diff --git a/client/src/scenes/GameScene.ts b/client/src/scenes/GameScene.ts
index 11b3ad8..dde3467 100644
--- a/client/src/scenes/GameScene.ts
+++ b/client/src/scenes/GameScene.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import { EventsFeed } from '../ui/EventsFeed.js';
 import { InventionsPanel } from '../ui/InventionsPanel.js';
 import { StocksPanel } from '../ui/StocksPanel.js';
 import { InteractionEmojiManager } from '../ui/InteractionEmoji.js';
+import { TimeIndicator } from '../ui/TimeIndicator.js';
 import type { WorldState, StateUpdate, EntityState, Appearance, NarrationEvent, MemoryEvent } from '@dflike/shared';
 import { TILE_SIZE, SPRITE_FRAME_WIDTH, SPRITE_FRAME_HEIGHT, SPRITE_COLS, Direction, Terrain, TILESET_TILE_SIZE, TILESET_SCALE, DAY_HOURS, TOTAL_HOURS, SUNSET_DURATION_HOURS, SUNRISE_DURATION_HOURS, NIGHT_DARKNESS } from '@dflike/shared';
 
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@ export class GameScene extends Phaser.Scene {
   private currentGameTime = 0;
   private targetGameTime = 0;
   private lastPhaseKey = '';
+  private timeIndicator!: TimeIndicator;
 
   constructor() {
     super({ key: 'GameScene' });
@@ -125,6 +127,7 @@ export class GameScene extends Phaser.Scene {
     this.dayNightOverlay = this.add.graphics();
     this.dayNightOverlay.setScrollFactor(0);
     this.dayNightOverlay.setDepth(999);
+    this.timeIndicator = new TimeIndicator();
 
     // Input
     this.cursors = this.input.keyboard!.createCursorKeys();
@@ -742,6 +745,7 @@ export class GameScene extends Phaser.Scene {
     if (this.currentGameTime < 0) this.currentGameTime += 1;
 
     this.renderDayNightOverlay();
+    this.timeIndicator.update(this.currentGameTime);
     this.handleCameraAndMovement(delta);
   }
 
@@ -1003,33 +1007,43 @@ export class GameScene extends Phaser.Scene {
     this.dayNightOverlay.clear();
 
     if (phase === 'day') return;
-    const stripCount = 50;
-    const stripWidth = Math.ceil(w / stripCount);
 
-    // Darkness overlay
-    for (let i = 0; i < stripCount; i++) {
-      const x = i * stripWidth;
-      // t goes 0 (left) to 1 (right)
-      const t = i / (stripCount - 1);
+    if (phase === 'night') {
+      // Full night: single rectangle, no strips
+      this.dayNightOverlay.fillStyle(0x0a0a2a, NIGHT_DARKNESS);
+      this.dayNightOverlay.fillRect(0, 0, w, h);
+    } else {
+      // Transitions: use a base layer + sweep layer to avoid strip seams
+      // Base layer covers the whole screen at minimum alpha for this progress
+      const baseAlpha = phase === 'sunset'
+        ? Math.max(0, progress * 2 - 1) * NIGHT_DARKNESS  // 0 until halfway, then ramps up
+        : Math.max(0, 1 - progress * 2) * NIGHT_DARKNESS; // full until halfway, then ramps down
 
-      let alpha: number;
-      if (phase === 'night') {
-        alpha = NIGHT_DARKNESS;
-      } else if (phase === 'sunset') {
-        // Right side darkens first: right strips reach full darkness earlier
-        // At progress=0, alpha=0 everywhere. At progress=1, alpha=NIGHT_DARKNESS everywhere.
-        // Each strip's individual progress is shifted: right strips lead.
-        const stripProgress = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, progress * 2 - (1 - t)));
-        alpha = stripProgress * NIGHT_DARKNESS;
-      } else {
-        // Sunrise: right side lightens first
-        const stripProgress = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, progress * 2 - (1 - t)));
-        alpha = (1 - stripProgress) * NIGHT_DARKNESS;
+      if (baseAlpha > 0.001) {
+        this.dayNightOverlay.fillStyle(0x0a0a2a, baseAlpha);
+        this.dayNightOverlay.fillRect(0, 0, w, h);
       }
 
