diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
index 27d9084a..ebfa9799 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
@@ -1229,7 +1229,8 @@ func _decide_founder(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) ->
 
 
 func _command_worker(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) -> void:
-	## Build an improvement on the current tile if possible; else walk toward a city.
+	## Build an improvement on the current tile if possible;
+	## else walk toward the nearest owned unimproved tile; else toward a city.
 	if _improvement_manager == null:
 		return
 	var buildable: Array[Dictionary] = _improvement_manager.get_buildable_improvements(
@@ -1250,6 +1251,28 @@ func _command_worker(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) ->
 		if not pick.is_empty():
 			_improvement_manager.start_improvement(unit, pick, player)
 			return
+	# Seek the nearest buildable tile within 4 hexes: owned or unclaimed, non-water,
+	# unimproved, no pending build. Unclaimed tiles work — they convert on build.
+	var best_target: Vector2i = Vector2i(-1, -1)
+	var best_dist: int = 9999
+	for dq: int in range(-4, 5):
+		for dr: int in range(-4, 5):
+			var tpos: Vector2i = unit.position + Vector2i(dq, dr)
+			var d: int = HexUtilsScript.hex_distance(unit.position, tpos)
+			if d == 0 or d > 4 or d >= best_dist:
+				continue
+			var t: Resource = game_map.get_tile(tpos)
+			if t == null or t.is_water() or str(t.improvement) != "":
+				continue
+			if t.owner != -1 and t.owner != player.index:
+				continue
+			if _improvement_manager.get_pending_at(tpos, player).size() > 0:
+				continue
+			best_dist = d
+			best_target = tpos
+	if best_target != Vector2i(-1, -1):
+		_move_toward(unit, best_target, game_map)
+		return
 	if not player.cities.is_empty():
 		_move_toward(unit, player.cities[0].position, game_map)
 	else: