diff --git a/.claude/skills/jgengine-gameplay/api.md b/.claude/skills/jgengine-gameplay/api.md
index 638c859f..fa66395b 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/jgengine-gameplay/api.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/jgengine-gameplay/api.md
@@ -387,6 +387,8 @@
 ## @jgengine/core/game/controlGate
 
 - `PLAY_CONTROLS_STORE_KEY` (const): const PLAY_CONTROLS_STORE_KEY: "jg.playControls" — ⚠ undocumented
+- `actionContextStack` (function): function actionContextStack(ctx: GameContext): ActionContextStack — Returns the context stack associated with a game context.
+- `activeActionCodes` (function): function activeActionCodes(ctx: GameContext, base: ActionCodesMap): ActionCodesMap — Applies active contexts to a base action map for shell input tracking.
 - `playControlsActive` (function): function playControlsActive(ctx: GameContext): boolean — ⚠ undocumented
 - `setPlayControlsActive` (function): function setPlayControlsActive(ctx: GameContext, active: boolean): void — ⚠ undocumented
 
diff --git a/.claude/skills/jgengine-world/api.md b/.claude/skills/jgengine-world/api.md
index 3ba41438..31076da9 100644
--- a/.claude/skills/jgengine-world/api.md
+++ b/.claude/skills/jgengine-world/api.md
@@ -342,6 +342,13 @@
 - `ActionStateTracker` (interface): interface ActionStateTracker<TAction extends string> — ⚠ undocumented
 - `ShouldDispatchActionInput` (interface): interface ShouldDispatchActionInput — ⚠ undocumented
 
+## @jgengine/core/input/actionContexts
+
+- `ActionContext` (interface): interface ActionContext — Named action-binding layer that may optionally expose lower layers.
+- `ActionContextStack` (interface): interface ActionContextStack — Mutable layered action-map stack with snapshot and restore support.
+- `ActionContextStackSnapshot` (interface): interface ActionContextStackSnapshot — Serializable state for an action-context stack.
+- `createActionContextStack` (function): function createActionContextStack(): ActionContextStack — Creates a serializable stack of layered action maps for menus and gameplay modes.
+
 ## @jgengine/core/input/axisInput
 
 - `AXIS_RANGE` (const): const AXIS_RANGE: Record<AxisName, AxisRange> — ⚠ undocumented
diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index bc4a22e1..a6a241f1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ between (`--json` for structured output).
 
 - Core gamepad snapshot model, deadzone/curve resolver, and controller glyph labels.
 - Shell gamepad source polls connected pads, merges analog actions, supports synthetic `?gamepad=1` input, and exposes `ctx.input.rumble`.
+- Core action context stacks layer gameplay, menus, and passthrough overlays with snapshot/restore; shell action tracking now respects the active context.
 - Core perception tracks deterministic sight, hearing, occlusion, and bounded observation memory for AI.
 - `syncWorldColliders` now keeps terrain and static object colliders synchronized with a physics backend.
 - Core decision graphs provide deterministic selector, sequence, condition, action, and utility runtimes with snapshot/restore.
diff --git a/packages/core/src/game/controlGate.ts b/packages/core/src/game/controlGate.ts
index 68fb9118..cd5471e3 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/game/controlGate.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/game/controlGate.ts
@@ -1,11 +1,41 @@
 import type { GameContext } from "../runtime/gameContext";
+import { createActionContextStack, type ActionContextStack } from "../input/actionContexts";
+import type { ActionCodesMap } from "../input/actionBindings";
 
