
 /// Bare app (no `HudPlugin`) so bar-content assertions count only the
 /// buttons the tested spawn function creates — `headless_app` would
 /// pre-spawn the platform-default bar and pollute the counts.
+///
+/// The touch branch spawns the glass tab bar with `icons: None`
+/// (`MinimalPlugins` has no `Assets<Image>`), which exercises the
+/// text-fallback path — same markers, labels pinned expanded.
 fn bar_only_app(touch: bool) -> App {
     let mut app = App::new();
     app.add_plugins(MinimalPlugins);
@@ -914,13 +918,13 @@ fn bar_only_app(touch: bool) -> App {
     let font = TextFont::default();
     let world = app.world_mut();
     let mut commands = world.commands();
-    commands.spawn(Node::default()).with_children(|row| {
     if touch {
-            spawn_touch_action_bar(row, &font);
+        spawn_glass_tab_bar(&mut commands, &font, None);
     } else {
+        commands.spawn(Node::default()).with_children(|row| {
             spawn_desktop_action_bar(row, &font);
-        }
         });
+    }
     app.update();
     app
 }
@@ -933,7 +937,7 @@ fn count_buttons<C: Component>(app: &mut App) -> usize {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn touch_action_bar_has_thumb_trio_plus_menu_and_pause() {
+fn touch_tab_bar_has_thumb_trio_plus_menu_and_pause() {
     let mut app = bar_only_app(true);
 
     assert_eq!(count_buttons::<UndoButton>(&mut app), 1);
@@ -949,6 +953,82 @@ fn touch_action_bar_has_thumb_trio_plus_menu_and_pause() {
     assert_eq!(count_buttons::<NewGameButton>(&mut app), 0);
 }
 
+/// The glass bar floats: its container must carry a bottom margin (not be
+/// docked at 0) both before and after safe-area insets arrive.
+#[test]
+fn glass_tab_bar_floats_above_bottom_edge() {
+    let mut app = bar_only_app(true);
+    let world = app.world_mut();
+    let mut q = world.query_filtered::<(&Node, &SafeAreaAnchoredBottom), With<HudActionBar>>();
+    let (node, anchor) = q.single(world).expect("glass bar container exists");
+    assert!(anchor.base_bottom > 0.0, "bar must float, not dock");
+    assert_eq!(node.bottom, Val::Px(anchor.base_bottom));
+}
+
+/// Draw is the persistently-expanded active pill (user decision
+/// 2026-07-15); with `icons: None` every wrapper is pinned expanded via
+/// text fallback, so instead assert on the *persistent* flag's effect:
+/// all wrappers spawn at full reveal and target full reveal.
+#[test]
+fn glass_tab_bar_text_fallback_pins_labels_expanded() {
+    let mut app = bar_only_app(true);
+    let world = app.world_mut();
+    let mut q = world.query::<&TabLabelWrap>();
+    let wraps: Vec<_> = q.iter(world).collect();
+    assert_eq!(wraps.len(), 4, "Undo/Draw/Hint/Pause each carry a wrapper");
+    for wrap in wraps {
+        assert_eq!(wrap.progress, 1.0);
+        assert_eq!(wrap.target, 1.0);
+    }
+}
+
+/// Focus order must match visual reading order: pill buttons left to
+/// right, then the detached Menu circle.
+#[test]
+fn glass_tab_bar_focus_order_reads_left_to_right() {
+    let mut app = bar_only_app(true);
+
+    for (f, expected) in [
+        (focusable_for::<UndoButton>(&mut app), 0),
+        (focusable_for::<DrawButton>(&mut app), 1),
+        (focusable_for::<HintButton>(&mut app), 2),
+        (focusable_for::<PauseButton>(&mut app), 3),
+        (focusable_for::<MenuButton>(&mut app), 4),
+    ] {
+        assert_eq!(f.group, FocusGroup::Hud);
+        assert_eq!(f.order, expected);
+    }
+}
+
+/// `expansion_width` is the single source of truth for the label reveal:
+/// zero when collapsed, lead + monospace advance when expanded, linear
+/// in between.
+#[test]
+fn expansion_width_is_linear_in_progress() {
+    assert_eq!(expansion_width(4, 16.0, 0.0), 0.0);
+    let full = expansion_width(4, 16.0, 1.0);
+    assert!(full > 4.0 * 16.0 * 0.62, "full width includes the lead gap");
+    let half = expansion_width(4, 16.0, 0.5);
+    assert!((half - full / 2.0).abs() < f32::EPSILON * 100.0);
+    // Out-of-range progress clamps rather than extrapolating.
+    assert_eq!(expansion_width(4, 16.0, 1.5), full);
+}
+
+/// The tween must move at the `MOTION_SLIDE_SECS` rate, never overshoot,
+/// and snap instantly under reduce-motion.
+#[test]
+fn step_expansion_tweens_and_respects_reduce_motion() {
+    // One 60 fps frame covers 1/(0.18*60) ≈ 9.3% of the reveal.
+    let one_frame = step_expansion(0.0, 1.0, 1.0 / 60.0, false);
+    assert!(one_frame > 0.0 && one_frame < 0.2);
+    // A huge dt clamps at the target instead of overshooting.
+    assert_eq!(step_expansion(0.0, 1.0, 10.0, false), 1.0);
+    // Collapse works symmetrically.
+    assert!(step_expansion(1.0, 0.0, 1.0 / 60.0, false) < 1.0);
+    // Reduce-motion snaps regardless of dt.
+    assert_eq!(step_expansion(0.0, 1.0, 0.0, true), 1.0);
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn desktop_action_bar_keeps_all_seven_and_no_draw() {
     let mut app = bar_only_app(false);

