diff --git a/server/index.ts b/server/index.ts
index b326d4d..8b82ad5 100644
--- a/server/index.ts
+++ b/server/index.ts
@@ -423,6 +423,15 @@ app.post('/api/playthroughs/:id/achievements', async (req, res, next) => {
     result.ok ? res.json({ earned: result.earned }) : res.status(result.error === 'Playthrough not found' ? 404 : 400).json({ error: result.error })
   } catch (error) { next(error) }
 })
+// Dev teleport: jump the playthrough to an explicit story node. Powers /node/:id.
+app.post('/api/playthroughs/:id/goto', async (req, res, next) => {
+  try {
+    if (process.env.NODE_ENV === 'production') return res.status(403).json({ error: 'Node teleport is disabled' })
+    if (!req.body?.nodeId) return res.status(400).json({ error: 'A nodeId is required' })
+    const result = await narrative.gotoNode(resolveUserId(req), String(req.params.id), String(req.body.nodeId))
+    result.ok ? res.json(result.state ?? null) : res.status(result.error === 'Playthrough not found' || result.error === 'Node not found' ? 404 : 400).json({ error: result.error })
+  } catch (error) { next(error) }
+})
 
 app.use((error: unknown, _req: express.Request, res: express.Response, _next: express.NextFunction) => {
   if (error instanceof multer.MulterError) {
diff --git a/server/narrativeRepository.ts b/server/narrativeRepository.ts
index b8d8bdc..6d278cb 100644
--- a/server/narrativeRepository.ts
+++ b/server/narrativeRepository.ts
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ export interface NarrativeRepository {
   advancePlaythrough(userId: string, playthroughId: string, terminalKey?: string): Promise<{ ok: boolean; state?: PlaythroughState; error?: string }>
   listAchievements(playthroughId: string): Promise<string[] | null>
   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[]>
   deleteMystery(id: string): Promise<boolean>
   uploadAsset(file: UploadedFile): Promise<AssetDto>
@@ -251,6 +252,28 @@ export function createNarrativeRepository(pool: Pool, objectStorage: ObjectStora
       return { ok: true, earned: (result.rowCount || 0) > 0 }
     },
 
+    // Dev teleport: jump the playthrough straight to an explicit node (no gate
+    // resolution). Instantiates a fresh level clone for level nodes. Powers /node/:id.
+    async gotoNode(userId, playthroughId, nodeId) {
+      const client = await pool.connect()
+      try {
+        await client.query('BEGIN')
+        const playthrough = (await client.query<{ mystery_id: string; mystery_slug: string }>(
+          `SELECT p.mystery_id, m.slug AS mystery_slug FROM osint.playthroughs p JOIN osint.mysteries m ON m.id=p.mystery_id
+           WHERE p.id=$1 AND p.user_id=$2 FOR UPDATE OF p`, [playthroughId, userId])).rows[0]
+        if (!playthrough) { await client.query('ROLLBACK'); return { ok: false, error: 'Playthrough not found' } }
+        const node = (await client.query<{ id: string; node_type: string; level_template_version_id: string | null }>(
+          'SELECT id,node_type,level_template_version_id FROM osint.story_nodes WHERE id=$1 AND mystery_id=$2', [nodeId, playthrough.mystery_id])).rows[0]
+        if (!node) { await client.query('ROLLBACK'); return { ok: false, error: 'Node not found' } }
+        const levelId = node.node_type === 'level' && node.level_template_version_id
+          ? await instantiateLevel(client, node.level_template_version_id, playthrough.mystery_slug) : null
+        await client.query(`UPDATE osint.playthroughs SET status='active',current_node_id=$2,current_level_id=$3,updated_at=NOW() WHERE id=$1`, [playthroughId, node.id, levelId])
+        await client.query('COMMIT')
+      } catch (error) { await client.query('ROLLBACK'); throw error } finally { client.release() }
+      const state = await stateForPlaythrough(playthroughId)
+      return { ok: true, state: state ?? undefined }
+    },
+
     async advancePlaythrough(userId, playthroughId, terminalKey) {
       const client = await pool.connect()
       try {
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index eb3f1bb..84e65ca 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -96,7 +96,8 @@ export function App() {
     const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search)
     fetch('/api/session').then(response => response.ok ? response.json() : null).then(session => setIsAdmin(Boolean(session?.isAdmin))).catch(() => setIsAdmin(false))
 
-    const deepLinkLevel = params.get('level')
+    const pathLevel = window.location.pathname.match(/^\/level\/(.+)$/)
+    const deepLinkLevel = params.get('level') || (pathLevel ? decodeURIComponent(pathLevel[1]) : null)
     const editQuery = params.get('edit') === '1' ? '?edit=1' : ''
     const openLevel = async (slug: string) => {
       const data = await loadLevelBySlug(slug, editQuery)
diff --git a/src/main.tsx b/src/main.tsx
index c37ecec..6644b9d 100644
--- a/src/main.tsx
+++ b/src/main.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,18 @@
 import { StrictMode, Suspense, lazy } from 'react'
 import { createRoot } from 'react-dom/client'
 import { App } from './App'
+import { Play } from './play'
 import './styles.css'
 