 export const PLAY_CONTROLS_STORE_KEY = "jg.playControls";
+const ACTION_CONTEXTS = new WeakMap<GameContext, ActionContextStack>();
+
+function contextsFor(ctx: GameContext): ActionContextStack {
+  let stack = ACTION_CONTEXTS.get(ctx);
+  if (stack === undefined) {
+    stack = createActionContextStack();
+    ACTION_CONTEXTS.set(ctx, stack);
+  }
+  return stack;
+}
+
+/** Returns the context stack associated with a game context. */
+export function actionContextStack(ctx: GameContext): ActionContextStack {
+  return contextsFor(ctx);
+}
+
+/** Applies active contexts to a base action map for shell input tracking. */
+export function activeActionCodes(ctx: GameContext, base: ActionCodesMap): ActionCodesMap {
+  const stack = contextsFor(ctx);
+  const layered = createActionContextStack();
+  layered.push({ id: "__jg_base_actions", codes: base, passthrough: true });
+  for (const context of stack.snapshot().contexts) layered.push(context);
+  return layered.active();
+}
 
 export function setPlayControlsActive(ctx: GameContext, active: boolean): void {
+  const stack = contextsFor(ctx);
+  if (active) stack.pop("menu");
+  else stack.push({ id: "menu", codes: {}, passthrough: false });
   ctx.game.store.set(PLAY_CONTROLS_STORE_KEY, active);
 }
 
