diff --git a/src/ui/App.tsx b/src/ui/App.tsx
index 3d42523..81d3f3f 100644
--- a/src/ui/App.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/App.tsx
@@ -1,27 +1,64 @@
 import { useEffect } from 'react';
 import { gameRuntime } from '../state/runtime';
+import { useGameStore } from '../state/store';
 import { ActionPanel } from './ActionPanel';
 import { EventLog } from './EventLog';
 import { ResourceBar } from './ResourceBar';
+import { SettingsDrawer } from './SettingsDrawer';
+import { StoryPanel } from './StoryPanel';
 
 /**
- * Walking-skeleton view shell. Boots the runtime once on mount; everything else
- * renders from the Zustand store the runtime feeds. M1 turns this into a game.
+ * M1 playable-loop shell. Boots the runtime once on mount; everything else
+ * renders from the Zustand store the runtime feeds.
  */
 export function App() {
+  const storyHasUnread = useGameStore((s) => s.storyHasUnread);
+  const settingsOpen = useGameStore((s) => s.settingsOpen);
+  const setSettingsOpen = useGameStore((s) => s.setSettingsOpen);
+
   useEffect(() => {
     void gameRuntime.boot();
   }, []);
 
   return (
-    <main className="mx-auto flex min-h-dvh max-w-2xl flex-col gap-5 px-4 py-8 text-slate-100">
-      <header>
-        <h1 className="font-bold text-2xl tracking-tight">Idlegame</h1>
-        <p className="text-slate-500 text-sm">Walking skeleton — M0 scaffold.</p>
-      </header>
-      <ResourceBar />
-      <ActionPanel />
-      <EventLog />
-    </main>
+    <>
+      <StoryPanel />
+      <main className="mx-auto flex min-h-dvh max-w-2xl flex-col gap-5 px-4 py-8 text-slate-100">
+        <header className="flex flex-col gap-2">
+          <div className="flex items-center justify-between gap-4">
+            <h1 className="font-bold text-2xl tracking-tight">Idlegame</h1>
+            <div className="flex items-center gap-2">
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                onClick={() => gameRuntime.openStoryPanel()}
+                className="relative rounded-lg border border-slate-700 bg-slate-800/70 px-3 py-1.5 text-sm transition-colors hover:border-amber-500/60"
+              >
+                Story
+                {storyHasUnread ? (
+                  <span
+                    className="absolute -top-1 -right-1 h-2 w-2 rounded-full bg-amber-500"
+                    aria-label="Unread story"
+                  />
+                ) : null}
+              </button>
+              <button
+                type="button"
+                aria-label="Settings"
+                aria-expanded={settingsOpen}
+                onClick={() => setSettingsOpen(!settingsOpen)}
+                className="rounded-lg border border-slate-700 bg-slate-800/70 px-3 py-1.5 text-sm transition-colors hover:border-amber-500/60"
+              >
+                ⚙
+              </button>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+          <p className="text-slate-500 text-sm">M1 playable loop</p>
+          <SettingsDrawer />
+        </header>
+        <ResourceBar />
+        <ActionPanel />
+        <EventLog />
+      </main>
+    </>
   );
 }
diff --git a/src/ui/SettingsDrawer.tsx b/src/ui/SettingsDrawer.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..863fa73
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ui/SettingsDrawer.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { useGameStore } from '../state/store';
+import type { ActionDetailMode, StoryOpenMode } from '../state/prefs';
+
+/** Preference panel toggled from the header gear; changes persist immediately. */
+export function SettingsDrawer() {
+  const open = useGameStore((s) => s.settingsOpen);
+  const prefs = useGameStore((s) => s.prefs);
+  const setPrefs = useGameStore((s) => s.setPrefs);
+
+  if (!open) return null;
+
+  return (
+    <div className="rounded-lg border border-slate-700 bg-slate-900 p-4">
+      <label className="flex flex-col gap-1 text-sm">
+        Story opens
+        <select
+          value={prefs.storyOpenMode}
+          onChange={(e) => setPrefs({ storyOpenMode: e.target.value as StoryOpenMode })}
+          className="rounded border border-slate-600 bg-slate-800 px-2 py-1 text-slate-100"
+        >
+          <option value="auto">Automatically</option>
+          <option value="choices-only">Choices only</option>
+          <option value="manual">Manually</option>
+        </select>
+      </label>
+      <label className="mt-3 flex flex-col gap-1 text-sm">
+        Action details
+        <select
+          value={prefs.actionDetailMode}
+          onChange={(e) => setPrefs({ actionDetailMode: e.target.value as ActionDetailMode })}
+          className="rounded border border-slate-600 bg-slate-800 px-2 py-1 text-slate-100"
+        >
+          <option value="inline">Inline subtitles</option>
+          <option value="hover">Hover tooltips</option>
+          <option value="info-button">Info button</option>
+        </select>
+      </label>
+    </div>
+  );
+}