diff --git a/src/content/__tests__/schema.test.ts b/src/content/__tests__/schema.test.ts
index 960a724..fe5b756 100644
--- a/src/content/__tests__/schema.test.ts
+++ b/src/content/__tests__/schema.test.ts
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const validActions = [
   {
     id: 'forage',
     name: 'Forage',
+    group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
     durationMs: 3000,
     yields: [{ resourceId: 'gold', amount: 1 }],
   },
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ describe('buildContent()', () => {
       {
         id: 'forage',
         name: 'Forage',
+        group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
         durationMs: 3000,
         yields: [{ resourceId: 'ghost', amount: 1 }],
       },
@@ -48,6 +50,7 @@ describe('buildContent()', () => {
       {
         id: 'forage',
         name: 'Forage',
+        group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
         durationMs: -1,
         yields: [{ resourceId: 'gold', amount: 1 }],
       },
@@ -66,6 +69,7 @@ describe('costs and multi-yield', () => {
       {
         id: 'craft',
         name: 'Craft',
+        group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
         durationMs: 1000,
         costs: [{ resourceId: 'wood', amount: 2 }],
         yields: [
@@ -84,6 +88,7 @@ describe('costs and multi-yield', () => {
       {
         id: 'craft',
         name: 'Craft',
+        group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
         durationMs: 1000,
         costs: [{ resourceId: 'ghost', amount: 1 }],
         yields: [{ resourceId: 'gold', amount: 1 }],
@@ -104,6 +109,7 @@ describe('unlock conditions', () => {
       {
         id: 'forage',
         name: 'Forage',
+        group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
         durationMs: 3000,
         yields: [{ resourceId: 'gold', amount: 1 }],
         unlock: {
@@ -131,6 +137,7 @@ describe('action narrative fields', () => {
       {
         id: 'forage',
         name: 'Forage',
+        group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
         durationMs: 3000,
         yields: [{ resourceId: 'gold', amount: 1 }],
         storyHint: 'Gather what the forest offers.',
@@ -148,3 +155,57 @@ describe('action narrative fields', () => {
     expect(content.actionsById.forage.storyTooltip).toBeUndefined();
   });
 });
+
+describe('action kind schema', () => {
+  it('accepts kind, group, and storyChoiceId', () => {
+    const content = buildContent({
+      resources: [{ id: 'supplies', name: 'Supplies' }],
+      actions: [
+        {
+          id: 'pick_high_road',
+          name: 'Take the high road',
+          kind: 'story',
+          group: { id: 'fork', label: 'Crossroads' },
+          storyChoiceId: 'pick_a',
+          yields: [],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    expect(content.actionsById.pick_high_road.kind).toBe('story');
+    expect(content.actionsById.pick_high_road.group.label).toBe('Crossroads');
+  });
+
+  it('defaults kind to timed and requires durationMs for timed actions', () => {
+    expect(() =>
+      buildContent({
+        resources: [{ id: 'supplies', name: 'Supplies' }],
+        actions: [
+          {
+            id: 'broken',
+            name: 'Broken',
+            kind: 'timed',
+            group: { id: 'camp', label: 'Camp' },
+            yields: [{ resourceId: 'supplies', amount: 1 }],
+          },
+        ],
+      }),
+    ).toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it('requires durationMs for loop actions', () => {
+    const content = buildContent({
+      resources: [{ id: 'supplies', name: 'Supplies' }],
+      actions: [
+        {
+          id: 'rest',
+          name: 'Rest',
+          kind: 'loop',
+          group: { id: 'camp_loop', label: 'Camp activities' },
+          durationMs: 2000,
+          yields: [{ resourceId: 'supplies', amount: 1 }],
+        },
+      ],
+    });
+    expect(content.actionsById.rest.kind).toBe('loop');
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/content/index.ts b/src/content/index.ts
index 59ad305..1222a88 100644
--- a/src/content/index.ts
+++ b/src/content/index.ts
@@ -9,4 +9,4 @@ const story = buildStoryContent(storyNodeDefs, base.actionsById, base.resourcesB
 export type GameContent = Content & StoryContent;
 export const content: GameContent = { ...base, ...story };
 
-export type { ActionDef, Content, ResourceDef } from './schema';
+export type { ActionDef, ActionGroup, ActionKind, Content, ResourceDef } from './schema';
diff --git a/src/content/schema.ts b/src/content/schema.ts
index 41771a4..d42ad9d 100644
--- a/src/content/schema.ts
+++ b/src/content/schema.ts
@@ -25,20 +25,63 @@ export const unlockDefSchema = z.object({
   requireStoryFlags: z.array(z.string().min(1)).optional(),
 });
 
-export const actionDefSchema = z.object({
+export const actionKindSchema = z.enum(['instant', 'loop', 'timed', 'story', 'context']);
+
+export const actionGroupSchema = z.object({
   id: z.string().min(1),
-  name: z.string().min(1),
-  durationMs: z.number().positive(),
-  costs: z.array(resourceAmountSchema).default([]),
-  yields: z.array(resourceAmountSchema).min(1),
-  unlock: unlockDefSchema.optional(),
-  storyHint: z.string().min(1).optional(),
-  storyTooltip: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+  label: z.string().min(1),
 });
 
+export const actionDefSchema = z
+  .object({
+    id: z.string().min(1),
+    name: z.string().min(1),
+    kind: actionKindSchema.default('timed'),
+    group: actionGroupSchema,
+    durationMs: z.number().positive().optional(),
+    loopPriority: z.number().int().nonnegative().optional(),
+    costs: z.array(resourceAmountSchema).default([]),
+    yields: z.array(resourceAmountSchema).default([]),
+    unlock: unlockDefSchema.optional(),
+    storyHint: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+    storyTooltip: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+    storyChoiceId: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+    contextId: z.string().min(1).optional(),
+    automation: z
+      .object({
+        unlockAfterManualCompletions: z.number().int().positive().default(1),
+      })
+      .optional(),
+  })
+  .superRefine((action, ctx) => {
+    if ((action.kind === 'timed' || action.kind === 'loop') && action.durationMs === undefined) {
+      ctx.addIssue({
+        code: 'custom',
+        message: `${action.kind} actions require durationMs`,
+        path: ['durationMs'],
+      });
+    }
+    if (action.kind === 'story' && !action.storyChoiceId) {
+      ctx.addIssue({
+        code: 'custom',
+        message: 'story actions require storyChoiceId',
+        path: ['storyChoiceId'],
+      });
+    }
+    if (action.kind === 'timed' && action.yields.length === 0) {
+      ctx.addIssue({
+        code: 'custom',
+        message: 'timed actions require at least one yield',
+        path: ['yields'],
+      });
+    }
+  });
+
 export type ResourceDef = z.infer<typeof resourceDefSchema>;
 export type ResourceAmount = z.infer<typeof resourceAmountSchema>;
 export type UnlockDef = z.infer<typeof unlockDefSchema>;
+export type ActionKind = z.infer<typeof actionKindSchema>;
+export type ActionGroup = z.infer<typeof actionGroupSchema>;
 export type ActionDef = z.infer<typeof actionDefSchema>;
 
 export interface Content {