 export function playControlsActive(ctx: GameContext): boolean {
-  return ctx.game.store.get(PLAY_CONTROLS_STORE_KEY) !== false;
+  return ctx.game.store.get(PLAY_CONTROLS_STORE_KEY) !== false &&
+    !actionContextStack(ctx).snapshot().contexts.some((context) => context.id === "menu");
 }
diff --git a/packages/core/src/input/actionContexts.test.ts b/packages/core/src/input/actionContexts.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8c08c2f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/input/actionContexts.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import { describe, expect, test } from "bun:test";
+import { createActionContextStack } from "./actionContexts";
+
+describe("action context stack", () => {
+  test("merges passthrough contexts from top down", () => {
+    const stack = createActionContextStack();
+    stack.push({ id: "play", codes: { move: ["KeyW"], pause: ["Escape"] }, passthrough: true });
+    stack.push({ id: "overlay", codes: { pause: ["KeyP"], chat: ["Enter"] }, passthrough: true });
+    expect(stack.active()).toEqual({ move: ["KeyW"], pause: ["KeyP"], chat: ["Enter"] });
+  });
+
+  test("a non-passthrough context blocks lower contexts", () => {
+    const stack = createActionContextStack();
+    stack.push({ id: "play", codes: { move: ["KeyW"] }, passthrough: true });
+    stack.push({ id: "menu", codes: { confirm: ["Enter"] }, passthrough: false });
+    expect(stack.active()).toEqual({ confirm: ["Enter"] });
+    expect(stack.pop("menu")).toBe(true);
+    expect(stack.active()).toEqual({ move: ["KeyW"] });
+  });
+
+  test("snapshots and restores layered state", () => {
+    const stack = createActionContextStack();
+    stack.push({ id: "play", codes: { jump: ["Space"] }, passthrough: true });
+    const snapshot = stack.snapshot();
+    stack.push({ id: "menu", codes: {}, passthrough: false });
+    stack.restore(snapshot);
+    expect(stack.active()).toEqual({ jump: ["Space"] });
+  });
+});
diff --git a/packages/core/src/input/actionContexts.ts b/packages/core/src/input/actionContexts.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c6a192f3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/core/src/input/actionContexts.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+import type { ActionCodesMap } from "./actionBindings";
+
+/** Named action-binding layer that may optionally expose lower layers. */
+export interface ActionContext {
+  id: string;
+  codes: ActionCodesMap;
+  passthrough: boolean;
+}
+
+/** Serializable state for an action-context stack. */
+export interface ActionContextStackSnapshot {
+  contexts: ActionContext[];
+}
+
+/** Mutable layered action-map stack with snapshot and restore support. */
+export interface ActionContextStack {
+  push(context: ActionContext): void;
+  pop(id: string): boolean;
+  active(): ActionCodesMap;
+  snapshot(): ActionContextStackSnapshot;
+  restore(snapshot: ActionContextStackSnapshot): void;
+}
+
+function cloneCodes(codes: ActionCodesMap): ActionCodesMap {
+  const result: ActionCodesMap = {};
+  for (const [action, value] of Object.entries(codes)) {
+    const modes = value as { hold?: readonly string[]; toggle?: readonly string[]; repeatMs?: number };
+    result[action] = Array.isArray(value)
+      ? [...value]
+      : {
+          ...(modes.hold === undefined ? {} : { hold: [...modes.hold] }),
+          ...(modes.toggle === undefined ? {} : { toggle: [...modes.toggle] }),
+          ...(modes.repeatMs === undefined ? {} : { repeatMs: modes.repeatMs }),
+        };
+  }
+  return result;
+}
+
+/** Creates a serializable stack of layered action maps for menus and gameplay modes. */
+export function createActionContextStack(): ActionContextStack {
+  let contexts: ActionContext[] = [];
+
+  return {
+    push(context) {
+      contexts = [...contexts.filter((current) => current.id !== context.id), {
+        id: context.id,
+        codes: cloneCodes(context.codes),
+        passthrough: context.passthrough,
+      }];
+    },
+    pop(id) {
+      const next = contexts.filter((context) => context.id !== id);
+      const changed = next.length !== contexts.length;
+      contexts = next;
+      return changed;
+    },
+    active() {
+      const merged: ActionCodesMap = {};
+      for (let index = contexts.length - 1; index >= 0; index -= 1) {
+        const context = contexts[index]!;
+        for (const [action, codes] of Object.entries(context.codes)) {
+          if (merged[action] === undefined) merged[action] = codes;
+        }
+        if (!context.passthrough) break;
+      }
+      return merged;
+    },
+    snapshot() {
+      return { contexts: contexts.map((context) => ({ ...context, codes: cloneCodes(context.codes) })) };
+    },
+    restore(snapshot) {
+      contexts = snapshot.contexts.map((context) => ({
+        id: context.id,
+        codes: cloneCodes(context.codes),
+        passthrough: context.passthrough,
+      }));
+    },
+  };
+}
diff --git a/packages/shell/src/GamePlayerShell.tsx b/packages/shell/src/GamePlayerShell.tsx
index b7d9fe1d..ac124947 100644
--- a/packages/shell/src/GamePlayerShell.tsx
+++ b/packages/shell/src/GamePlayerShell.tsx
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import { deriveTouchScheme, withTouchCodes, DEFAULT_TOUCH_STYLE } from "@jgengin
 import { activeTouchControlsMode } from "@jgengine/core/input/touchControlsMode";
 import { normalizePointerToAxis, type PointerAxisState } from "@jgengine/core/input/pointerAxis";
 import { createGameContext, type GameContext } from "@jgengine/core/runtime/gameContext";
+import { activeActionCodes } from "@jgengine/core/game/controlGate";
 import type { PresencePoseRow } from "@jgengine/core/runtime/transport";
 import { useDisplayProfile } from "@jgengine/react/display";
 import { RotateDeviceScreen } from "@jgengine/react/rotateDevice";
@@ -148,8 +149,10 @@ export function GamePlayerShell({
     [playable],
   );
   const tracker = useMemo(
-    () => createActionStateTracker(toActionStateBindingMap(withTouchCodes(effectiveInput))),
-    [effectiveInput],
+    () => createActionStateTracker(toActionStateBindingMap(withTouchCodes(
+      ctx === null ? effectiveInput : activeActionCodes(ctx, effectiveInput),
+    ))),
+    [ctx, effectiveInput],
   );
   const graphics = useGraphicsSettings(settingsStore, playable.shadows ?? true, playable.graphics);
   const trackPointerAxis = (event: { clientX: number; clientY: number }) => {
diff --git a/scripts/export-manifest.json b/scripts/export-manifest.json
index 0fccdc60..2b58a39d 100644
--- a/scripts/export-manifest.json
+++ b/scripts/export-manifest.json
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@
     "./i18n/i18n",
     "./index",
     "./input/actionBindings",
+    "./input/actionContexts",
     "./input/axisInput",
     "./input/bindingOverrides",
     "./input/controlGroups",