diff --git a/server/index.ts b/server/index.ts
index 8b82ad5..e7d0814 100644
--- a/server/index.ts
+++ b/server/index.ts
@@ -373,6 +373,12 @@ app.delete('/api/admin/utterances/:id', requireAdmin, async (req, res, next) =>
   } catch (error) { next(error) }
 })
 
+// Play mode: the launchable case list for the splash picker (entrypoint required).
+app.get('/api/mysteries', async (_req, res, next) => {
+  try { res.json(await narrative.listPlayableMysteries()) }
+  catch (error) { next(error) }
+})
+
 // Narrative authoring: create a mystery and its NPC cast. The flow (cutscenes,
 // dialogue, levels) lives in the story graph, seeded separately.
 app.post('/api/mysteries', requireAdmin, async (req, res, next) => {
diff --git a/server/narrativeRepository.ts b/server/narrativeRepository.ts
index 6d278cb..16c13e6 100644
--- a/server/narrativeRepository.ts
+++ b/server/narrativeRepository.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ export interface NarrativeRepository {
   awardAchievement(playthroughId: string, flagKey: string, nodeId?: string | null): Promise<{ ok: boolean; earned: boolean; error?: string }>
   gotoNode(userId: string, playthroughId: string, nodeId: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean; state?: PlaythroughState; error?: string }>
   listMysteries(): Promise<MysterySummary[]>
+  listPlayableMysteries(): Promise<{ slug: string; title: string }[]>
   deleteMystery(id: string): Promise<boolean>
   uploadAsset(file: UploadedFile): Promise<AssetDto>
   listAssets(): Promise<AssetDto[]>
@@ -304,6 +305,14 @@ export function createNarrativeRepository(pool: Pool, objectStorage: ObjectStora
       return { ok: true, state: state ?? undefined }
     },
 
+    // Play mode: only mysteries with an entrypoint are launchable (this filters out
+    // half-authored, empty ones). Returns the minimum the case picker needs.
+    async listPlayableMysteries() {
+      const result = await pool.query<{ slug: string; title: string }>(
+        'SELECT slug,title FROM osint.mysteries WHERE entry_node_id IS NOT NULL ORDER BY title')
+      return result.rows.map(row => ({ slug: row.slug, title: row.title }))
+    },
+
     async listMysteries() {
       const result = await pool.query<{ id: string; slug: string; title: string; nodes: string }>(
         `SELECT m.id,m.slug,m.title,COUNT(n.id)::text AS nodes
diff --git a/src/play.tsx b/src/play.tsx
index ac628a5..bbede76 100644
--- a/src/play.tsx
+++ b/src/play.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
-import { CutsceneHost, DialoguePlayer, SplashScreen, type PlaythroughState } from './narrative'
+import { CutsceneHost, DialoguePlayer, type PlaythroughState } from './narrative'
+
+type MysterySummary = { slug: string; title: string }
 
 // The game's front door and campaign runtime. Shows the splash when there's no
 // active playthrough; otherwise walks the story graph — cutscene and dialogue
@@ -8,6 +10,7 @@ import { CutsceneHost, DialoguePlayer, SplashScreen, type PlaythroughState } fro
 export function Play() {
   const [state, setState] = useState<PlaythroughState | null>(null)
   const [resumable, setResumable] = useState<PlaythroughState | null>(null)
+  const [mysteries, setMysteries] = useState<MysterySummary[]>([])
   const [splash, setSplash] = useState(false)
   const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false)
   const [status, setStatus] = useState('')
@@ -38,23 +41,24 @@ export function Play() {
         if (!cancelled) res.ok ? apply(await res.json()) : setStatus('NODE NOT FOUND')
         return
       }
-      // The bare root is always the front door: show the splash, and offer Resume
-      // when a playthrough is already in progress rather than auto-resuming into it.
-      const res = await fetch('/api/playthroughs/current')
+      // The bare root is always the front door: list the playable cases, and offer
+      // Resume on the one already in progress rather than auto-resuming into it.
+      const [cases, current] = await Promise.all([fetch('/api/mysteries'), fetch('/api/playthroughs/current')])
       if (cancelled) return
-      if (res.ok && res.status !== 204) setResumable(await res.json())
+      if (cases.ok) setMysteries(await cases.json())
+      if (current.ok && current.status !== 204) setResumable(await current.json())
       setSplash(true)
-      setStatus('AWAITING PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR')
+      setStatus('SELECT A CASE FILE')
     })()
     return () => { cancelled = true }
   }, [apply])
 
