diff --git a/public/boardRender.js b/public/boardRender.js
index 6c63b3f..bb72e0e 100644
--- a/public/boardRender.js
+++ b/public/boardRender.js
@@ -4,6 +4,12 @@
  * lane = branch offset that fans out at a 'choice' space and re-centers
  * (averages) at whichever space its branches rejoin. This means the layout
  * keeps working unmodified as shared/board.js grows.
+ *
+ * Visual style is illustrated-map-ish rather than flowchart-ish: a
+ * procedurally scattered terrain backdrop (river, mountains, trees) that
+ * doesn't need to align to any specific tile, a wide dashed "road" between
+ * spaces, and tiles drawn as beveled signs with a small deterministic tilt
+ * per space so they read as hand-placed rather than machine-stamped.
  */
 
 const SVG_NS = 'http://www.w3.org/2000/svg';
@@ -109,6 +115,18 @@ function escapeHtml(str) {
   ));
 }
 
+/** Small stable hash so per-tile tilt/detail is deterministic, not random-per-render. */
+function hashString(str) {
+  let h = 0;
+  for (let i = 0; i < str.length; i++) h = (h * 31 + str.charCodeAt(i)) | 0;
+  return Math.abs(h);
+}
+
+function makeRand(seed) {
+  let s = seed;
+  return () => { s = (s * 9301 + 49297) % 233280; return s / 233280; };
+}
+
 export class BoardView {
   constructor(container, board) {
     this.board = board;
@@ -126,6 +144,7 @@ export class BoardView {
       role: 'img',
       'aria-label': 'Life Journey board',
     });
+    svg.appendChild(this._buildDefs());
     svg.appendChild(this._buildBackdrop(width, height));
     svg.appendChild(this._buildEdges());
     svg.appendChild(this._buildNodes());
@@ -137,15 +156,102 @@ export class BoardView {
     this.container.appendChild(svg);
   }
 
