diff --git a/src/Game/__tests__/restore-state-characterization.test.ts b/src/Game/__tests__/restore-state-characterization.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..389e21f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Game/__tests__/restore-state-characterization.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from '@jest/globals'
+import { BackgammonGame } from '@nodots/backgammon-types'
+import { Game } from '../index'
+
+// A complete, restorable game state.
+function buildRestorableGame(): BackgammonGame {
+  return Game.createNewGame(
+    { userId: 'player1', isRobot: false },
+    { userId: 'player2', isRobot: false }
+  )
+}
+
+describe('Game.restoreState() — characterization', () => {
+  it('returns the state unchanged for a valid, restorable game', () => {
+    const game = buildRestorableGame()
+    const restored = Game.restoreState(game)
+    expect(restored).toBe(game)
+  })
+
+  it('throws when state is null or undefined', () => {
+    // Defensive branch; the signature forbids null.
+    expect(() => Game.restoreState(null as any)).toThrow(
+      'Cannot restore: state is null or undefined'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('throws when stateKind is missing', () => {
+    const game = buildRestorableGame()
+    const noKind = { ...game, stateKind: undefined } as any
+    expect(() => Game.restoreState(noKind)).toThrow(
+      'invalid state - missing stateKind'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('throws when there are not exactly 2 players', () => {
+    const game = buildRestorableGame()
+    const onePlayer = { ...game, players: [game.players[0]] } as any
+    expect(() => Game.restoreState(onePlayer)).toThrow(
+      'must have exactly 2 players'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('throws when the board is missing', () => {
+    const game = buildRestorableGame()
+    const noBoard = { ...game, board: undefined } as any
+    expect(() => Game.restoreState(noBoard)).toThrow(
+      'invalid state - missing board'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('throws when the cube is missing', () => {
+    const game = buildRestorableGame()
+    const noCube = { ...game, cube: undefined } as any
+    expect(() => Game.restoreState(noCube)).toThrow(
+      'invalid state - missing cube'
+    )
+  })
+
+  it('throws when the stateKind is not restorable', () => {
+    const game = buildRestorableGame()
+    const badKind = { ...game, stateKind: 'not-a-real-state' } as any
+    expect(() => Game.restoreState(badKind)).toThrow(
+      "Cannot restore: invalid stateKind 'not-a-real-state'"
+    )
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/Game/index.ts b/src/Game/index.ts
index 9a9dc3a..af7e278 100644
--- a/src/Game/index.ts
+++ b/src/Game/index.ts
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ import {
   BackgammonPlayerMoving,
   BackgammonPlayerRolledForStart,
   BackgammonPlayerRolling,
-  BackgammonPlayerRollingForStart,
   BackgammonPlayers,
   BackgammonPlayerWinner,
   BackgammonPlayMoving,
@@ -52,6 +51,7 @@ import {
   canRoll,
   canRollForStart,
 } from './guards'
+import { restoreState, rollForStart } from './lifecycle'
 import { createBaseGameProperties, incrementStateVersion } from './shared'
 import { canUndoActivePlay, undoLastInActivePlay } from './undo'
 
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ import type {
   BackgammonPlayersRollingForStartTuple,
   BackgammonPlayersRollingTuple,
 } from '@nodots/backgammon-types'
-import { RESTORABLE_GAME_STATE_KINDS } from '@nodots/backgammon-types'
 import { executeRobotTurn } from './executeRobotTurn'
 
 export class Game {
@@ -331,67 +330,10 @@ export class Game {
   // GAME STATE TRANSITION METHODS
   // ============================================================================
 
-  public static rollForStart = function rollForStart(
+  public static rollForStart = function (
     game: BackgammonGameRollingForStart
   ): BackgammonGameRolledForStart {
-    const { players } = game
-    const clockwise = players.find(
-      (p) => p.direction === 'clockwise' && p.stateKind === 'rolling-for-start'
-    )
-    const counterclockwise = players.find(
-      (p) =>
-        p.direction === 'counterclockwise' &&
-        p.stateKind === 'rolling-for-start'
-    )
-
-    if (!clockwise || !counterclockwise) {
-      throw new Error(
-        'Cannot rollForStart without clockwise and counterclockwise players'
-      )
-    }
-
-    // Roll dice for both players
-    const rolledClockwise = Player.rollForStart(
-      clockwise as BackgammonPlayerRollingForStart
-    )
-    const rolledCounterclockwise = Player.rollForStart(
-      counterclockwise as BackgammonPlayerRollingForStart
-    )
-
-    // Determine who goes first based on the rolls
-    const clockwiseRoll = rolledClockwise.dice.currentRoll![0]
-    const counterclockwiseRoll = rolledCounterclockwise.dice.currentRoll![0]
-
-    let activeColor: BackgammonColor
-    if (clockwiseRoll > counterclockwiseRoll) {
-      activeColor = clockwise.color
-    } else if (counterclockwiseRoll > clockwiseRoll) {
-      activeColor = counterclockwise.color
-    } else {
-      // Tie - need to reroll (for now, default to clockwise)
-      return Game.rollForStart(game)
-    }
-
-    const rollingForStartPlayers = [rolledClockwise, rolledCounterclockwise]
-    const activePlayer = rollingForStartPlayers.find(
-      (p) => p.color === activeColor
-    )!
-    const inactivePlayer = rollingForStartPlayers.find(
-      (p) => p.color !== activeColor
-    )!
-
-    return incrementStateVersion({
-      ...game,
-      stateKind: 'rolled-for-start',
-      activeColor,
-      // Ensure tuple order is [active, inactive] for stricter typing
-      players: [
-        activePlayer,
-        inactivePlayer,
-      ] as BackgammonPlayersRolledForStartTuple,
-      activePlayer,
-      inactivePlayer,
-    } as BackgammonGameRolledForStart)
+    return rollForStart(game)
   }
 