solitaire_engine/src/hud_plugin/updates.rs

@@ -573,20 +573,6 @@ pub(super) fn action_button_metrics() -> (UiRect, Val, Val) {
     }
 }
 
-/// Metrics for the touch bar's enlarged Undo / Draw / Hint trio (Phase F).
-/// 96×64 px targets — comfortably past the 44 px accessibility floor and
-/// big enough to hit one-handed without looking. Only the touch layout
-/// spawns primary buttons, so no desktop branch is needed; the desktop
-/// values exist purely so host-side tests can exercise the touch spawn
-/// path with sensible numbers.
-pub(super) fn primary_action_button_metrics() -> (UiRect, Val, Val) {
-    (
-        UiRect::axes(Val::Px(10.0), Val::Px(8.0)),
-        Val::Px(96.0),
-        Val::Px(64.0),
-    )
-}
-
 pub(super) fn spawn_action_button_label(
     parent: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands,
     label: &str,

solitaire_engine/src/input_plugin/mod.rs

@@ -215,6 +215,7 @@ fn handle_keyboard_core(
     keys: Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>,
     paused: Option<Res<PausedResource>>,
     progress: Option<Res<ProgressResource>>,
+    drag: Res<DragState>,
     mut ev: CoreKeyboardMessages<'_>,
     mut time_attack: Option<ResMut<TimeAttackResource>>,
     selection: Option<Res<SelectionState>>,
@@ -227,6 +228,19 @@ fn handle_keyboard_core(
         return;
     }
 
+    // Mutual exclusion with pointer drags — mirrors `handle_selection_keys`.
+    // Undo / draw / new-game during an active mouse or touch drag would fire
+    // a StateChangedEvent whose card re-sync inserts a `CardAnim` on the
+    // dragged cards, fighting `follow_drag`'s per-frame Transform writes and
+    // leaving `DragState` origin indices stale against the mutated state.
+    // The keyboard-drag sentinel may proceed: `clear_selection_on_state_change`
+    // already drops that lift cleanly when the state moves.
+    if !drag.is_idle()
+        && drag.active_touch_id != Some(crate::selection_plugin::KEYBOARD_DRAG_TOUCH_ID)
+    {
+        return;
+    }
+
     // During replay playback (Playing or Completed) all game-input shortcuts
     // are suppressed. The replay overlay owns Space (pause/resume) and the
     // arrow keys (step). Letting game input through would mutate
@@ -473,11 +487,19 @@ pub fn emit_hint_visuals(
 fn handle_keyboard_forfeit(
     keys: Res<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>,
     paused: Option<Res<PausedResource>>,
+    drag: Res<DragState>,
     mut requests: MessageWriter<ForfeitRequestEvent>,
 ) {
     if paused.is_some_and(|p| p.0) {
         return;
     }
+    // Same pointer-drag exclusion as `handle_keyboard_core` — forfeiting
+    // mid-drag would mutate the game state under the dragged cards.
+    if !drag.is_idle()
+        && drag.active_touch_id != Some(crate::selection_plugin::KEYBOARD_DRAG_TOUCH_ID)
+    {
+        return;
+    }
     if !keys.just_pressed(KeyCode::KeyG) {
         return;
     }