 // three.js is lazy-loaded so the board never pays for it up front.
 const PhonePreview = lazy(() => import('./phone').then(m => ({ default: m.PhonePreview })))
 
-// Visual spike: /?phone=1 renders the handset standalone, isolated from the board.
-const root = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search).has('phone')
+// Routing: the bare root is the game's front door (splash + campaign); /level/:id,
+// /admin, and the legacy ?level= deep link open the board; ?phone=1 is the spike.
+const path = window.location.pathname
+const search = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search)
+const isBoard = path.startsWith('/level/') || path === '/admin' || search.has('level')
+const root = search.has('phone')
   ? <Suspense fallback={null}><PhonePreview /></Suspense>
-  : <App />
+  : isBoard ? <App /> : <Play />
 createRoot(document.getElementById('root')!).render(<StrictMode>{root}</StrictMode>)
diff --git a/src/play.tsx b/src/play.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f824354
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/play.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+import { useCallback, useEffect, useState } from 'react'
+import { CutsceneHost, DialoguePlayer, SplashScreen, type PlaythroughState } from './narrative'
+
+// 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
+// nodes render here, and when the graph reaches a LEVEL node it hands off to the
+// board route (/level/<clone id>), which App renders.
+export function Play() {
+  const [state, setState] = useState<PlaythroughState | null>(null)
+  const [splash, setSplash] = useState(false)
+  const [busy, setBusy] = useState(false)
+  const [status, setStatus] = useState('')
+
+  const apply = useCallback((next: PlaythroughState | null) => {
+    if (!next) { setSplash(true); return }
+    if (next.node?.kind === 'level' && next.node.levelSlug) { window.location.assign(`/level/${encodeURIComponent(next.node.levelSlug)}`); return }
+    if (!next.node) { setState(null); setSplash(true); setStatus('CASE CLOSED — begin another'); return }
+    setState(next); setSplash(false)
+  }, [])
+
+  const ensurePlaythroughId = async (): Promise<string | null> => {
+    const cur = await fetch('/api/playthroughs/current')
+    if (cur.ok && cur.status !== 204) return (await cur.json())?.playthrough?.id ?? null
+    const made = await fetch('/api/playthroughs', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ mystery: 'glass-harbor' }) })
+    return made.ok ? (await made.json())?.playthrough?.id ?? null : null
+  }
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    let cancelled = false
+    ;(async () => {
+      // /node/:id — dev teleport to a specific story node (level nodes -> the board).
+      const nodeMatch = window.location.pathname.match(/^\/node\/(.+)$/)
+      if (nodeMatch) {
+        const id = await ensurePlaythroughId()
+        if (cancelled || !id) { if (!cancelled) setStatus('NO PLAYTHROUGH'); return }
+        const res = await fetch(`/api/playthroughs/${id}/goto`, { method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ nodeId: decodeURIComponent(nodeMatch[1]) }) })
+        if (!cancelled) res.ok ? apply(await res.json()) : setStatus('NODE NOT FOUND')
+        return
+      }
+      const res = await fetch('/api/playthroughs/current')
+      if (cancelled) return
+      if (res.status === 204) { setSplash(true); setStatus('AWAITING PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR'); return }
+      res.ok ? apply(await res.json()) : setSplash(true)
+    })()
+    return () => { cancelled = true }
+  }, [apply])
+
+  const newGame = async () => {
+    setBusy(true)
+    try {
+      const res = await fetch('/api/playthroughs', { method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ mystery: 'glass-harbor' }) })
+      if (res.ok) apply(await res.json())
+      else setStatus('NO MYSTERY AVAILABLE')
+    } finally { setBusy(false) }
+  }
+
+  const advance = async (terminalKey?: string) => {
+    if (!state) return
+    const res = await fetch(`/api/playthroughs/${state.playthrough.id}/advance`, {
+      method: 'POST', headers: { 'content-type': 'application/json' }, body: JSON.stringify({ terminalKey }),
+    })
+    if (res.ok) apply(await res.json())
+  }
+
+  if (splash) return <SplashScreen hasResume={false} busy={busy} status={status} onNewGame={newGame} onResume={() => {}} />
+
+  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>
+  if (node.kind === 'cutscene') return <CutsceneHost componentKey={node.componentKey} label={node.label} onComplete={() => { void advance() }} />
+  if (node.kind === 'dialogue' && node.utterances) return <DialoguePlayer node={{ utterances: node.utterances, rootId: node.rootId ?? null }} onExit={terminalKey => { void advance(terminalKey) }} />
+  return <div className="boot"><div className="seal">GU</div><small>{node.label}</small></div>
+}