-      if (alpha > 0.001) {
-        this.dayNightOverlay.fillStyle(0x0a0a2a, alpha);
-        this.dayNightOverlay.fillRect(x, 0, stripWidth + 1, h);
+      // Sweep layer adds additional darkness in a gradient from one side
+      const stripCount = 50;
+      const stripWidth = Math.ceil(w / stripCount);
+      for (let i = 0; i < stripCount; i++) {
+        const x = i * stripWidth;
+        const t = i / (stripCount - 1);
+
+        let alpha: number;
+        if (phase === 'sunset') {
+          const stripProgress = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, progress * 2 - (1 - t)));
+          alpha = stripProgress * NIGHT_DARKNESS - baseAlpha;
+        } else {
+          const stripProgress = Math.max(0, Math.min(1, progress * 2 - (1 - t)));
+          alpha = (1 - stripProgress) * NIGHT_DARKNESS - baseAlpha;
+        }
+
+        if (alpha > 0.001) {
+          this.dayNightOverlay.fillStyle(0x0a0a2a, alpha);
+          this.dayNightOverlay.fillRect(x, 0, stripWidth + 2, h);
+        }
       }
     }
 
diff --git a/client/src/ui/TimeIndicator.ts b/client/src/ui/TimeIndicator.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..12a714a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/ui/TimeIndicator.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+import { DAY_HOURS, NIGHT_HOURS, TOTAL_HOURS, SUNSET_DURATION_HOURS, SUNRISE_DURATION_HOURS } from '@dflike/shared';
+
+export class TimeIndicator {
+  private container: HTMLDivElement;
+  private marker: HTMLDivElement;
+  private daySection: HTMLDivElement;
+  private nightSection: HTMLDivElement;
+  private sunIcon: HTMLDivElement;
+  private moonIcon: HTMLDivElement;
+  private lastTimeKey = '';
+
+  constructor() {
+    // Outer container — top center of screen
+    this.container = document.createElement('div');
+    this.container.style.cssText = `
+      position: fixed;
+      top: 10px;
+      left: 50%;
+      transform: translateX(-50%);
+      z-index: 1001;
+      display: flex;
+      align-items: center;
+      gap: 5px;
+      font-family: 'Press Start 2P', monospace;
+      pointer-events: none;
+      opacity: 0.85;
+    `;
+
+    // Sun icon
+    this.sunIcon = document.createElement('div');
+    this.sunIcon.style.cssText = `
+      font-size: 10px;
+      color: #f0d060;
+      text-shadow: 0 0 4px #f0d06088;
+      line-height: 1;
+    `;
+    this.sunIcon.textContent = '☀';
+
+    // Track container
+    const track = document.createElement('div');
+    track.style.cssText = `
+      display: flex;
+      height: 8px;
+      border: 2px solid #e0d0b0;
+      border-radius: 1px;
+      overflow: hidden;
+      position: relative;
+      box-shadow: 0 0 6px #00000066, inset 0 1px 2px #00000044;
+    `;
+
+    // Day section (proportional width)
+    const dayFraction = DAY_HOURS / TOTAL_HOURS;
+    this.daySection = document.createElement('div');
+    this.daySection.style.cssText = `
+      width: ${dayFraction * 120}px;
+      height: 100%;
+      background: linear-gradient(180deg, #5c8abf 0%, #3a6a9f 100%);
+      position: relative;
+    `;
+
+    // Divider line between day/night
+    const divider = document.createElement('div');
+    divider.style.cssText = `
+      width: 1px;
+      height: 100%;
+      background: #e0d0b0;
+      flex-shrink: 0;
+      opacity: 0.5;
+    `;
+
+    // Night section