solitaire_engine/src/input_plugin/tests.rs

@@ -817,3 +817,123 @@ fn pressing_h_spawns_pending_hint_task() {
         "pressing H must spawn an async hint task",
     );
 }
+
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+// Pointer-drag / keyboard mutual exclusion.
+//
+// A state mutation fired while `follow_drag` is writing the dragged cards'
+// transforms every frame would make the card re-sync insert a `CardAnim`
+// on the same entities (two systems fighting over `Transform`) and leave
+// `DragState`'s origin indices stale. `handle_keyboard_core` and
+// `handle_keyboard_forfeit` therefore swallow game-mutating shortcuts
+// while a mouse or touch drag is live, mirroring `handle_selection_keys`.
+// The keyboard-lift sentinel is exempt: `clear_selection_on_state_change`
+// drops that lift cleanly when the state moves.
+// -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+fn keyboard_core_app() -> App {
+    let mut app = App::new();
+    app.add_plugins(MinimalPlugins);
+    app.add_message::<UndoRequestEvent>();
+    app.add_message::<NewGameRequestEvent>();
+    app.add_message::<InfoToastEvent>();
+    app.add_message::<DrawRequestEvent>();
+    app.add_message::<StartZenRequestEvent>();
+    app.init_resource::<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>();
+    app.init_resource::<DragState>();
+    app.add_systems(Update, handle_keyboard_core);
+    app
+}
+
+fn press_key(app: &mut App, key: KeyCode) {
+    let mut input = app.world_mut().resource_mut::<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>();
+    input.release(key);
+    input.clear();
+    input.press(key);
+}
+
+fn message_count<M: Message>(app: &App) -> usize {
+    let messages = app.world().resource::<Messages<M>>();
+    let mut cursor = messages.get_cursor();
+    cursor.read(messages).count()
+}
+
+fn set_drag(app: &mut App, active_touch_id: Option<u64>) {
+    let mut drag = app.world_mut().resource_mut::<DragState>();
+    drag.cards = vec![Card::new(Deck::Deck1, Suit::Clubs, Rank::Two)];
+    drag.committed = true;
+    drag.active_touch_id = active_touch_id;
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn u_key_fires_undo_when_no_drag_active() {
+    let mut app = keyboard_core_app();
+    press_key(&mut app, KeyCode::KeyU);
+    app.update();
+    assert_eq!(
+        message_count::<UndoRequestEvent>(&app),
+        1,
+        "U with an idle DragState must fire UndoRequestEvent",
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn u_key_ignored_during_committed_mouse_drag() {
+    let mut app = keyboard_core_app();
+    set_drag(&mut app, None); // mouse drag
+    press_key(&mut app, KeyCode::KeyU);
+    app.update();
+    assert_eq!(
+        message_count::<UndoRequestEvent>(&app),
+        0,
+        "U during a mouse drag must be swallowed",
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn draw_key_ignored_during_touch_drag() {
+    let mut app = keyboard_core_app();
+    set_drag(&mut app, Some(7)); // real touch id
+    press_key(&mut app, KeyCode::KeyD);
+    app.update();
+    assert_eq!(
+        message_count::<DrawRequestEvent>(&app),
+        0,
+        "D during a touch drag must be swallowed",
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn u_key_allowed_during_keyboard_lift() {
+    let mut app = keyboard_core_app();
+    set_drag(
+        &mut app,
+        Some(crate::selection_plugin::KEYBOARD_DRAG_TOUCH_ID),
+    );
+    press_key(&mut app, KeyCode::KeyU);
+    app.update();
+    assert_eq!(
+        message_count::<UndoRequestEvent>(&app),
+        1,
+        "the keyboard-lift sentinel must not block core shortcuts",
+    );
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn g_key_forfeit_ignored_during_mouse_drag() {
+    let mut app = App::new();
+    app.add_plugins(MinimalPlugins);
+    app.add_message::<ForfeitRequestEvent>();
+    app.init_resource::<ButtonInput<KeyCode>>();
+    app.init_resource::<DragState>();
+    app.add_systems(Update, handle_keyboard_forfeit);
+
+    set_drag(&mut app, None);
+    press_key(&mut app, KeyCode::KeyG);
+    app.update();
+    assert_eq!(
+        message_count::<ForfeitRequestEvent>(&app),
+        0,
+        "G during a mouse drag must be swallowed",
+    );
+}

