diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
index 4d48c930..811b643c 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
@@ -95,6 +95,11 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 		_seed_set = true
 		seed(_seed)
 		GameState.game_settings["seed"] = _seed
+		# NOTE: we cannot set `turn_limit` here because GameState.initialize_game
+		# clobbers game_settings back to DEFAULT_SETTINGS when game setup submits.
+		# turn_limit is re-applied later in the "wait_game_setup" state handler
+		# after the Start Game button fires. See the `["turn_limit"] = _max_turns`
+		# assignment ~200 lines below.
 		var now: Dictionary = Time.get_datetime_dict_from_system(true)
 		_start_stamp = "%04d%02d%02dT%02d%02d%02dZ" % [
 			now["year"], now["month"], now["day"],
@@ -400,6 +405,10 @@ func _process(_delta: float) -> void:
 					# Force Pangaea so all players share one landmass (no water barriers)
 					GameState.game_settings["map_type"] = "pangaea"
 					GameState.game_settings["num_players"] = 2
+					# Override turn_limit AFTER GameState.initialize_game has
+					# clobbered game_settings back to DEFAULT_SETTINGS (150).
+					# victory_manager reads this to time the score fallback.
+					GameState.game_settings["turn_limit"] = _max_turns
 					var diff_env: String = EnvConfig.get_var("AI_DIFFICULTY", "")
 					if not diff_env.is_empty():
 						GameState.game_settings["difficulty"] = diff_env