diff --git a/tests/e2e/roulette-core.spec.ts b/tests/e2e/roulette-core.spec.ts
new file mode 100644
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+++ b/tests/e2e/roulette-core.spec.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,140 @@
+import { test, expect } from "@playwright/test";
+
+// The core of the game — "pull the trigger" — gambles on Math.random:
+//   const hit = Math.floor(Math.random() * 6) === 0;
+// A flaky random makes this untestable, so (following spike/repro.mjs) we
+// stub Math.random to a constant. addInitScript installs the stub BEFORE the
+// game script runs on every navigation/reload, so both spin() and
+// pullTrigger() are fully deterministic without touching production code:
+//   0    -> floor(0 * 6)   === 0 -> HIT
+//   0.5  -> floor(0.5 * 6) === 3 -> MISS (dodged)
+const HIT = 0;
+const MISS = 0.5;
+const MOCK_COUNT = 12;
+
+/** Freeze Math.random to `value` for the whole page lifetime (incl. reloads). */
+async function stubRandom(page: import("@playwright/test").Page, value: number) {
+  await page.addInitScript((v) => {
+    Math.random = () => v;
+  }, value);
+}
+
+test.describe("roulette core: pull the trigger", () => {
+  test.beforeEach(async ({ page }) => {
+    // Defensively close any popup window.open() may spawn.
+    page.context().on("page", (p) => p.close().catch(() => {}));
+  });
+
+  test("HIT: the outlaw is buried (killed tally rises, chamber shrinks)", async ({ page }) => {
+    await stubRandom(page, HIT);
+    await page.goto("/roulette?demo=1");
+
+    await page.locator("#spin").click();
+    await expect(page.locator("#verdict")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 8000 });
+
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Pull the trigger/ }).click();
+
+    // BANG: a live round — buried +1, one bookmark leaves the chamber.
+    await expect(page.locator("#toast")).toHaveClass(/toast--kill/, { timeout: 5000 });
+    await expect(page.locator("#toast")).toContainText("Bang");
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-killed")).toHaveText("1");
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-survived")).toHaveText("0");
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-chamber")).toHaveText(String(MOCK_COUNT - 1));
+  });
+
+  test("MISS: empty chamber — it dodges the bullet (survived tally rises)", async ({ page }) => {
+    await stubRandom(page, MISS);
+    await page.goto("/roulette?demo=1");
+
+    await page.locator("#spin").click();
+    await expect(page.locator("#verdict")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 8000 });
+
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Pull the trigger/ }).click();
+
+    // *click* — dodged: pardoned +1 (survived), one bookmark leaves the chamber.
+    await expect(page.locator("#toast")).toHaveClass(/toast--miss/, { timeout: 5000 });
+    await expect(page.locator("#toast")).toContainText("Click");
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-survived")).toHaveText("1");
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-killed")).toHaveText("0");
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-chamber")).toHaveText(String(MOCK_COUNT - 1));
+  });
+});
+
+test.describe("roulette core: game over & restart", () => {
+  test("emptying the chamber ends the run, and restart deals a fresh pile", async ({ page }) => {
+    await stubRandom(page, MISS);
+    await page.goto("/roulette?demo=1");
+
+    // Seed a run down to its last outlaw, with a verdict already on the table,
+    // then reload so the game resumes from it — one trigger pull ends the run.
+    await page.evaluate(() => {
+      const last = {
+        id: "m1",
+        title: "You Probably Don't Need useEffect",
+        url: "https://example.dev/no-useeffect",
+        summary: "Last one standing.",
+        source: { name: "React Patterns Weekly" },
+        readTime: 12,
+        bookmarkedAt: "2023-08-14T10:00:00Z",
+      };
+      localStorage.setItem(
+        "ddr_progress",
+        JSON.stringify({
+          mode: "demo",
+          chamber: [last],
+          current: last,
+          killed: 3,
+          survived: 1,
+          total: 5,
+        }),
+      );
+    });
+    await page.reload();
+
+    // Resumed straight into the pending verdict (no spin needed).
+    await expect(page.locator("#verdict")).toBeVisible();
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Pull the trigger/ }).click();
+
+    // Chamber now empty -> the dust settles, tallies carried through.
+    await expect(page.locator("#over")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 5000 });
+    await expect(page.locator("#over-total")).toHaveText("5");
+    await expect(page.locator("#over-killed")).toHaveText("3");
+    await expect(page.locator("#over-survived")).toHaveText("2"); // 1 + this dodge
+
+    // Progress is cleared on game over.
+    const cleared = await page.evaluate(() => localStorage.getItem("ddr_progress"));
+    expect(cleared).toBeNull();
+
+    // Restart deals a fresh full pile in demo mode.
+    await page.getByRole("button", { name: /Reload & ride again/ }).click();
+    await expect(page.locator("#over")).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(page.locator("#spin")).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-chamber")).toHaveText(String(MOCK_COUNT));
+    await expect(page.locator("#stat-killed")).toHaveText("0");
+  });
+});
+
+test.describe("roulette core: persistence", () => {
+  test("reloading with a pending verdict resumes the standoff", async ({ page }) => {
+    await stubRandom(page, HIT);
+    await page.goto("/roulette?demo=1");
+
+    // Spin to put a WANTED verdict on the table; the game persists it to
+    // localStorage under ddr_progress.
+    await page.locator("#spin").click();
+    await expect(page.locator("#verdict")).toBeVisible({ timeout: 8000 });
+    const title = await page.locator("#card-title").textContent();
+    expect(title).toBeTruthy();
+
+    const saved = await page.evaluate(() => localStorage.getItem("ddr_progress"));
+    expect(saved).toContain('"current"'); // the pending verdict is persisted
+    expect(saved).toContain(String(title));
+
+    // Reload: the pending verdict is restored, not re-spun.
+    await page.reload();
+    await expect(page.locator("#verdict")).toBeVisible();
+    await expect(page.locator("#card-title")).toHaveText(String(title));
+    await expect(page.locator("#spin")).toBeHidden();
+    await expect(page.getByRole("button", { name: /Pull the trigger/ })).toBeVisible();
+  });
+});