solitaire_engine/src/leaderboard_plugin.rs

@@ -24,13 +24,13 @@ use crate::font_plugin::FontResource;
 use crate::settings_plugin::{SettingsResource, SettingsStoragePath};
 use crate::sync_plugin::SyncProviderResource;
 use crate::ui_modal::{
-    ButtonVariant, ModalScrim, ScrimDismissible, spawn_modal, spawn_modal_actions,
-    spawn_modal_button, spawn_modal_header,
+    ButtonVariant, ModalScrim, ScrimDismissible, spawn_empty_state, spawn_modal,
+    spawn_modal_actions, spawn_modal_button, spawn_modal_header,
 };
 use crate::ui_theme::{
-    ACCENT_PRIMARY, BG_ELEVATED, BORDER_SUBTLE, RADIUS_SM, STATE_INFO, TEXT_DISABLED, TEXT_PRIMARY,
-    TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG, TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4,
-    Z_MODAL_PANEL, Z_PAUSE_DIALOG,
+    ACCENT_PRIMARY, BG_ELEVATED, BORDER_SUBTLE, RADIUS_SM, TEXT_DISABLED, TEXT_PRIMARY,
+    TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4, Z_MODAL_PANEL,
+    Z_PAUSE_DIALOG,
 };
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -536,11 +536,6 @@ fn spawn_leaderboard_screen(
             font_size: TYPE_CAPTION,
             ..default()
         };
-        let font_status = TextFont {
-            font: font_handle.clone(),
-            font_size: TYPE_BODY_LG,
-            ..default()
-        };
         let font_row = TextFont {
             font: font_handle.clone(),
             font_size: TYPE_BODY,
@@ -647,30 +642,31 @@ fn spawn_leaderboard_screen(
         .with_children(|body| {
             match data {
                 LeaderboardResource::Idle => {
-                    body.spawn((
-                        Text::new("Fetching\u{2026}"),
-                        font_status.clone(),
-                        TextColor(STATE_INFO),
-                    ));
+                    spawn_empty_state(
+                        body,
+                        "\u{21BB}",
+                        "Fetching the leaderboard\u{2026}",
+                        None,
+                        font_res,
+                    );
                 }
                 LeaderboardResource::Error(_) => {
-                    body.spawn((
-                        Text::new("Couldn't reach the leaderboard. Try again later."),
-                        font_status.clone(),
-                        TextColor(TEXT_SECONDARY),
-                    ));
+                    spawn_empty_state(
+                        body,
+                        "!",
+                        "Couldn't reach the leaderboard.",
+                        Some("Try again later."),
+                        font_res,
+                    );
                 }
                 LeaderboardResource::Loaded(rows) if rows.is_empty() => {
-                    body.spawn((
-                        Text::new("Be the first on the leaderboard."),
-                        font_status.clone(),
-                        TextColor(TEXT_PRIMARY),
-                    ));
-                    body.spawn((
-                        Text::new("Win a game and opt in to appear here."),
-                        font_row.clone(),
-                        TextColor(TEXT_SECONDARY),
-                    ));
+                    spawn_empty_state(
+                        body,
+                        "\u{2660}",
+                        "Be the first on the leaderboard.",
+                        Some("Win a game and opt in to appear here."),
+                        font_res,
+                    );
                 }
                 LeaderboardResource::Loaded(rows) => {
                     // Column headers

solitaire_engine/src/lib.rs

@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ pub mod theme_store_plugin;
 pub mod time_attack_plugin;
 pub mod touch_selection_plugin;
 pub mod ui_focus;
+pub mod ui_glass;
 pub mod ui_modal;
 pub mod ui_theme;
 pub mod ui_tooltip;

solitaire_engine/src/stats_plugin.rs

@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ use crate::ui_modal::{ButtonVariant, ModalButton, spawn_modal_button};
 use crate::ui_theme::{
     ACCENT_PRIMARY, BG_ELEVATED_HI, 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_1, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4,
+    TYPE_HEADLINE, VAL_SPACE_1, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4,
 };
 
