Protect IP boundary and add Case Box prototype

.gitignore

@@ -1,3 +1,16 @@
 *.log
 node_modules/
 .claude/
+
+# Local-only creative/IP source material. Keep the public repo focused on the
+# playable prototype unless these are intentionally cleared for release.
+The Network Mythos - A Myth Bible.md
+The Network Mythos - Canon Bible.md
+ALLEY_CAT_GAMES_SUBMISSION_CONCEPT.md
+CASE_FILES_GAME_PLAN.md
+concept-images/
+research for games/
+The Residue/
+the_residue_cc version agent/
+network-mythos-case-box/
+network-mythos-hybrid-table/

Case Box 001 - The Creator Who Left But Kept Posting/README.md

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+# Network Mythos: Case Box 001
+
+Public demo for a digital mystery box game set inside The Network Mythos. This case focuses on the first playable investigation loop: evidence first, myth underneath.
+
+![Case Box 001 demo](docs/case-box-demo.gif)
+
+The goal of this demo is to test the core loop before expanding the platform:
+
+1. Open a case box.
+2. Inspect evidence.
+3. Solve nested mini-puzzles.
+4. Tag evidence with mythic forces.
+5. Let the player's tags shape the evidence route.
+6. Submit a final reading.
+7. Reveal both the canonical answer and the player's reading path.
+
+## What You Can Test
+
+- A first 5-8 minute investigation about a creator who left the Network, then kept posting.
+- Evidence cards that behave like objects: chat logs, receipts, uploads, notes, and locked material.
+- Player-applied tags that shape the next useful evidence without changing the underlying truth.
+- One fake access gate that teaches the mythos through discovery.
+- A final reveal that compares the submitted reading, canon, signal profile, and route effect.
+
+## Run Locally
+
+This project is intentionally static. Case data is available as a JavaScript module so the app can run from a direct `file:///` URL in restricted browser environments.
+
+Open `index.html` directly, or run a small local server:
+
+```powershell
+python -m http.server 5174 --bind 127.0.0.1
+```
+
+Then visit:
+
+```text
+http://127.0.0.1:5174/
+```
+
+## Project Shape
+
+```text
+Case Box 001 - The Creator Who Left But Kept Posting/
+  index.html
+  package.json
+  README.md
+  docs/
+    case-box-demo.gif
+    first-8-minute-playtest.md
+    first-8-minute-playtest-final.png
+    first-8-minute-playtest-mobile.png
+    game-design.md
+    case-authoring.md
+  src/
+    data/
+      case-001.json
+    scripts/
+      app.js
+      case-engine.js
+      puzzle-engine.js
+      signal-engine.js
+    styles/
+      base.css
+      layout.css
+      components.css
+  public/
+    assets/
+      .gitkeep
+```
+
+## Phase 1 Scope
+
+Build one excellent case box before adding accounts, multiplayer, creator tools, or a backend.
+
+Phase 1 should prove:
+
+- People understand what to do.
+- Evidence inspection is compelling.
+- Force tagging feels meaningful.
+- Nested puzzles add discovery rather than friction.
+- The feedback loop makes players notice their own reading path.
+- The final reveal creates conversation.
+
+## Prototype Docs
+
+- [Game design](docs/game-design.md)
+- [Case authoring](docs/case-authoring.md)
+- [First 8-minute playtest pass](docs/first-8-minute-playtest.md)
+- [Final desktop proof screenshot](docs/first-8-minute-playtest-final.png)
+- [Mobile proof screenshot](docs/first-8-minute-playtest-mobile.png)

