diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/civics_panel_proof.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/civics_panel_proof.gd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..52827104
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/civics_panel_proof.gd
@@ -0,0 +1,215 @@
+extends Node2D
+## Civics panel proof — visualises the 3 civic axes (Authority, Labor,
+## Economy) with current choice + anarchy countdown, mirroring the data
+## a real civics panel would display from `PlayerState.civic_state`.
+## Self-contained with mock state; no GameState autoload required.
+
+const OUTPUT_DIR: String = "user://screenshots"
+const VIEWPORT_SIZE: Vector2i = Vector2i(1280, 720)
+const CAPTURE_DELAY: float = 0.6
+
+const COLOR_BG: Color = Color(0.06, 0.07, 0.10)
+const COLOR_PANEL: Color = Color(0.12, 0.13, 0.18)
+const COLOR_ACCENT: Color = Color(0.90, 0.78, 0.32)
+const COLOR_AXIS_BORDER: Color = Color(0.28, 0.31, 0.40)
+const COLOR_TEXT: Color = Color(0.92, 0.93, 0.96)
+const COLOR_DIM: Color = Color(0.55, 0.58, 0.66)
+const COLOR_ANARCHY: Color = Color(0.85, 0.30, 0.30)
+
+const AXES: Array[Dictionary] = [
+	{
+		"name": "Authority",
+		"current": "monarchy",
+		"choices": ["chieftainship", "monarchy", "republic"],
+		"description": "How power flows through the throne. Active: Monarchy.",
+	},
+	{
+		"name": "Labor",
+		"current": "guilds",
+		"choices": ["labor_pool", "guilds", "serfdom"],
+		"description": "How citizens are organised for production. Active: Guilds.",
+	},
+	{
+		"name": "Economy",
+		"current": "mercantilism",
+		"choices": ["mercantilism", "tradition", "free_market"],
+		"description": "How wealth circulates through the empire. Active: Mercantilism.",
+	},
+]
+const ANARCHY_TURNS_REMAINING: int = 3
+const ANARCHY_DURATION: int = 5
+
+var _captured: bool = false
+
+
+func _ready() -> void:
+	get_viewport().size = VIEWPORT_SIZE
+	DisplayServer.window_set_size(VIEWPORT_SIZE)
+	RenderingServer.set_default_clear_color(COLOR_BG)
+	# Theme load is harmless even though we render via _draw; future
+	# extensions may want labelled iconography from ThemeAssets.
+	DataLoader.load_theme("age-of-dwarves")
+	ThemeAssets.set_theme("age-of-dwarves")
+	queue_redraw()
+	await get_tree().create_timer(CAPTURE_DELAY).timeout
+	_capture_and_quit()
+
+
+func _draw() -> void:
+	var font: Font = ThemeDB.fallback_font
+	# ── Title ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+	draw_string(
+		font,
+		Vector2(40, 50),
+		"Civics — Government Axes",
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT,
+		-1,
+		28,
+		COLOR_ACCENT,
+	)
+	draw_string(
+		font,
+		Vector2(40, 78),
+		"Current government composition + anarchy state",
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT,
+		-1,
+		14,
+		COLOR_DIM,
+	)
+
+	# ── Axis cards ───────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+	var card_w: int = 380
+	var card_h: int = 240
+	var card_y: int = 130
+	var gap: int = 24
+	for i: int in range(AXES.size()):
+		var x: int = 40 + i * (card_w + gap)
+		_draw_axis_card(font, Vector2(x, card_y), card_w, card_h, AXES[i] as Dictionary)
+
+	# ── Anarchy banner ───────────────────────────────────────────────────
+	var anarchy_y: int = card_y + card_h + 40
+	_draw_anarchy_banner(font, Vector2(40, anarchy_y), 1200, 80)
+
+	# ── Footer note ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────
+	draw_string(
+		font,
+		Vector2(40, anarchy_y + 110),
+		"Switching an axis triggers 5 turns of Anarchy (gold income → 0, production → 50%%).",
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT,
+		-1,
+		13,
+		COLOR_DIM,
+	)
+
+
+func _draw_axis_card(
+	font: Font, origin: Vector2, w: int, h: int, axis: Dictionary
+) -> void:
+	draw_rect(Rect2(origin, Vector2(w, h)), COLOR_PANEL)
+	draw_rect(Rect2(origin, Vector2(w, h)), COLOR_AXIS_BORDER, false, 2.0)
+	draw_string(
+		font,
+		origin + Vector2(16, 32),
+		String(axis["name"]),
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, 22, COLOR_ACCENT,
+	)
+	# Choices list — current one highlighted.