 /// Bevy resource wrapping the current stats.
@@ -719,25 +719,17 @@ pub(crate) fn spawn_stats_body(
             },
         ))
         .with_children(|body| {
-            // First-launch caption — sits above the grid as gentle nudge so
+            // First-launch empty state (Phase L) — sits above the grid so
             // the wall of em-dashes reads as "nothing to track yet" rather
             // than as broken state.
             if is_first_launch {
-                body.spawn((
-                    Text::new("Play a game to start tracking stats."),
-                    TextFont {
-                        font_size: TYPE_CAPTION,
-                        ..default()
-                    },
-                    TextColor(TEXT_SECONDARY),
-                    Node {
-                        margin: UiRect {
-                            bottom: VAL_SPACE_2,
-                            ..default()
-                        },
-                        ..default()
-                    },
-                ));
+                crate::ui_modal::spawn_empty_state(
+                    body,
+                    "\u{2663}",
+                    "Play a game to start tracking stats.",
+                    None,
+                    font_res,
+                );
             }
 
             // --- primary stat cells grid ---
@@ -893,6 +885,20 @@ pub(crate) fn spawn_replays_body(
     selected_index: usize,
     font_res: Option<&FontResource>,
 ) {
+    // Standard empty state (Phase L) — the selector / Watch / Copy
+    // controls only spawn when there is something to select, so their
+    // handlers all no-op via their existing empty-query paths.
+    if replays.is_empty() {
+        crate::ui_modal::spawn_empty_state(
+            card,
+            "\u{2666}",
+            "No replays yet.",
+            Some("Every win records a replay here automatically."),
+            font_res,
+        );
+        return;
+    }
+
     let font_handle = font_res.map(|f| f.0.clone()).unwrap_or_default();
     let font_row = TextFont {
         font: font_handle,

solitaire_engine/src/theme_store_plugin.rs

@@ -32,8 +32,8 @@ use crate::resources::TokioRuntimeResource;
 use crate::settings_plugin::{SettingsPanel, SettingsResource};
 use crate::theme::{ImportError, ThemeRegistry, import_theme, refresh_registry};
 use crate::ui_modal::{
-    ButtonVariant, ModalScrim, ScrimDismissible, spawn_modal, spawn_modal_actions,
-    spawn_modal_button, spawn_modal_header,
+    ButtonVariant, ModalScrim, ScrimDismissible, spawn_empty_state, spawn_modal,
+    spawn_modal_actions, spawn_modal_button, spawn_modal_header,
 };
 use crate::ui_theme::{
     BORDER_SUBTLE, TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_CAPTION, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3,
@@ -528,25 +528,31 @@ fn spawn_store_modal(
 
         match catalog_state {
             CatalogState::Idle | CatalogState::Loading => {
-                card.spawn((
-                    Text::new("Loading catalog…"),
-                    body_font.clone(),
-                    TextColor(TEXT_SECONDARY),
-                ));
+                spawn_empty_state(
+                    card,
+                    "\u{21BB}",
+                    "Loading the catalog\u{2026}",
+                    None,
+                    font_res,
+                );
             }
             CatalogState::Error(msg) => {
-                card.spawn((
-                    Text::new(format!("Could not load the catalog: {msg}")),
-                    body_font.clone(),
-                    TextColor(TEXT_SECONDARY),
-                ));
+                spawn_empty_state(
+                    card,
+                    "!",
+                    "Couldn't load the catalog.",
+                    Some(msg.as_str()),
+                    font_res,
+                );
             }
             CatalogState::Loaded(entries) if entries.is_empty() => {
-                card.spawn((
-                    Text::new("The server has no themes yet."),
-                    body_font.clone(),
-                    TextColor(TEXT_SECONDARY),
-                ));
+                spawn_empty_state(
+                    card,
+                    "#",
+                    "The server has no themes yet.",
+                    Some("Themes dropped into the server's theme_store folder appear here."),
+                    font_res,
+                );
             }
             CatalogState::Loaded(entries) => {
                 for entry in entries {