Case Box 001 - The Creator Who Left But Kept Posting/docs/case-authoring.md

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+# Case Authoring
+
+## Case Schema
+
+Each case lives in `src/data/`.
+
+Core fields:
+
+- `id`: stable case id.
+- `title`: display title.
+- `summary`: short premise.
+- `forces`: force vocabulary for this case.
+- `evidence`: evidence items.
+- `puzzles`: nested puzzle definitions.
+- `readings`: final answer options.
+- `canonicalReading`: correct answer id.
+- `pathReveals`: end-of-case route summaries.
+
+## Evidence Item
+
+Evidence items should include:
+
+- `id`
+- `type`
+- `date`
+- `title`
+- `body`
+- `expectedForces`
+- `timeline`
+- `unlockCondition`
+- `puzzleId`
+
+`unlockCondition` can be omitted for always-visible evidence.
+
+## Puzzle Types
+
+Phase 1 supports simple puzzle gates:
+
+- `access-code`: player enters a phrase or code.
+- `research-prompt`: player reads a prompt and answers a concept question.
+- `verification`: fake human-verification puzzle.
+
+Later puzzle types can include crosswords, image inspection, archive diffs, and timeline ordering.
+
+## Authoring Rule
+
+Every puzzle should answer this question:
+
+What mythos concept does this teach through action?
+

Case Box 001 - The Creator Who Left But Kept Posting/docs/first-8-minute-playtest.md

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+# First 8-Minute Playtest Pass
+
+Date: 2026-05-22
+
+## Purpose
+
+Verify that the opening minutes of Case Box 001 feel like investigation rather than passive reading.
+
+This is an automated browser pass plus a self-run implementation pass, not a blind human playtest. It checks whether the current build supports the intended first-session beats and records what still needs a real tester.
+
+Browser artifact:
+
+![First 8-minute playtest final state](first-8-minute-playtest-final.png)
+
+Mobile artifact:
+
+![First 8-minute playtest mobile state](first-8-minute-playtest-mobile.png)
+
+## Test Path
+
+Target path for a first-time player:
+
+1. Open the Case Box.
+2. Inspect "The Final Thread."
+3. Notice the human stakes: Mara is leaving public life and asks not to be found through the Network.
+4. Inspect "Elian Refuses Proof."
+5. Tag both artifacts with `Returned`.
+6. Notice that the signal profile forms a `Returned` route.
+7. See route-surfaced bonus evidence appear.
+8. Open "Human Verification Failed."
+9. Try an incorrect proof-style answer and receive a hint.
+10. Enter `absence`.
+11. Unlock "Continuity Clause."
+12. See the recap update before final submission.
+
+## Results
+
+- Opening state: 6 visible evidence items; active item is "The Final Thread."
+- After tagging "The Final Thread" and "Elian Refuses Proof" with `Returned`, the dominant path becomes `Returned`.
+- Route-surfaced bonus evidence appears: "Offline Errand Receipt."
+- Routed evidence order moves `Returned`-relevant evidence forward.
+- Wrong gate answer is rejected.
+- First failed attempt increments the hint state.
+- Correct gate answer `absence` is accepted.
+- Gate unlocks "Continuity Clause."
+- After unlock, 8 evidence items are visible: 6 initial, 1 route bonus, 1 gate-unlocked memo.
+- Recap inputs show reviewed evidence count, gate status, path, and bonus evidence.
+- Final reading submission opens the Case Reveal panel.
+- The reveal separates submitted reading, canonical reconstruction, what happened, player route, evidence pattern, and route effect.
+- Browser console errors: none observed.
+
+## Browser Automation Log
+
+Automated path executed with Python Playwright against `http://127.0.0.1:5174/`.
+
+- Opening title: "The Final Thread."
+- Opening count: 6 items.
+- Dominant signal after tags: `Returned`.
+- Count after bonus: 7 items / routed by Returned.
+- Bonus visible: true.
+- Wrong answer feedback: "Access denied..." plus hint.
+- Correct answer: `absence`.
+- After unlock title: "Continuity Clause."
+- Count after gate: 8 items / routed by Returned.
+- Final reading result: "Your reading aligns with the canonical reconstruction."
+- Reveal content includes canonical reconstruction, evidence pattern, and route/truth distinction.
+- Desktop console errors: none observed.
+
+Mobile-width pass executed at 390px viewport.
+
+- Case loaded and stacked into a single-column flow.
+- Same inspect/tag/gate/final-reading path completed.
+- Reveal panel visible after submission.
+- Mobile console errors: none observed.
+
+## Acceptance Check
+
+- The player can understand the investigation target in the first minute: pass in content structure; needs blind tester confirmation.
+- The first 5-8 minutes contain active investigation: pass. Inspecting, tagging, route surfacing, failed gate feedback, and unlock are all reachable.
+- The player can notice interpretation tracking: pass in UI support; needs blind tester confirmation.
+- The player can distinguish route from truth: pass in route note and final reveal; needs blind tester confirmation.
+- The player wants to continue after the reveal: not tested; requires blind playtest.
+
+## Observed Risks
+
+- A player may still read several artifacts before touching tags if they do not notice the tag panel.
+- The `Returned` path currently provides the cleanest first-8-minute route because the gate and witness evidence both support it.
+- Bonus evidence can appear before the gate unlock, which is good for route responsiveness but may compete with the gate as the first discovery beat.
+- Visual browser pass succeeded at desktop and 390px mobile viewport. Blind human playtest is still needed.
+
+## Blind Playtest Script
+
+Give the tester only this prompt:
+
+```text
+Open the Case Box and think aloud for eight minutes. Say what you believe happened, what you think the interface is asking you to do, and what changed because of your choices.
+```
+
+Watch for:
+
+- Do they identify Mara as a person before describing the system?
+- Do they inspect at least two artifacts?
+- Do they tag evidence without being told?
+- Do they notice the dominant signal change?
+- Do they find the gate?
+- Do they understand the hint after a wrong answer?
+- Do they describe `absence` as a clue rather than a random password?
+- Do they notice bonus evidence or route ordering?
+- Do they say what they would do next?
+
+## Next Fixes If Testers Stall
+
+- If testers do not tag evidence, make the tag panel more visually connected to the active artifact.
+- If testers miss the gate, make "Human Verification Failed" look more clearly interactive in the evidence inbox.
+- If testers solve the gate but miss the unlocked memo, add a stronger inbox pulse or temporary "new" state.
+- If testers think tags change the truth, strengthen route/truth language in the recap and reveal.

