diff --git a/src/engine/dispatcher.ts b/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
index 91e047c..20cef42 100644
--- a/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
+++ b/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ export function initialStateFor(world: World): GameState {
     lastNoun: null,
     pendingDisambiguation: null,
     transcript: opening,
-    theme: 'amber',
     endedWith: null,
   }
 }
@@ -115,10 +114,10 @@ function narrate(state: GameState, lines: TranscriptLine[]): DispatchResult {
 
 function handleMeta(state: GameState, verb: 'restart' | 'undo' | 'hint' | 'save' | 'quit' | 'theme'): DispatchResult {
   if (verb === 'save') return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'system', text: '(your progress is saved automatically)' }])
-  if (verb === 'theme') {
-    const newTheme = state.theme === 'amber' ? 'ansi' : 'amber'
-    return narrate({ ...state, theme: newTheme }, [{ kind: 'system', text: `Theme: ${newTheme}.` }])
-  }
+  // 'theme' is a UI preference: the terminal intercepts it before dispatch and
+  // dispatches a 'halfstreet-toggle-theme' DOM event. The engine no-ops here so
+  // typing the verb still produces transcript output if the UI ever misses it.
+  if (verb === 'theme') return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'system', text: '(theme)' }])
   // restart / undo / hint / quit are handled by the UI layer (state mutations
   // require coordination with the save layer and route navigation). The
   // engine acknowledges them with a no-op narration; the UI intercepts before
diff --git a/src/engine/save.test.ts b/src/engine/save.test.ts
index 43a8aae..7ac5886 100644
--- a/src/engine/save.test.ts
+++ b/src/engine/save.test.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ const baseState = (overrides: Partial<GameState> = {}): GameState => ({
   lastNoun: null,
   pendingDisambiguation: null,
   transcript: [],
-  theme: 'amber',
   endedWith: null,
   ...overrides,
 })
diff --git a/src/engine/save.ts b/src/engine/save.ts
index 3c48523..bbfede1 100644
--- a/src/engine/save.ts
+++ b/src/engine/save.ts
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ export function loadState(): GameState | null {
     return null
   }
 
+  // Older saves may carry fields no longer in GameState (e.g. `theme` before
+  // it became a UI-only preference). TypeScript ignores extra fields at runtime;
+  // bump SCHEMA_VERSION only when the meaning of an existing field changes.
   return parsed as GameState
 }
 
diff --git a/src/engine/types.ts b/src/engine/types.ts
index b28349f..e68419d 100644
--- a/src/engine/types.ts
+++ b/src/engine/types.ts
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ export type ParsedCommand =
   | { kind: 'unknown'; raw: string; reason: 'unknown-verb' | 'unknown-noun' | 'malformed' }
 
 export type ResolveLevel = 'steady' | 'shaken' | 'reeling' | 'returning'
-export type Theme = 'amber' | 'ansi'
 
 export interface ItemInstance {
   id: ItemId
@@ -68,7 +67,6 @@ export interface GameState {
   pendingDisambiguation: PendingDisambiguation | null
   /** Capped at 200 entries; older entries are dropped on append. */
   transcript: TranscriptLine[]
-  theme: Theme
   /** Set true when the player has reached an ending. UI shows ending screen. */
   endedWith: 'true' | 'wrong' | 'bad' | null
 }