+  _buildDefs() {
+    const defs = svgEl('defs');
+
+    const field = svgEl('radialGradient', { id: 'fieldGradient', cx: '30%', cy: '0%', r: '85%' });
+    field.appendChild(svgEl('stop', { offset: '0%', 'stop-color': '#2a5f4c' }));
+    field.appendChild(svgEl('stop', { offset: '55%', 'stop-color': '#1d493c' }));
+    field.appendChild(svgEl('stop', { offset: '100%', 'stop-color': '#163a30' }));
+    defs.appendChild(field);
+
+    const gloss = svgEl('linearGradient', { id: 'tileGloss', x1: '0', y1: '0', x2: '0', y2: '1' });
+    gloss.appendChild(svgEl('stop', { offset: '0%', 'stop-color': '#ffffff', 'stop-opacity': '0.38' }));
+    gloss.appendChild(svgEl('stop', { offset: '60%', 'stop-color': '#ffffff', 'stop-opacity': '0' }));
+    defs.appendChild(gloss);
+
+    // Subtle hand-drawn wobble applied to the road paths only.
+    const wobble = svgEl('filter', { id: 'roadWobble', x: '-20%', y: '-20%', width: '140%', height: '140%' });
+    wobble.appendChild(svgEl('feTurbulence', {
+      type: 'fractalNoise', baseFrequency: '0.012 0.02', numOctaves: '2', seed: '3', result: 'noise',
+    }));
+    wobble.appendChild(svgEl('feDisplacementMap', {
+      in: 'SourceGraphic', in2: 'noise', scale: '5', xChannelSelector: 'R', yChannelSelector: 'G',
+    }));
+    defs.appendChild(wobble);
+
+    return defs;
+  }
+
   _buildBackdrop(width, height) {
     const g = svgEl('g', { class: 'backdrop' });
-    let seed = 7; // deterministic — stable across re-renders, not flickering
-    const rand = () => { seed = (seed * 9301 + 49297) % 233280; return seed / 233280; };
-    const count = Math.max(6, Math.floor((width * height) / 11000));
-    for (let i = 0; i < count; i++) {
-      g.appendChild(svgEl('circle', {
-        cx: rand() * width, cy: rand() * height, r: 16 + rand() * 26, class: 'tree-blob',
+    g.appendChild(svgEl('rect', { x: 0, y: 0, width, height, class: 'field-bg' }));
+
+    const rand = makeRand(7); // deterministic — stable across re-renders, not flickering
+
+    const mountainCount = Math.max(3, Math.floor(width / 460));
+    for (let i = 0; i < mountainCount; i++) {
+      g.appendChild(this._buildMountainCluster(rand() * width, rand() * height, 70 + rand() * 55, rand));
+    }
+
+    g.appendChild(this._buildRiver(width, height, rand));
+
+    const treeClusterCount = Math.max(14, Math.floor((width * height) / 15000));
+    for (let i = 0; i < treeClusterCount; i++) {
+      g.appendChild(this._buildTreeCluster(rand() * width, rand() * height, rand));
+    }
+
+    return g;
+  }
+
+  _buildMountainCluster(cx, cy, size, rand) {
+    const g = svgEl('g', { class: 'mountain-cluster', transform: `translate(${cx.toFixed(1)},${cy.toFixed(1)})` });
+    const peaks = 3;
+    for (let i = 0; i < peaks; i++) {
+      const w = size * (0.55 + rand() * 0.3);
+      const h = size * (0.75 + rand() * 0.25);
+      const x = (i - 1) * size * 0.5;
+      g.appendChild(svgEl('polygon', {
+        points: `${x},0 ${x - w / 2},${h} ${x + w / 2},${h}`, class: 'mountain-body',
       }));
+      g.appendChild(svgEl('polygon', {
+        points: `${x},0 ${x - w * 0.18},${h * 0.3} ${x + w * 0.18},${h * 0.3}`, class: 'mountain-snow',
+      }));
+    }
+    return g;
+  }
+
+  _buildRiver(width, height, rand) {
+    const steps = Math.max(4, Math.round(height / 260));
+    const points = [];
+    for (let i = 0; i <= steps; i++) {
+      points.push([width * 0.15 + rand() * width * 0.7, (height / steps) * i]);
+    }
+    let d = `M ${points[0][0].toFixed(1)} ${points[0][1].toFixed(1)}`;
+    for (let i = 1; i < points.length; i++) {
+      const [px, py] = points[i - 1];
+      const [x, y] = points[i];
+      const cy = (py + y) / 2;
+      d += ` C ${px.toFixed(1)} ${cy.toFixed(1)}, ${x.toFixed(1)} ${cy.toFixed(1)}, ${x.toFixed(1)} ${y.toFixed(1)}`;
+    }
+    const g = svgEl('g', { class: 'river' });
+    g.appendChild(svgEl('path', { d, class: 'river-body' }));
+    g.appendChild(svgEl('path', { d, class: 'river-shine' }));
+    return g;
+  }
+
+  _buildTreeCluster(cx, cy, rand) {
+    const g = svgEl('g', { class: 'tree-cluster', transform: `translate(${cx.toFixed(1)},${cy.toFixed(1)})` });
+    const count = 1 + Math.floor(rand() * 2);
+    for (let i = 0; i < count; i++) {
+      const ox = (rand() - 0.5) * 20;
+      const oy = (rand() - 0.5) * 12;
+      const r = 10 + rand() * 9;
+      g.appendChild(svgEl('circle', {
+        cx: ox.toFixed(1), cy: (oy - r * 0.6).toFixed(1), r: r.toFixed(1),
+        class: rand() > 0.5 ? 'tree-canopy-a' : 'tree-canopy-b',
+      }));
+      g.appendChild(svgEl('rect', { x: (ox - 2).toFixed(1), y: oy.toFixed(1), width: 4, height: 8, class: 'tree-trunk' }));
     }
     return g;
   }
@@ -158,7 +264,9 @@ export class BoardView {
         const to = this.layout.positions.get(childId);
         const cx = from.x + (to.x - from.x) * 0.5;
         const d = `M ${from.x} ${from.y} C ${cx} ${from.y}, ${cx} ${to.y}, ${to.x} ${to.y}`;
-        g.appendChild(svgEl('path', { d, class: 'edge-path' }));
+        g.appendChild(svgEl('path', { d, class: 'road-shadow' }));
+        g.appendChild(svgEl('path', { d, class: 'road-base' }));
+        g.appendChild(svgEl('path', { d, class: 'road-centerline' }));
       }
     }
     return g;
@@ -172,6 +280,18 @@ export class BoardView {
     return g;
   }
 
+  /** One of {circle, diamond, rect}, offset by (dx,dy) — used for the shadow,
+   * main, and gloss copies of a tile so all three share exact geometry. */
+  _shapeEl(shapeType, dx, dy, cls) {
+    const t = shapeType === 'diamond' ? `translate(${dx},${dy}) rotate(45)` : `translate(${dx},${dy})`;
+    if (shapeType === 'circle') return svgEl('circle', { r: NODE_H / 2, class: cls, transform: t });
+    if (shapeType === 'diamond') {
+      const r = NODE_H / 2 + 6;
+      return svgEl('rect', { x: -r, y: -r, width: r * 2, height: r * 2, rx: 8, class: cls, transform: t });
+    }
+    return svgEl('rect', { x: -NODE_W / 2, y: -NODE_H / 2, width: NODE_W, height: NODE_H, rx: 14, class: cls, transform: t });
+  }
+
   _buildNode(space, pos) {
     const style = TYPE_STYLE[space.type] ?? TYPE_STYLE.event;
     const node = svgEl('g', {
@@ -180,19 +300,17 @@ export class BoardView {
       'data-space-id': space.id,
     });
 
