diff --git a/src/engine/__tests__/automation.test.ts b/src/engine/__tests__/automation.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fbbfa8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/__tests__/automation.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from 'vitest';
+import { buildContent } from '../../content/schema';
+import {
+  addToAutomationQueue,
+  clearAutomationQueue,
+  isAutomationUnlocked,
+  removeFromAutomationQueue,
+} from '../automation';
+import { createGameState } from '../game';
+
+const DEFAULT_GROUP = { id: 'automation', label: 'Automation' };
+
+function automationContent() {
+  return buildContent({
+    resources: [
+      { id: 'supplies', name: 'Supplies', startAmount: 0 },
+      { id: 'renown', name: 'Renown', startAmount: 0 },
+    ],
+    actions: [
+      {
+        id: 'forage',
+        name: 'Forage',
+        group: DEFAULT_GROUP,
+        durationMs: 100,
+        yields: [{ resourceId: 'supplies', amount: 1 }],
+        automation: { unlockAfterManualCompletions: 1 },
+      },
+      {
+        id: 'survey',
+        name: 'Survey',
+        group: DEFAULT_GROUP,
+        durationMs: 100,
+        yields: [{ resourceId: 'renown', amount: 1 }],
+      },
+    ],
+  });
+}
+
+describe('isAutomationUnlocked()', () => {
+  it('returns false before the first manual completion when an action unlocks after one', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+
+    expect(isAutomationUnlocked(state, content, 'forage')).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('returns true once the manual completion threshold is met', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+    state.manualCompletionCounts.forage = 1;
+
+    expect(isAutomationUnlocked(state, content, 'forage')).toBe(true);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('automation queue CRUD', () => {
+  it('throws for unknown action ids', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+
+    expect(() => addToAutomationQueue(state, content, 'missing')).toThrow(
+      'Unknown action "missing"',
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('throws for locked action ids', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+
+    expect(() => addToAutomationQueue(state, content, 'forage')).toThrow(/automation.*locked/i);
+  });
+
+  it('appends an unlocked action id', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+    state.manualCompletionCounts.forage = 1;
+
+    addToAutomationQueue(state, content, 'forage');
+
+    expect(state.automationQueue).toEqual(['forage']);
+  });
+
+  it('does not duplicate an action already in the queue', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+    state.manualCompletionCounts.forage = 1;
+
+    addToAutomationQueue(state, content, 'forage');
+    addToAutomationQueue(state, content, 'forage');
+
+    expect(state.automationQueue).toEqual(['forage']);
+  });
+
+  it('removes by index', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+    state.automationQueue = ['forage', 'survey'];
+
+    removeFromAutomationQueue(state, 0);
+
+    expect(state.automationQueue).toEqual(['survey']);
+  });
+
+  it('throws RangeError when removing an out-of-range index', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+    state.automationQueue = ['forage'];
+
+    expect(() => removeFromAutomationQueue(state, 1)).toThrow(RangeError);
+  });
+
+  it('empties the queue', () => {
+    const content = automationContent();
+    const state = createGameState(content);
+    state.automationQueue = ['forage', 'survey'];
+
+    clearAutomationQueue(state);
+
+    expect(state.automationQueue).toEqual([]);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/engine/automation.ts b/src/engine/automation.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..08c6969
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/automation.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,48 @@
+import type { Content } from '../content/schema';
+import type { GameState } from './game';
+
+function assertKnownAction(content: Content, actionId: string): void {
+  if (!content.actionsById[actionId]) {
+    throw new Error(`Unknown action "${actionId}"`);
+  }
+}
+
+export function automationUnlockThreshold(content: Content, actionId: string): number {
+  const action = content.actionsById[actionId];
+  if (!action) {
+    throw new Error(`Unknown action "${actionId}"`);
+  }
+  return action.automation?.unlockAfterManualCompletions ?? 1;
+}
+
+export function isAutomationUnlocked(
+  state: GameState,
+  content: Content,
+  actionId: string,
+): boolean {
+  assertKnownAction(content, actionId);
+  return (
+    (state.manualCompletionCounts[actionId] ?? 0) >= automationUnlockThreshold(content, actionId)
+  );
+}
+
+export function addToAutomationQueue(state: GameState, content: Content, actionId: string): void {
+  assertKnownAction(content, actionId);
+  if (!isAutomationUnlocked(state, content, actionId)) {
+    throw new Error(`Automation for action "${actionId}" is locked`);
+  }
+  if (!state.automationQueue.includes(actionId)) {
+    state.automationQueue.push(actionId);
+  }
+}
+
+export function removeFromAutomationQueue(state: GameState, index: number): void {
+  if (index < 0 || index >= state.automationQueue.length) {
+    throw new RangeError(`Automation queue index ${index} is out of range`);
+  }
+  state.automationQueue.splice(index, 1);
+}
+
+export function clearAutomationQueue(state: GameState): void {
+  state.automationQueue.length = 0;
+}