Case Box 001 - The Creator Who Left But Kept Posting/docs/game-design.md

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+# Game Design
+
+## One-Sentence Pitch
+
+A digital mystery box where players investigate corrupted online evidence, solve nested puzzles, and discover how the Network shaped their route to the truth.
+
+## Core Principle
+
+The truth is stable. The route is responsive.
+
+The player does not change what happened. The player changes which signals the Network surfaces, buries, delays, or frames.
+
+## Player Loop
+
+1. Inspect evidence.
+2. Solve optional or required mini-puzzles.
+3. Tag each item with mythic forces.
+4. Build a timeline.
+5. Unlock path-specific evidence.
+6. Submit a final reading.
+7. Compare answer and route.
+
+## Signal Feedback Loop
+
+The player's force tags form a signal profile.
+
+Examples:
+
+- Covenant-heavy players receive more community testimony.
+- Exchange-heavy players receive more ownership and monetization evidence.
+- Silence-heavy players receive redacted or buried evidence.
+- Eidolon-heavy players receive synthetic-voice clues.
+
+The reveal should explain how the route changed.
+
+## Mystery Box Contents
+
+A box may include:
+
+- Evidence cards.
+- In-world emails.
+- Archive diffs.
+- Fake search results.
+- Images with hidden details.
+- Crossword or word puzzles.
+- Fake CAPTCHA-style verification.
+- Fake login/access codes.
+- Research prompts.
+- Timeline fragments.
+
+## Design Guardrails
+
+- Do not use real CAPTCHA or real login systems.
+- Do not make case-critical clues depend on unstable live websites.
+- Every route must be solvable.
+- Mini-puzzles should teach the mythology, not just block progress.
+- The final reveal should create conversation between players.
+