solitaire_engine/src/ui_glass.rs

@@ -0,0 +1,146 @@
+//! "Liquid glass" material for floating UI surfaces.
+//!
+//! Produces the translucent, light-catching treatment used by the floating
+//! touch tab bar (`hud_plugin::tab_bar`): a semi-transparent fill with a
+//! vertical sheen, a specular rim highlight around the border, and a soft
+//! drop shadow underneath. The table shows through the fill *sharp* — Bevy's
+//! UI pipeline has no backdrop-blur concept, so this module approximates
+//! frosted glass with layered gradients instead of sampling what's behind
+//! the node. That keeps it a plain `bevy_ui` bundle: no custom shaders, no
+//! extra render passes, and identical behaviour on desktop, Android, and
+//! WebGL2.
+//!
+//! # Swapping the treatment
+//!
+//! Layout code depends only on [`glass_surface`] and [`GLASS_BORDER_PX`].
+//! A future real-refraction material (e.g. a `UiMaterial` sampling a blurred
+//! render target) can replace this module's internals without touching any
+//! caller — that boundary is the reason this file exists separately from
+//! `hud_plugin/tab_bar.rs`.
+//!
+//! # Departure from the Terminal design system
+//!
+//! `ui_theme` documents HUD chrome as opaque "status-line" panels. The glass
+//! bar is a deliberate, user-approved exception for the floating touch tab
+//! bar only; do not reuse this material for modals or the top HUD band
+//! without a matching design decision.
+
+use bevy::prelude::*;
+use bevy::ui::{
+    BackgroundGradient, BorderGradient, BoxShadow, ColorStop, LinearGradient, ShadowStyle,
+};
+
+/// Border width every glass surface must reserve in its `Node::border` so
+/// the rim gradient has a strip to paint into.
+pub const GLASS_BORDER_PX: f32 = 1.0;
+
+/// Base fill at the *bottom* of the glass sheet — near-black at ~62%
+/// opacity so the felt and cards remain visible through the bar while
+/// keeping icon/label contrast comfortable.
+const GLASS_FILL_BOTTOM: Color = Color::srgba(0.055, 0.055, 0.063, 0.62);
+
+/// Fill at the *top* of the sheet — the same glass lifted towards white,
+/// reading as the curved surface catching overhead light.
+const GLASS_FILL_TOP: Color = Color::srgba(0.20, 0.21, 0.23, 0.66);
+
+/// Rim highlight at the top edge — the bright specular line where a real
+/// glass pill would catch the light source.
+const GLASS_RIM_TOP: Color = Color::srgba(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.38);
+
+/// Rim at the midpoint — almost gone, so the highlight reads as a glint
+/// rather than a drawn outline.
+const GLASS_RIM_MID: Color = Color::srgba(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.06);
+
+/// Rim at the bottom edge — a faint secondary catch-light, as on the
+/// underside of a curved surface above a bright table.
+const GLASS_RIM_BOTTOM: Color = Color::srgba(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 0.16);
+
+/// Drop shadow under the floating surface.
+const GLASS_SHADOW: Color = Color::srgba(0.0, 0.0, 0.0, 0.35);
+
+/// Visual components for a floating glass surface.
+///
+/// The caller owns the `Node` and must set two fields for the material to
+/// render correctly:
+/// - `border: UiRect::all(Val::Px(GLASS_BORDER_PX))` — the rim gradient
+///   paints into the border strip and is invisible without it.
+/// - `border_radius` — half the node height for a fully-round pill.
+///
+/// Everything here is fragment-shader work inside Bevy's stock UI pipeline,
+/// so it is safe on WebGL2 and adds no per-frame cost beyond ordinary nodes.
+pub fn glass_surface() -> impl Bundle {
+    (
+        // Sheen: one top-to-bottom linear gradient carries both the fill and
+        // the lighting so there is a single source of truth for the surface
+        // colour (a separate `BackgroundColor` would just be painted over).
+        BackgroundGradient(vec![
+            LinearGradient::new(
+                LinearGradient::TO_BOTTOM,
+                vec![
+                    ColorStop::new(GLASS_FILL_TOP, Val::Percent(0.0)),
+                    ColorStop::new(GLASS_FILL_BOTTOM, Val::Percent(60.0)),
+                ],
+            )
+            .into(),
+        ]),
+        // Specular rim: bright at the top edge, fading out through the
+        // sides, with a faint return at the bottom.
+        BorderGradient(vec![
+            LinearGradient::new(
+                LinearGradient::TO_BOTTOM,
+                vec![
+                    ColorStop::new(GLASS_RIM_TOP, Val::Percent(0.0)),
+                    ColorStop::new(GLASS_RIM_MID, Val::Percent(55.0)),
+                    ColorStop::new(GLASS_RIM_BOTTOM, Val::Percent(100.0)),
+                ],
+            )
+            .into(),
+        ]),
+        // Soft shadow underneath sells the "floating above the table" read.
+        BoxShadow(vec![ShadowStyle {
+            color: GLASS_SHADOW,
+            x_offset: Val::Px(0.0),
+            y_offset: Val::Px(6.0),
+            spread_radius: Val::Px(0.0),
+            blur_radius: Val::Px(16.0),
+        }]),
+    )
+}
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::*;
+
+    /// The bundle must insert all three visual components — a regression
+    /// here (e.g. a refactor dropping the rim) would silently flatten the
+    /// glass into a plain translucent box.
+    #[test]
+    fn glass_surface_inserts_sheen_rim_and_shadow() {
+        let mut world = World::new();
+        let e = world.spawn(glass_surface()).id();
+        assert!(world.get::<BackgroundGradient>(e).is_some());
+        assert!(world.get::<BorderGradient>(e).is_some());
+        assert!(world.get::<BoxShadow>(e).is_some());
+    }
+
+    /// The fill must stay translucent (that is the whole point of glass) but
+    /// opaque enough that text keeps contrast over busy card art.
+    #[test]
+    fn glass_fill_alpha_stays_in_readable_band() {
+        for fill in [GLASS_FILL_TOP, GLASS_FILL_BOTTOM] {
+            let a = fill.alpha();
+            assert!(
+                (0.4..=0.85).contains(&a),
+                "glass fill alpha {a} outside readable 0.4–0.85 band"
+            );
+        }
+    }
+
+    /// The rim gradient must actually glint: strictly brightest at the top,
+    /// dimmest in the middle.
+    #[test]
+    fn rim_highlight_peaks_at_top() {
+        assert!(GLASS_RIM_TOP.alpha() > GLASS_RIM_BOTTOM.alpha());
+        assert!(GLASS_RIM_BOTTOM.alpha() > GLASS_RIM_MID.alpha());
+    }
+}

