diff --git a/src/state/__tests__/runtime.test.ts b/src/state/__tests__/runtime.test.ts
index 7c22589..008c3cb 100644
--- a/src/state/__tests__/runtime.test.ts
+++ b/src/state/__tests__/runtime.test.ts
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@ describe('GameRuntime', () => {
     // Setup clean store
     useGameStore.setState({
       log: [],
-      storyPanelOpen: false,
       storyHasUnread: false,
       storyLog: [],
       prefs: getPrefs(),
@@ -160,7 +159,6 @@ describe('GameRuntime', () => {
 
     // Force play panel and closed/no unread story
     store.setActivePanel('play');
-    store.setStoryPanelOpen(false);
     store.setStoryHasUnread(false);
 
     runtime.continueStory();
@@ -169,7 +167,7 @@ describe('GameRuntime', () => {
     // Verifies it advances to fork_choice
     expect(updated.storyLog.some((entry) => entry.nodeId === 'fork_choice')).toBe(true);
     // Verifies it opens panel and does not set unread (since it's open)
-    expect(updated.storyPanelOpen).toBe(true);
+    expect(updated.activePanel).toBe('story');
     expect(updated.storyHasUnread).toBe(false);
   });
 
@@ -179,7 +177,6 @@ describe('GameRuntime', () => {
 
     // Force play panel and closed/no unread story
     store.setActivePanel('play');
-    store.setStoryPanelOpen(false);
     store.setStoryHasUnread(false);
 
     runtime.continueStory();
@@ -188,7 +185,7 @@ describe('GameRuntime', () => {
     // Verifies it advances to fork_choice
     expect(updated.storyLog.some((entry) => entry.nodeId === 'fork_choice')).toBe(true);
     // Verifies it does NOT open panel and sets unread flag to true
-    expect(updated.storyPanelOpen).toBe(false);
+    expect(updated.activePanel).toBe('play');
     expect(updated.storyHasUnread).toBe(true);
   });
 
@@ -249,18 +246,6 @@ describe('GameRuntime', () => {
     }
   });
 
-  it('delegates openStoryPanel and closeStoryPanel to setActivePanel', () => {
-    // Force activePanel back to play first
-    runtime.setActivePanel('play');
-    expect(useGameStore.getState().activePanel).toBe('play');
-
-    runtime.openStoryPanel();
-    expect(useGameStore.getState().activePanel).toBe('story');
-
-    runtime.closeStoryPanel();
-    expect(useGameStore.getState().activePanel).toBe('play');
-  });
-
   it('registers lifecycle listeners on boot and removes them on stop', () => {
     const addSpyDoc = vi.spyOn(document, 'addEventListener');
     const removeSpyDoc = vi.spyOn(document, 'removeEventListener');
diff --git a/src/state/runtime.ts b/src/state/runtime.ts
index aae47e6..015dcb8 100644
--- a/src/state/runtime.ts
+++ b/src/state/runtime.ts
@@ -159,7 +159,6 @@ export class GameRuntime {
         for (const entry of entries) store.appendStoryLog(entry);
         const choiceLabel = entries.at(-1)?.choiceLabel;
         if (choiceLabel) store.appendLog(`Story: ${choiceLabel}`);
-        store.setStoryPanelOpen(false);
         this.runPublishTriggers();
         this.publish();
       } catch (err) {
@@ -180,14 +179,6 @@ export class GameRuntime {
     }
   }
 
-  openStoryPanel(): void {
-    this.setActivePanel('story');
-  }
-
-  closeStoryPanel(): void {
-    this.setActivePanel('play');
-  }
-
   continueStory(): void {
     const state = this.state;
     if (!state) return;
@@ -203,16 +194,14 @@ export class GameRuntime {
       }
       const prefs = store.prefs;
       if (shouldAutoNavigateToStory(prefs, 'fork_choice', content)) {
-        store.setStoryPanelOpen(true);
-        store.setStoryHasUnread(false);
+        this.setActivePanel('story');
       } else {
         store.setStoryHasUnread(true);
-        store.setStoryPanelOpen(false);
       }
       this.publish();
       return;
     }
-    this.closeStoryPanel();
+    this.setActivePanel('play');
     this.publish();
   }
 
@@ -229,7 +218,6 @@ export class GameRuntime {
       } else {
         store.setStoryHasUnread(true);
       }
-      store.setStoryPanelOpen(true);
     } else if (effect.enteredNodeIds.length > 0) {
       store.setStoryHasUnread(true);
     }
diff --git a/src/state/store.ts b/src/state/store.ts
index 297d2c0..850ad63 100644
--- a/src/state/store.ts
+++ b/src/state/store.ts
@@ -20,20 +20,16 @@ export type ActivePanel = 'play' | 'story' | 'settings' | 'about';
 
 export interface GameStoreState extends GameView {
   log: string[];
-  storyPanelOpen: boolean;
   storyHasUnread: boolean;
   storyLog: StoryLogEntry[];
   prefs: GamePrefs;
-  settingsOpen: boolean;
   activePanel: ActivePanel;
   selectedStoryNodeId: string | null;
   setView: (view: GameView) => void;
   appendLog: (line: string) => void;
   appendStoryLog: (entry: StoryLogEntry) => void;
-  setStoryPanelOpen: (open: boolean) => void;
   setStoryHasUnread: (unread: boolean) => void;
   setPrefs: (partial: Partial<GamePrefs>) => void;
-  setSettingsOpen: (open: boolean) => void;
   setActivePanel: (panel: ActivePanel) => void;
   setSelectedStoryNodeId: (id: string | null) => void;
   toggleActionGroupCollapsed: (groupKey: string) => void;
@@ -50,23 +46,19 @@ export const useGameStore = create<GameStoreState>((set, get) => ({
   story: { currentProse: null, choices: [], tree: [] },
   actionColumns: [],
   log: [],
-  storyPanelOpen: false,
   storyHasUnread: false,
   storyLog: [],
   prefs: getPrefs(),
-  settingsOpen: false,
   activePanel: 'play',
   selectedStoryNodeId: null,
   setView: (view) => set((state) => ({ ...state, ...view })),
   appendLog: (line) => set((state) => ({ log: [...state.log, line].slice(-MAX_LOG_LINES) })),
   appendStoryLog: (entry) => set((state) => ({ storyLog: [...state.storyLog, entry] })),
-  setStoryPanelOpen: (open) => set({ storyPanelOpen: open }),
   setStoryHasUnread: (unread) => set({ storyHasUnread: unread }),
   setPrefs: (partial) => {
     const prefs = persistPrefs(partial);
     set({ prefs });
   },
-  setSettingsOpen: (open) => set({ settingsOpen: open }),
   setActivePanel: (panel) => set({ activePanel: panel }),
   setSelectedStoryNodeId: (id) => set({ selectedStoryNodeId: id }),
   toggleActionGroupCollapsed: (groupKey) => {