diff --git a/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts b/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts
index 1931815..0f9d0d1 100644
--- a/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts
+++ b/src/engine/dispatcher.test.ts
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ describe('locked exits', () => {
         'rusted-key': { id: 'rusted-key', names: ['rusted key', 'key'], short: 'a rusted key', long: '.', initialState: {}, takeable: true },
       },
       encounters: {},
-      endings: { true: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' } },
+      endings: { true: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' } },
     }
   }
 
@@ -225,9 +225,9 @@ describe('ambiguous → disambiguation flow', () => {
       },
       encounters: {},
       endings: {
-        true: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
-        wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
-        bad: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
+        true: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
+        wrong: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
+        bad: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
       },
     }
   }
@@ -271,9 +271,9 @@ function readWorld(): World {
     },
     encounters: {},
     endings: {
-      true: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
-      wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
-      bad: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
+      true: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
+      wrong: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
+      bad: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
     },
   }
 }
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ describe('light/extinguish verbs (implicit lighter)', () => {
         rock: { id: 'rock', names: ['rock'], short: 'a rock', long: '.', initialState: {}, takeable: true },
       },
       encounters: {},
-      endings: { true: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' } },
+      endings: { true: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' } },
     }
   }
 
@@ -400,7 +400,7 @@ describe('light X with Y (explicit lighter)', () => {
         rock: { id: 'rock', names: ['rock'], short: 'a rock', long: '.', initialState: {}, takeable: true },
       },
       encounters: {},
-      endings: { true: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' } },
+      endings: { true: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' } },
     }
   }
 
@@ -448,7 +448,7 @@ describe('use verb routing', () => {
         rock: { id: 'rock', names: ['rock'], short: 'a rock', long: '.', initialState: {}, takeable: true },
       },
       encounters: {},
-      endings: { true: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' } },
+      endings: { true: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, wrong: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' }, bad: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' } },
     }
   }
 
@@ -462,3 +462,71 @@ describe('use verb routing', () => {
     expect(result.appended.at(-1)?.text).toBe("You can't think how to use that here.")
   })
 })
+
+describe('ending detection', () => {
+  function makeWorld(): World {
+    return {
+      startingRoom: 'r',
+      startingInventory: [],
+      rooms: {
+        r: {
+          id: 'r',
+          title: '[ R ]',
+          descriptions: { firstVisit: '.', revisit: '.', examined: '.' },
+          exits: { n: 'r2' },
+          items: [],
+        },
+        r2: {
+          id: 'r2',
+          title: '[ R2 ]',
+          descriptions: { firstVisit: '.', revisit: '.', examined: '.' },
+          exits: {},
+          items: [],
+        },
+      },
+      items: {},
+      encounters: {},
+      endings: {
+        true: { whenFlags: { reachedR2: true }, narration: 'You stand at the top of the stair.' },
+        wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: 'You disturb what should not be disturbed.' },
+        bad: { whenFlags: { tookPhoto: true }, narration: 'The child in it is you.' },
+      },
+    }
+  }
+
+  it('sets endedWith and emits an ending line when flags match', () => {
+    const world = makeWorld()
+    let state = initialStateFor(world)
+    state = { ...state, flags: { reachedR2: true } }
+    const result = dispatch(state, { kind: 'verb-only', verb: 'wait' }, world)
+    expect(result.state.endedWith).toBe('true')
+    const last = result.appended.at(-1)!
+    expect(last.kind).toBe('ending')
+    expect(last.text).toBe('You stand at the top of the stair.')
+  })
+
+  it('honors priority order: true beats wrong beats bad', () => {
+    const world = makeWorld()
+    let state = initialStateFor(world)
+    state = { ...state, flags: { reachedR2: true } }
+    const result = dispatch(state, { kind: 'verb-only', verb: 'wait' }, world)
+    expect(result.state.endedWith).toBe('true')
+  })
+
+  it('rejects further input once ended', () => {
+    const world = makeWorld()
+    let state = initialStateFor(world)
+    state = { ...state, flags: { reachedR2: true } }
+    const ended = dispatch(state, { kind: 'verb-only', verb: 'wait' }, world).state
+    const result = dispatch(ended, { kind: 'verb-only', verb: 'wait' }, world)
+    expect(result.appended.at(-1)?.text).toBe('The story has ended. Type `restart` or `undo`.')
+    expect(result.state.location).toBe(ended.location)
+  })
+
+  it('does not fire on unknown turns (no state mutation)', () => {
+    const world = makeWorld()
+    const state = initialStateFor(world)
+    const result = dispatch(state, { kind: 'unknown', raw: 'fnord', reason: 'unknown-verb' }, world)
+    expect(result.state.endedWith).toBeNull()
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/engine/dispatcher.ts b/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
index 6aefdd4..70cf4d6 100644
--- a/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
+++ b/src/engine/dispatcher.ts
@@ -55,6 +55,34 @@ function setRoomFlag(state: GameState, roomId: string, key: string, value: strin
   }
 }
 
+const ENDING_PRIORITY: ('true' | 'wrong' | 'bad')[] = ['true', 'wrong', 'bad']
+
+function evaluateEndings(state: GameState, world: World): GameState | null {
+  if (state.endedWith) return null
+  for (const id of ENDING_PRIORITY) {
+    const ending = world.endings[id]
+    const flags = ending.whenFlags
+    let allMatch = true
+    for (const [k, v] of Object.entries(flags)) {
+      if (state.flags[k] !== v) { allMatch = false; break }
+    }
+    if (!allMatch) continue
+    return {
+      ...state,
+      endedWith: id,
+      transcript: [...state.transcript, { kind: 'ending', text: ending.narration }],
+    }
+  }
+  return null
+}
+
+function withEndingCheck(result: DispatchResult, world: World): DispatchResult {
+  const updated = evaluateEndings(result.state, world)
+  if (!updated) return result
+  const endingLine: TranscriptLine = updated.transcript[updated.transcript.length - 1]!
+  return { state: updated, appended: [...result.appended, endingLine] }
+}
+
 export function dispatch(state: GameState, command: ParsedCommand, world: World): DispatchResult {
   // Disambiguation reply: re-issue the original verb with the chosen target.
   if (command.kind === 'disambiguation') {
@@ -70,6 +98,11 @@ export function dispatch(state: GameState, command: ParsedCommand, world: World)
     )
   }
 