-  const newGame = async () => {
+  const newGame = async (slug: string) => {
     setBusy(true)
     try {
-      const res = await fetch('/api/playthroughs', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ mystery: 'glass-harbor' }) })
+      const res = await fetch('/api/playthroughs', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ mystery: slug }) })
       if (res.ok) apply(await res.json())
-      else setStatus('NO MYSTERY AVAILABLE')
+      else setStatus('COULD NOT OPEN CASE')
     } finally { setBusy(false) }
   }
 
@@ -66,7 +70,25 @@ export function Play() {
     if (res.ok) apply(await res.json())
   }
 
-  if (splash) return <SplashScreen hasResume={!!resumable} busy={busy} status={status} onNewGame={newGame} onResume={() => { if (resumable) apply(resumable) }} />
+  if (splash) return <div className="splash">
+    <div className="splash-plate">
+      <div className="seal">GU</div>
+      <h1 className="splash-title">PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR</h1>
+      <p className="splash-sub">Glitch University · Case Files</p>
+      <div className="splash-cases">
+        {mysteries.map(mystery => {
+          const canResume = resumable?.playthrough.mysterySlug === mystery.slug
+          return <button key={mystery.slug} className="splash-case" disabled={busy}
+            onClick={() => (canResume && resumable) ? apply(resumable) : newGame(mystery.slug)}>
+            <span className="splash-case-title">{mystery.title}</span>
+            <span className="splash-case-action">{canResume ? 'RESUME ▸' : 'BEGIN ▸'}</span>
+          </button>
+        })}
+        {!mysteries.length && <p className="splash-status">NO CASE FILES AVAILABLE</p>}
+      </div>
+      <small className="splash-status">{busy ? 'OPENING CASE FILE…' : status}</small>
+    </div>
+  </div>
 
   const node = state?.node
   if (!node) return <div className="boot"><div className="seal">GU</div><p>GLITCH UNIVERSITY NETWORK TERMINAL</p><small>{status || 'OPENING CASE FILE…'}</small></div>
diff --git a/src/styles.css b/src/styles.css
index bdc46d1..d5e8fb9 100644
--- a/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/styles.css
@@ -648,3 +648,12 @@ button:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #e99a44; outline-offset: 2px; }
 .phone-dev-btn { border: 1px dashed #6f8f85; background: #0a1a16cc; color: #9fd020; font-family: ui-monospace, monospace; font-size: 11px; letter-spacing: 1px; padding: 5px 12px; cursor: pointer; }
 .phone-dev-btn:disabled { color: #5f7b73; border-style: solid; cursor: default; }
 .phone-dev-btn:not(:disabled):hover { border-color: #cdea6a; color: #cdea6a; }
+
+/* Splash case picker */
+.splash-cases { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 10px; width: 100%; margin: 20px 0 8px; }
+.splash-case { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; gap: 14px; width: 100%; padding: 12px 16px;
+  border: 1px solid #3c5a52; background: #0a211d; color: #cfe8df; cursor: pointer; text-align: left; font: inherit; }
+.splash-case:hover:not(:disabled) { border-color: #6f8f85; background: #0d2a24; }
+.splash-case:disabled { opacity: .5; cursor: default; }
+.splash-case-title { font-weight: 600; letter-spacing: .5px; }
+.splash-case-action { color: #d58a46; font-size: 12px; letter-spacing: 1px; white-space: nowrap; }