solitaire_engine/src/ui_modal.rs

@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ use crate::settings_plugin::SettingsResource;
 use crate::ui_theme::{
     ACCENT_PRIMARY, ACCENT_PRIMARY_HOVER, ACCENT_SECONDARY, BG_BASE, BG_ELEVATED, BG_ELEVATED_HI,
     BG_ELEVATED_PRESSED, BG_ELEVATED_TOP, BORDER_STRONG, BORDER_SUBTLE, HighContrastBorder,
-    MOTION_MODAL_SECS, RADIUS_LG, RADIUS_MD, RADIUS_SM, SCRIM, STATE_SUCCESS, TEXT_PRIMARY,
-    TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY_LG, TYPE_CAPTION, TYPE_HEADLINE, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3,
-    VAL_SPACE_4, VAL_SPACE_5, scaled_duration,
+    MOTION_MODAL_SECS, RADIUS_LG, RADIUS_MD, RADIUS_SM, SCRIM, STATE_SUCCESS, TEXT_DISABLED,
+    TEXT_PRIMARY, TEXT_SECONDARY, TYPE_BODY, TYPE_BODY_LG, TYPE_CAPTION, TYPE_DISPLAY,
+    TYPE_HEADLINE, VAL_SPACE_2, VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_4, VAL_SPACE_5, scaled_duration,
 };
 
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -328,6 +328,80 @@ pub fn spawn_modal_body_text(
     parent.spawn((ModalBody, Text::new(text.into()), font, TextColor(color)));
 }
 