+	var current: String = String(axis["current"])
+	var y_off: int = 70
+	for choice: String in (axis["choices"] as Array):
+		var is_current: bool = choice == current
+		var label: String = "● " if is_current else "○ "
+		label += _format_choice(choice)
+		var color: Color = COLOR_ACCENT if is_current else COLOR_TEXT
+		draw_string(
+			font,
+			origin + Vector2(20, y_off),
+			label,
+			HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, 18,
+			color,
+		)
+		y_off += 32
+	# Description footer.
+	draw_string(
+		font,
+		origin + Vector2(16, h - 32),
+		String(axis["description"]),
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, 12, COLOR_DIM,
+	)
+
+
+func _draw_anarchy_banner(font: Font, origin: Vector2, w: int, h: int) -> void:
+	if ANARCHY_TURNS_REMAINING <= 0:
+		draw_rect(Rect2(origin, Vector2(w, h)), COLOR_PANEL)
+		draw_rect(Rect2(origin, Vector2(w, h)), COLOR_AXIS_BORDER, false, 2.0)
+		draw_string(
+			font,
+			origin + Vector2(16, h / 2 + 6),
+			"Stable government — no anarchy active.",
+			HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, 18, COLOR_TEXT,
+		)
+		return
+	# Red-tinted banner with countdown bar.
+	var bg: Color = Color(COLOR_ANARCHY.r, COLOR_ANARCHY.g, COLOR_ANARCHY.b, 0.18)
+	draw_rect(Rect2(origin, Vector2(w, h)), bg)
+	draw_rect(Rect2(origin, Vector2(w, h)), COLOR_ANARCHY, false, 2.0)
+	draw_string(
+		font,
+		origin + Vector2(16, 26),
+		"ANARCHY",
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, 20, COLOR_ANARCHY,
+	)
+	var line: String = "%d / %d turns remaining" % [
+		ANARCHY_TURNS_REMAINING, ANARCHY_DURATION
+	]
+	draw_string(
+		font,
+		origin + Vector2(16, 50),
+		line,
+		HORIZONTAL_ALIGNMENT_LEFT, -1, 16, COLOR_TEXT,
+	)
+	# Countdown bar (filled = remaining duration).
+	var bar_origin: Vector2 = origin + Vector2(200, 28)
+	var bar_w: int = w - 220
+	var bar_h: int = 22
+	draw_rect(Rect2(bar_origin, Vector2(bar_w, bar_h)), Color(0.18, 0.18, 0.20))
+	var fill_w: int = int(bar_w * (float(ANARCHY_TURNS_REMAINING) / float(ANARCHY_DURATION)))
+	draw_rect(Rect2(bar_origin, Vector2(fill_w, bar_h)), COLOR_ANARCHY)
+
+
+func _format_choice(id: String) -> String:
+	# Snake_case → Title Case.
+	var parts: PackedStringArray = id.split("_")
+	for i: int in range(parts.size()):
+		var word: String = parts[i]
+		if word.length() > 0:
+			parts[i] = word.substr(0, 1).to_upper() + word.substr(1)
+	return " ".join(parts)
+
+
+func _capture_and_quit() -> void:
+	if _captured:
+		return
+	_captured = true
+	DirAccess.make_dir_recursive_absolute(
+		ProjectSettings.globalize_path(OUTPUT_DIR)
+	)
+	var image: Image = get_viewport().get_texture().get_image()
+	if image == null:
+		push_error("civics_panel_proof: viewport image null")
+		get_tree().quit(1)
+		return
+	var timestamp: String = Time.get_datetime_string_from_system().replace(
+		":", "-"
+	).replace("T", "_")
+	var rel_path: String = "%s/civics_panel_proof_%s.png" % [OUTPUT_DIR, timestamp]
+	var abs_path: String = ProjectSettings.globalize_path(rel_path)
+	var err: Error = image.save_png(abs_path)
+	if err == OK:
+		print("SCREENSHOT_PATH:%s" % abs_path)
+		print("civics_panel_proof: %dx%d saved" % [
+			image.get_width(), image.get_height()
+		])
+	else:
+		push_error("civics_panel_proof: save failed: %s" % error_string(err))
+	get_tree().quit()
diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/civics_panel_proof.tscn b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/civics_panel_proof.tscn
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d165f454
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/civics_panel_proof.tscn
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+[gd_scene load_steps=2 format=3]
+
+[ext_resource type="Script" path="res://engine/scenes/tests/civics_panel_proof.gd" id="1"]
+
+[node name="CivicsPanelProof" type="Node2D"]
+script = ExtResource("1")