-    if (style.shape === 'circle') {
-      node.appendChild(svgEl('circle', { r: NODE_H / 2, class: 'space-shape' }));
-    } else if (style.shape === 'diamond') {
-      const r = NODE_H / 2 + 6;
-      node.appendChild(svgEl('rect', {
-        x: -r, y: -r, width: r * 2, height: r * 2, rx: 8,
-        transform: 'rotate(45)', class: 'space-shape',
-      }));
-    } else {
-      node.appendChild(svgEl('rect', {
-        x: -NODE_W / 2, y: -NODE_H / 2, width: NODE_W, height: NODE_H, rx: 14, class: 'space-shape',
-      }));
+    // A few degrees of deterministic tilt per tile — hand-placed, not
+    // machine-stamped — applied only to the tile's shape, never its label.
+    const tilt = ((hashString(space.id) % 700) / 100 - 3.5).toFixed(2);
+    const shapeGroup = svgEl('g', { class: 'tile-shape-group', transform: `rotate(${tilt})` });
+    shapeGroup.appendChild(this._shapeEl(style.shape, 3, 4, 'space-shadow'));
+    shapeGroup.appendChild(this._shapeEl(style.shape, 0, 0, 'space-shape'));
+    shapeGroup.appendChild(this._shapeEl(style.shape, 0, 0, 'space-gloss'));
+    if (space.type === 'choice') {
+      shapeGroup.appendChild(svgEl('rect', { x: -4, y: NODE_H / 2 + 2, width: 8, height: 22, class: 'choice-post' }));
     }
+    node.appendChild(shapeGroup);
 
     const fo = svgEl('foreignObject', { x: -NODE_W / 2, y: -NODE_H / 2, width: NODE_W, height: NODE_H });
     const div = document.createElement('div');
diff --git a/public/index.html b/public/index.html
index 3902e75..9e8b180 100644
--- a/public/index.html
+++ b/public/index.html
@@ -71,15 +71,35 @@
   /* --- Board --- */
   .board-container {
     overflow: auto; max-height: 620px; border-radius: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px;
-    background: radial-gradient(900px 500px at 30% 0%, #2a5f4c 0%, #1d493c 55%, #163a30 100%);
-    border: 1px solid var(--line);
+    background: #163a30; border: 1px solid var(--line);
   }
   .board-svg { display: block; width: 100%; height: auto; min-width: 680px; }
-  .tree-blob { fill: #2f6b52; opacity: .55; }
-  .edge-path { fill: none; stroke: #caa15a; stroke-width: 7; stroke-linecap: round; opacity: .9; }
+
+  .field-bg { fill: url(#fieldGradient); }
+  .mountain-body { fill: #8f9aa8; opacity: .5; }
+  .mountain-snow { fill: #e8edf2; opacity: .45; }
+  .river-body { fill: none; stroke: #4a90b8; stroke-width: 34; stroke-linecap: round; opacity: .5; }
+  .river-shine { fill: none; stroke: #a8d8ea; stroke-width: 8; stroke-linecap: round; opacity: .4; }
+  .tree-canopy-a { fill: #2f6b52; opacity: .6; }
+  .tree-canopy-b { fill: #3a7a5e; opacity: .55; }
+  .tree-trunk { fill: #4a3a2a; opacity: .5; }
+
+  .road-shadow {
+    fill: none; stroke: #0f2a23; stroke-width: 15; stroke-linecap: round;
+    opacity: .3; transform: translate(0, 3px);
+  }
+  .road-base { fill: none; stroke: #caa15a; stroke-width: 13; stroke-linecap: round; filter: url(#roadWobble); }
+  .road-centerline {
+    fill: none; stroke: #f0dcae; stroke-width: 2.5; stroke-linecap: round;
+    stroke-dasharray: 8 10; opacity: .85; filter: url(#roadWobble);
+  }
+
+  .space-shadow { fill: rgba(0,0,0,.32); }
+  .space-gloss { fill: url(#tileGloss); pointer-events: none; }
+  .choice-post { fill: #8a6a3c; stroke: #5f462a; stroke-width: 1; }
   .space-shape {
     fill: #fffaf0; stroke: var(--line); stroke-width: 2.5;
-    filter: drop-shadow(0 3px 3px rgba(0,0,0,.35));
+    filter: drop-shadow(0 1px 1px rgba(0,0,0,.25));
   }
   .space-start .space-shape { fill: var(--good); stroke: #2c6b44; }
   .space-finish .space-shape { fill: var(--marigold); stroke: #b97f18; }