+/// Standard empty / loading / error surface (Phase L): a large glyph,
+/// a headline, and an optional secondary detail line, centred in the
+/// available space. Every async or possibly-empty surface (leaderboard,
+/// replays, theme store, first-launch stats) renders through this so
+/// "nothing here yet" reads identically everywhere.
+///
+/// A next-step action is composition, not configuration: spawn a
+/// [`spawn_modal_button`] (or any control) in the same parent right
+/// after this call.
+///
+/// `glyph` MUST come from FiraMono-covered ranges — card suits
+/// (U+2660–2666), Arrows (U+2190–21FF), or ASCII. The Geometric Shapes
+/// block renders as tofu on Android (§10 / §11).
+pub fn spawn_empty_state(
+    parent: &mut ChildSpawnerCommands,
+    glyph: &str,
+    headline: &str,
+    detail: Option<&str>,
+    font_res: Option<&FontResource>,
+) {
+    let font_handle = font_res.map(|f| f.0.clone()).unwrap_or_default();
+    let font_glyph = TextFont {
+        font: font_handle.clone(),
+        font_size: TYPE_DISPLAY,
+        ..default()
+    };
+    let font_headline = TextFont {
+        font: font_handle.clone(),
+        font_size: TYPE_BODY_LG,
+        ..default()
+    };
+    let font_detail = TextFont {
+        font: font_handle,
+        font_size: TYPE_BODY,
+        ..default()
+    };
+
+    parent
+        .spawn((
+            EmptyStateBlock,
+            Node {
+                flex_direction: FlexDirection::Column,
+                align_items: AlignItems::Center,
+                row_gap: VAL_SPACE_2,
+                padding: UiRect::axes(VAL_SPACE_3, VAL_SPACE_5),
+                width: Val::Percent(100.0),
+                ..default()
+            },
+        ))
+        .with_children(|block| {
+            block.spawn((
+                Text::new(glyph.to_string()),
+                font_glyph,
+                TextColor(TEXT_DISABLED),
+            ));
+            block.spawn((
+                Text::new(headline.to_string()),
+                font_headline,
+                TextColor(TEXT_PRIMARY),
+            ));
+            if let Some(detail) = detail {
+                block.spawn((
+                    Text::new(detail.to_string()),
+                    font_detail,
+                    TextColor(TEXT_SECONDARY),
+                ));
+            }
+        });
+}
+
+/// Marker on every [`spawn_empty_state`] block, mostly for tests.
+#[derive(Component, Debug)]
+pub struct EmptyStateBlock;
+
 /// Spawns the bottom actions row — flex-row with primary right-aligned.
 /// The closure populates the row's buttons via `spawn_modal_button`.
 ///
@@ -1184,4 +1258,62 @@ mod tests {
             "exactly one of the two stacked dismissible modals should remain"
         );
     }
+
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+    // Phase L: standard empty state
+    // -----------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+    /// The helper spawns glyph + headline (+ detail when given) under one
+    /// marked block, so every empty surface renders identically.
+    #[test]
+    fn empty_state_spawns_expected_structure() {
+        let mut app = App::new();
+        app.add_plugins(MinimalPlugins);
+        {
+            let world = app.world_mut();
+            let mut commands = world.commands();
+            commands.spawn(Node::default()).with_children(|parent| {
+                spawn_empty_state(
+                    parent,
+                    "\u{2660}",
+                    "Nothing here.",
+                    Some("Do the thing."),
+                    None,
+                );
+                spawn_empty_state(parent, "!", "No detail variant.", None, None);
+            });
+        }
+        app.update();
+
+        let blocks = app
+            .world_mut()
+            .query_filtered::<Entity, With<EmptyStateBlock>>()
+            .iter(app.world())
+            .count();
+        assert_eq!(blocks, 2, "each call spawns exactly one marked block");
+
+        let texts: Vec<String> = app
+            .world_mut()
+            .query::<&Text>()
+            .iter(app.world())
+            .map(|t| t.0.clone())
+            .collect();
+        for expected in [
+            "\u{2660}",
+            "Nothing here.",
+            "Do the thing.",
+            "!",
+            "No detail variant.",
+        ] {
+            assert!(
+                texts.iter().any(|t| t == expected),
+                "missing text node {expected:?}; got {texts:?}"
+            );
+        }
+        assert_eq!(
+            texts.len(),
+            5,
+            "the detail-less variant must not spawn a detail node"
+        );
+    }
 }