diff --git a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
index c5433e2c..026c103f 100644
--- a/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
+++ b/src/game/engine/scenes/tests/auto_play.gd
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ func _pick_research(player: RefCounted) -> void:
 
 
 func _score_site(pos: Vector2i, game_map: RefCounted) -> float:
-	## Score a hex as a city site. Food*2 + production*1.5 + resources.
+	## Score a hex as a city site. Food*2 + production*1.5 + resources + mixed-yield bonus.
 	var tile: Resource = game_map.get_tile(pos)
 	if tile == null:
 		return 0.0
@@ -691,7 +691,14 @@ func _score_site(pos: Vector2i, game_map: RefCounted) -> float:
 		return 0.0
 	var score: float = 0.0
 	var y: Dictionary = tile.get_yields(-1)
-	score += float(y.get("food", 0)) * 2.0 + float(y.get("production", 0)) * 1.5
+	var center_food: int = int(y.get("food", 0))
+	var center_prod: int = int(y.get("production", 0))
+	score += float(center_food) * 2.0 + float(center_prod) * 1.5
+	# Heavy penalty for food-starved center biomes (mountain/tundra/desert).
+	if tile.biome_id in ["mountains", "tundra", "desert"]:
+		score -= 5.0
+	var neighbor_food: int = 0
+	var neighbor_prod: int = 0
 	for n: Vector2i in HexUtilsScript.get_neighbors(pos):
 		var norm: Vector2i = HexUtilsScript.normalize_position(n, game_map.width, game_map.height, game_map.wrap_mode)
 		var nt: Resource = game_map.get_tile(norm)
@@ -700,10 +707,19 @@ func _score_site(pos: Vector2i, game_map: RefCounted) -> float:
 		if nt.biome_id in water:
 			score += 0.5
 			continue
-		var ny: Dictionary = nt.get_yields(-1)
-		score += float(ny.get("food", 0)) * 0.5 + float(ny.get("production", 0)) * 0.3
-		if nt.resource_id != "":
+		if nt.biome_id == "river":
 			score += 2.0
+		var ny: Dictionary = nt.get_yields(-1)
+		var nf: int = int(ny.get("food", 0))
+		var np: int = int(ny.get("production", 0))
+		neighbor_food += nf
+		neighbor_prod += np
+		score += float(nf) * 0.5 + float(np) * 0.3
+		if nt.resource_id != "":
+			score += 3.0
+	# Mixed-yield reward: at least one food + one prod in neighbors.
+	if neighbor_food >= 1 and neighbor_prod >= 1:
+		score += 2.0
 	return score
 
 
@@ -737,15 +753,12 @@ func _has_settler(player: RefCounted) -> bool:
 	return false
 
 
-func _try_found_city(player: RefCounted, _game_map: RefCounted) -> void:
+func _try_found_city(player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) -> void:
 	for u: Variant in player.units:
 		if u.get("can_found_city") == true and u.is_alive():
-			if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_select_unit"):
-				_world_map._select_unit(u)
-			if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_on_found_city_pressed"):
-				_world_map._on_found_city_pressed()
+			_decide_settler(u, player, game_map)
+			if not player.cities.is_empty():
 				_founded_city = true
-				print("  Founded city at %s" % u.position)
 			return
 
 
@@ -909,24 +922,7 @@ func _command_unit(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) -> v
 		_command_worker(unit, player, game_map)
 		return
 	if unit.get("can_found_city") == true:
-		# Check distance from existing cities
-		var too_close: bool = false
-		for c: Variant in player.cities:
-			if HexUtilsScript.hex_distance(unit.position, c.position) < 5:
-				too_close = true
-				break
-		# Score current tile quality
-		# Check tile is land (not water)
-		var tile: Resource = game_map.get_tile(unit.position)
-		var is_water: bool = tile != null and tile.biome_id in ["ocean", "coast", "deep_ocean", "lake"]
-		if too_close or is_water:
-			_explore(unit, player, game_map)
-		else:
-			if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_select_unit"):
-				_world_map._select_unit(unit)
-			if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_on_found_city_pressed"):
-				_world_map._on_found_city_pressed()
-				print("  Founded city at %s" % unit.position)
+		_decide_settler(unit, player, game_map)
 		return
 
 	var target_pos: Vector2i = _find_attack_target(player)
@@ -936,6 +932,65 @@ func _command_unit(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) -> v
 		_explore(unit, player, game_map)
 
 
+func _decide_settler(unit: Variant, player: RefCounted, game_map: RefCounted) -> void:
+	## State-based founding: score reachable sites, move to the best; only found at a local max.
+	const MIN_FOUND_SCORE: float = 4.0
+	const MAX_WAIT_TURNS: int = 40
+	const LOOK_AHEAD_MULT: int = 3
+	var water: Array = ["ocean", "coast", "deep_ocean", "lake"]
+	var reach: int = max(1, int(unit.max_movement) * LOOK_AHEAD_MULT)
+	var reachable: Dictionary = PathfinderScript.movement_range(game_map, unit.position, reach, "land")
+	var best_pos: Vector2i = unit.position
+	var best_score: float = _score_site(unit.position, game_map)
+	var current_score: float = best_score
+	for pos: Vector2i in reachable:
+		var tile: Resource = game_map.get_tile(pos)
+		if tile == null or tile.biome_id in water:
+			continue
+		var too_close: bool = false
+		for c: Variant in player.cities:
+			if HexUtilsScript.hex_distance(pos, c.position) < 5:
+				too_close = true
+				break
+		if too_close:
+			continue
+		var s: float = _score_site(pos, game_map)
+		if s > best_score:
+			best_score = s
+			best_pos = pos
+	print("[SITE] turn=%d current=%.1f best=%.1f chosen=%s" % [
+		_turn_count, current_score, best_score, str(best_pos)
+	])
+	var current_valid: bool = true
+	var cur_tile: Resource = game_map.get_tile(unit.position)
+	if cur_tile == null or cur_tile.biome_id in water:
+		current_valid = false
+	for c: Variant in player.cities:
+		if HexUtilsScript.hex_distance(unit.position, c.position) < 5:
+			current_valid = false
+			break
+	if best_pos == unit.position and current_valid:
+		if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_select_unit"):
+			_world_map._select_unit(unit)
+		if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_on_found_city_pressed"):
+			_world_map._on_found_city_pressed()
+			print("  Founded city at %s (score %.1f)" % [unit.position, current_score])
+		return
+	var waiting: bool = current_score < MIN_FOUND_SCORE and _turn_count < MAX_WAIT_TURNS
+	var should_wait: bool = (not current_valid) or waiting
+	if best_pos != unit.position and should_wait:
+		_move_toward(unit, best_pos, game_map)
+		return
+	if current_valid:
+		if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_select_unit"):
+			_world_map._select_unit(unit)
+		if _world_map != null and _world_map.has_method("_on_found_city_pressed"):
+			_world_map._on_found_city_pressed()
+			print("  Founded city at %s (good-enough, score %.1f)" % [unit.position, current_score])
+	else:
+		_explore(unit, player, game_map)
+
+
 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.
 	if _improvement_manager == null: