Inventory HUD

The Inventory HUD is the interface outside the run rooms: the inventory board, the counters, the shop menus and the home status row. On 31 October the user asked Claude to plan and build "a HUD, inventory system, and whatever else is needed". On 1 November the run-room interface moved to the Run HUD session.

Design#

• References: Stardew Valley for timber-framed parchment panels, recessed item slots with corner counts, top tabs and menus that hold the clock; The Binding of Isaac for icon-and-number counters; Hades and Dead Cells for ability wells and choice cards. Everything is redrawn in Arborwake's palette.
• Compact screen: icons, numbers and key caps, with no permanent sidebar.
• Rules come from the game: a button's availability comes from a dry run of the real command, so a button can never promise something the rules refuse.
• Two icon languages: things in the world (items, classes, skills, Imprints) are pixel art matched to the cell sprites; interface controls (bag, pause, close) are line icons.
• Labels: every icon shows its name on hover, focus and press-and-hold, and a description on click (see Icon labels).

Icon set#

There are 54 icons at 16×16. Each keeps its visible art inside the central 14×14, with a 1 px transparent margin, so nothing bleeds into a neighbour. The user set this rule on 31 October. Blind tests raised recognition from 31/80 (v1) to 51/80 (v4). The companion-family icons were the hardest to read.

Shop menus#

The session built themed menus for the Threadway buildings and the district services, calling Claude B's service rules and never computing a price itself. On 1 November the user approved them: "Every other shop menu is approved." The rules: one box size and position for every shop, decoration outside it, and no location names.

The Apothecary was redesigned around signalling ("Nothing bottled") with signal tuning, rest and the calming visit. The user approved the new screens on 2 November ("Approved").

Removed#

On 1 November the user removed companion equipping from the inventory, even after the Coordinator unlock. The lead removed the "Go solo / Bring Mote" buttons, duty text and gap warnings. Companions are arranged at the Hearth podium instead.

Hearth strain bar#

Proposed A chip in the home status row shows Hearth strain from 0 to 4 as four pips, from gold to ember red. Striped pips show what this outing adds, and a dashed teal outline shows what a quiet return clears. At 4, the next Hearth disturbance starts with one extra front. The click card has a science line marked as an AI literature check. This is the newest delivery (7c54d3631) and is not in the alpha.

Development#

• In the alpha: the release files include the shop menus (src/hud/shops/*) and the quest scroll styles. The Threadway shops borrow the host's ledger, and each purchase is checked again at the counter.
• Next: an inventory of the Threadway interiors still lacking art, then one Apothecary interior sample for the user's look.

Gallery#

See also#

• Run HUD
• Quest scroll
• Typography
• Panels VFX

Sources#

1. 7c54d3631:docs/hud/HUD_AND_INVENTORY.mdcopy
2. 7c54d3631:docs/hud/SHOPS.mdcopy
3. 7c54d3631:docs/hud/HEARTH_STRAIN.mdcopy
4. b89f778c2:src/main-game/game/RELEASE-FILES.jsoncopy
5. docs/ops/agent-messages/2026-11-01-lead-hud-readability.md (working copy, not in Git)
6. docs/ops/agent-messages/2026-11-01-claude-workstreams-todo.md (working copy, not in Git)