+  // Once the game has ended, only restart/undo (handled by the UI) can clear state.
+  if (state.endedWith) {
+    return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: 'The story has ended. Type `restart` or `undo`.' }])
+  }
+
   if (command.kind === 'unknown') {
     const text =
       command.reason === 'unknown-verb' ? 'You consider the words, but they don\'t fit this place.'
@@ -83,7 +116,7 @@ export function dispatch(state: GameState, command: ParsedCommand, world: World)
   }
 
   if (command.kind === 'go') {
-    return handleGo(state, command.direction, world)
+    return withEndingCheck(handleGo(state, command.direction, world), world)
   }
 
   if (command.kind === 'ambiguous') {
@@ -101,9 +134,9 @@ export function dispatch(state: GameState, command: ParsedCommand, world: World)
   }
 
   if (command.kind === 'verb-only') {
-    if (command.verb === 'look') return handleLook(state, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'inventory') return handleInventory(state, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'wait') return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: 'Time passes.' }])
+    if (command.verb === 'look') return withEndingCheck(handleLook(state, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'inventory') return withEndingCheck(handleInventory(state, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'wait') return withEndingCheck(narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: 'Time passes.' }]), world)
   }
 
   if (command.kind === 'verb-target') {
@@ -111,16 +144,16 @@ export function dispatch(state: GameState, command: ParsedCommand, world: World)
     // Try the active encounter first — it may consume verbs like 'attack', 'hold'.
     const encResult = applyVerbToEncounter(stateWithNoun, command, world)
     if (encResult?.consumed) {
-      return { state: encResult.state, appended: encResult.lines }
+      return withEndingCheck({ state: encResult.state, appended: encResult.lines }, world)
     }
-    if (command.verb === 'take') return handleTake(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'drop') return handleDrop(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'examine' || command.verb === 'look') return handleExamine(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'read') return handleRead(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'light') return handleLight(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, null, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'extinguish') return handleExtinguish(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world)
-    if (command.verb === 'use') return narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: "You can't think how to use that here." }])
-    return narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: `You're not sure how to ${command.verb} that.` }])
+    if (command.verb === 'take') return withEndingCheck(handleTake(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'drop') return withEndingCheck(handleDrop(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'examine' || command.verb === 'look') return withEndingCheck(handleExamine(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'read') return withEndingCheck(handleRead(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'light') return withEndingCheck(handleLight(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, null, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'extinguish') return withEndingCheck(handleExtinguish(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, world), world)
+    if (command.verb === 'use') return withEndingCheck(narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: "You can't think how to use that here." }]), world)
+    return withEndingCheck(narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: `You're not sure how to ${command.verb} that.` }]), world)
   }
 
   if (command.kind === 'verb-target-prep') {
@@ -128,15 +161,15 @@ export function dispatch(state: GameState, command: ParsedCommand, world: World)
     // Try the encounter first — it may consume verbs like 'cut vines with shears'.
     const encResult = applyVerbToEncounter(stateWithNoun, command, world)
     if (encResult?.consumed) {
-      return { state: encResult.state, appended: encResult.lines }
+      return withEndingCheck({ state: encResult.state, appended: encResult.lines }, world)
     }
     if (command.verb === 'light' && command.preposition === 'with') {
-      return handleLight(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, command.indirect.canonical, world)
+      return withEndingCheck(handleLight(stateWithNoun, command.target.canonical, command.indirect.canonical, world), world)
     }
     if (command.verb === 'use') {
-      return narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: "You can't think how to use that here." }])
+      return withEndingCheck(narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: "You can't think how to use that here." }]), world)
     }
-    return narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: `You're not sure how to ${command.verb} that.` }])
+    return withEndingCheck(narrate(stateWithNoun, [{ kind: 'narration', text: `You're not sure how to ${command.verb} that.` }]), world)
   }
 
   return narrate(state, [{ kind: 'narration', text: 'Nothing happens.' }])
diff --git a/src/engine/encounters.test.ts b/src/engine/encounters.test.ts
index 31dbada..7839864 100644
--- a/src/engine/encounters.test.ts
+++ b/src/engine/encounters.test.ts
@@ -61,9 +61,9 @@ const world: World = {
     },
   },
   endings: {
-    true:  { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
-    wrong: { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
-    bad:   { whenFlags: {}, narration: '' },
+    true:  { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
+    wrong: { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
+    bad:   { whenFlags: { _never: true }, narration: '' },
   },
 }
 
diff --git a/src/world/endings/bad.md b/src/world/endings/bad.md
index 2ecd732..59e5a3f 100644
--- a/src/world/endings/bad.md
+++ b/src/world/endings/bad.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 id: bad
-whenFlags: {}
+whenFlags:
+  _never: true
 ---
 
diff --git a/src/world/endings/wrong.md b/src/world/endings/wrong.md
index e78c958..d87eb0e 100644
--- a/src/world/endings/wrong.md
+++ b/src/world/endings/wrong.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ---
 id: wrong
-whenFlags: {}
+whenFlags:
+  _never: true
 ---