+    this.nightSection = document.createElement('div');
+    this.nightSection.style.cssText = `
+      width: ${(1 - dayFraction) * 120}px;
+      height: 100%;
+      background: linear-gradient(180deg, #1a1a3e 0%, #0e0e28 100%);
+      position: relative;
+    `;
+
+    // Marker (moves across the full track)
+    this.marker = document.createElement('div');
+    this.marker.style.cssText = `
+      position: absolute;
+      top: -1px;
+      width: 3px;
+      height: calc(100% + 2px);
+      background: #f0d060;
+      box-shadow: 0 0 4px #f0d060aa;
+      border-radius: 1px;
+      z-index: 2;
+      transition: left 0.5s linear;
+    `;
+    this.marker.style.left = '0px';
+
+    track.appendChild(this.daySection);
+    track.appendChild(divider);
+    track.appendChild(this.nightSection);
+    track.appendChild(this.marker);
+
+    // Moon icon
+    this.moonIcon = document.createElement('div');
+    this.moonIcon.style.cssText = `
+      font-size: 9px;
+      color: #b8c8e8;
+      text-shadow: 0 0 4px #b8c8e866;
+      line-height: 1;
+    `;
+    this.moonIcon.textContent = '☾';
+
+    this.container.appendChild(this.sunIcon);
+    this.container.appendChild(track);
+    this.container.appendChild(this.moonIcon);
+
+    document.body.appendChild(this.container);
+  }
+
+  /** @param gameTime normalized 0-1 through the full day/night cycle */
+  update(gameTime: number): void {
+    // Only update when visually changed (quantize to avoid thrash)
+    const key = Math.round(gameTime * 200).toString();
+    if (key === this.lastTimeKey) return;
+    this.lastTimeKey = key;
+
+    // gameTime 0-1 maps linearly across the track
+    // Track total inner width = daySection + 1px divider + nightSection
+    const totalWidth = 120 + 1; // 120px sections + 1px divider
+    const px = gameTime * totalWidth;
+
+    this.marker.style.left = `${px}px`;
+
+    // Determine phase for icon highlighting
+    const hour = gameTime * TOTAL_HOURS;
+    const sunsetStart = DAY_HOURS - SUNSET_DURATION_HOURS;
+    const isDay = hour < sunsetStart;
+    const sunriseStart = TOTAL_HOURS - SUNRISE_DURATION_HOURS;
+    const isNight = hour >= DAY_HOURS && hour < sunriseStart;
+
+    // Pulse the active icon
+    if (isDay) {
+      this.sunIcon.style.opacity = '1';
+      this.moonIcon.style.opacity = '0.4';
+    } else if (isNight) {
+      this.sunIcon.style.opacity = '0.4';
+      this.moonIcon.style.opacity = '1';
+    } else {
+      // Transition
+      this.sunIcon.style.opacity = '0.7';
+      this.moonIcon.style.opacity = '0.7';
+    }
+  }
+
+  destroy(): void {
+    this.container.remove();
+  }
+}
diff --git a/shared/src/constants.ts b/shared/src/constants.ts
index 3b5c0e0..03bf607 100644
--- a/shared/src/constants.ts
+++ b/shared/src/constants.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ export const NIGHT_HOURS = DAY_HOURS / DAY_NIGHT_RATIO; // 6 hours of night
 export const TOTAL_HOURS = DAY_HOURS + NIGHT_HOURS;     // 18 hours total cycle
 export const SUNSET_DURATION_HOURS = 1;     // game hours for sunset transition
 export const SUNRISE_DURATION_HOURS = 1;    // game hours for sunrise transition
-export const NIGHT_DARKNESS = 0.3;          // max overlay opacity (0-1)
+export const NIGHT_DARKNESS = 0.45;         // max overlay opacity (0-1)
 
 // Directions (row index in spritesheet)
 export const Direction = {