   public static roll = function roll(
@@ -1940,42 +1882,10 @@ export class Game {
    * @param state Complete game state to restore to
    * @returns Validated game state
    */
-  public static restoreState = function restoreState(
+  public static restoreState = function (
     state: BackgammonGame
   ): BackgammonGame {
-    // Validate that this is a valid game state
-    if (!state) {
-      throw new Error('Cannot restore: state is null or undefined')
-    }
-
-    if (!state.stateKind) {
-      throw new Error('Cannot restore: invalid state - missing stateKind')
-    }
-
-    if (!state.players || state.players.length !== 2) {
-      throw new Error(
-        'Cannot restore: invalid state - must have exactly 2 players'
-      )
-    }
-
-    if (!state.board) {
-      throw new Error('Cannot restore: invalid state - missing board')
-    }
-
-    if (!state.cube) {
-      throw new Error('Cannot restore: invalid state - missing cube')
-    }
-
-    // Validate state kind is one of the known restorable states from TYPES
-    if (!RESTORABLE_GAME_STATE_KINDS.includes(state.stateKind)) {
-      throw new Error(`Cannot restore: invalid stateKind '${state.stateKind}'`)
-    }
-
-    // State is valid - return it
-    // Note: We return the state as-is because it's already a complete, valid game state
-    // The API layer is responsible for persisting this state
-    logger.info(`State restored successfully to ${state.stateKind}`)
-    return state
+    return restoreState(state)
   }
 
   public static startMove = function startMove(
diff --git a/src/Game/lifecycle.ts b/src/Game/lifecycle.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f6a5de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Game/lifecycle.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+import {
+  BackgammonColor,
+  BackgammonGame,
+  BackgammonGameRolledForStart,
+  BackgammonGameRollingForStart,
+  BackgammonPlayerRollingForStart,
+  BackgammonPlayersRolledForStartTuple,
+  RESTORABLE_GAME_STATE_KINDS,
+} from '@nodots/backgammon-types'
+import { Player } from '..'
+import { logger } from '../utils/logger'
+import { incrementStateVersion } from './shared'
+
+export function rollForStart(
+  game: BackgammonGameRollingForStart
+): BackgammonGameRolledForStart {
+  const { players } = game
+  const clockwise = players.find(
+    (p) => p.direction === 'clockwise' && p.stateKind === 'rolling-for-start'
+  )
+  const counterclockwise = players.find(
+    (p) =>
+      p.direction === 'counterclockwise' && p.stateKind === 'rolling-for-start'
+  )
+
+  if (!clockwise || !counterclockwise) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'Cannot rollForStart without clockwise and counterclockwise players'
+    )
+  }
+
+  // Roll dice for both players
+  const rolledClockwise = Player.rollForStart(
+    clockwise as BackgammonPlayerRollingForStart
+  )
+  const rolledCounterclockwise = Player.rollForStart(
+    counterclockwise as BackgammonPlayerRollingForStart
+  )
+
+  // Determine who goes first based on the rolls
+  const clockwiseRoll = rolledClockwise.dice.currentRoll![0]
+  const counterclockwiseRoll = rolledCounterclockwise.dice.currentRoll![0]
+
+  let activeColor: BackgammonColor
+  if (clockwiseRoll > counterclockwiseRoll) {
+    activeColor = clockwise.color
+  } else if (counterclockwiseRoll > clockwiseRoll) {
+    activeColor = counterclockwise.color
+  } else {
+    // Tie - need to reroll (for now, default to clockwise)
+    return rollForStart(game)
+  }
+
+  const rollingForStartPlayers = [rolledClockwise, rolledCounterclockwise]
+  const activePlayer = rollingForStartPlayers.find(
+    (p) => p.color === activeColor
+  )!
+  const inactivePlayer = rollingForStartPlayers.find(
+    (p) => p.color !== activeColor
+  )!
+
+  return incrementStateVersion({
+    ...game,
+    stateKind: 'rolled-for-start',
+    activeColor,
+    // Ensure tuple order is [active, inactive] for stricter typing
+    players: [
+      activePlayer,
+      inactivePlayer,
+    ] as BackgammonPlayersRolledForStartTuple,
+    activePlayer,
+    inactivePlayer,
+  } as BackgammonGameRolledForStart)
+}
+
+/**
+ * Restores a game to a previous state
+ * This is the new architecture for state restoration - CORE validates but doesn't manage history
+ * @param state Complete game state to restore to
+ * @returns Validated game state
+ */
+export function restoreState(state: BackgammonGame): BackgammonGame {
+  // Validate that this is a valid game state
+  if (!state) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot restore: state is null or undefined')
+  }
+
+  if (!state.stateKind) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot restore: invalid state - missing stateKind')
+  }
+
+  if (!state.players || state.players.length !== 2) {
+    throw new Error(
+      'Cannot restore: invalid state - must have exactly 2 players'
+    )
+  }
+
+  if (!state.board) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot restore: invalid state - missing board')
+  }
+
+  if (!state.cube) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot restore: invalid state - missing cube')
+  }
+
+  // Validate state kind is one of the known restorable states from TYPES
+  if (!RESTORABLE_GAME_STATE_KINDS.includes(state.stateKind)) {
+    throw new Error(`Cannot restore: invalid stateKind '${state.stateKind}'`)
+  }
+
+  // State is valid - return it
+  // Note: We return the state as-is because it's already a complete, valid game state
+  // The API layer is responsible for persisting this state
+  logger.info(`State restored successfully to ${state.stateKind}`)
+  return state
+}