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+# Tooltip Hover Implementation Plan
+
+> **For Claude:** REQUIRED SUB-SKILL: Use superpowers:executing-plans to implement this plan task-by-task.
+
+**Goal:** Add pixel-art styled hover tooltips to all abbreviated tab labels and stat abbreviations in the game UI.
+
+**Architecture:** Create a shared tooltip utility function that creates/positions/removes tooltip divs on mouseenter/mouseleave. Both LeftPanel and NpcInfoPanel import and use it. Tooltip placement varies by context (left, right, or above).
+
+**Tech Stack:** TypeScript, DOM API (no libraries)
+
+---
+
+### Task 1: Create Tooltip Utility
+
+**Files:**
+- Create: `client/src/ui/tooltip.ts`
+
+**Step 1: Create the tooltip utility module**
+
+```typescript
+// Tooltip positioning options
+type TooltipPosition = 'left' | 'right' | 'above';
+
+const TOOLTIP_STYLE = `
+  position: absolute;
+  background: #1a1a2e;
+  border: 2px solid #7878d8;
+  color: #e0d0b0;
+  font-family: 'Press Start 2P', monospace;
+  font-size: 10px;
+  padding: 4px 8px;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  z-index: 10000;
+`;
+
+/**
+ * Attach a hover tooltip to an element.
+ * Returns a cleanup function to remove the listeners.
+ */
+export function attachTooltip(
+  element: HTMLElement,
+  text: string,
+  position: TooltipPosition = 'right',
+): () => void {
+  let tooltip: HTMLDivElement | null = null;
+
+  const show = () => {
+    tooltip = document.createElement('div');
+    tooltip.style.cssText = TOOLTIP_STYLE;
+    tooltip.textContent = text;
+    document.body.appendChild(tooltip);
+
+    const rect = element.getBoundingClientRect();
+    const tipRect = tooltip.getBoundingClientRect();
+
+    switch (position) {
+      case 'right':
+        tooltip.style.left = `${rect.right + 6}px`;
+        tooltip.style.top = `${rect.top + (rect.height - tipRect.height) / 2}px`;
+        break;
+      case 'left':
+        tooltip.style.left = `${rect.left - tipRect.width - 6}px`;
+        tooltip.style.top = `${rect.top + (rect.height - tipRect.height) / 2}px`;
+        break;
+      case 'above':
+        tooltip.style.left = `${rect.left + (rect.width - tipRect.width) / 2}px`;
+        tooltip.style.top = `${rect.top - tipRect.height - 6}px`;
+        break;
+    }
+  };
+
+  const hide = () => {
+    if (tooltip) {
+      tooltip.remove();
+      tooltip = null;
+    }
+  };
+
+  element.addEventListener('mouseenter', show);
+  element.addEventListener('mouseleave', hide);
+
+  return () => {
+    element.removeEventListener('mouseenter', show);
+    element.removeEventListener('mouseleave', hide);
+    hide();
+  };
+}
+```
+
+**Step 2: Verify it compiles**
+
+Run: `npx -w client tsc --noEmit`
+Expected: No errors
+
+**Step 3: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add client/src/ui/tooltip.ts
+git commit -m "feat: add tooltip utility for hover labels"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Task 2: Add Tooltips to Left Panel Tabs
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `client/src/ui/LeftPanel.ts`
+
+**Step 1: Import tooltip utility and attach tooltips to tabs**
+
+At the top of `LeftPanel.ts`, add:
+```typescript
+import { attachTooltip } from './tooltip.js';
+```
+
+After all tabs are created and appended to `tabContainer` (after line ~170), add:
+```typescript
+attachTooltip(this.statsTab, 'Superlatives', 'right');
+attachTooltip(this.eventsTab, 'Event Log', 'right');
+attachTooltip(this.inventionsTab, 'Inventions', 'right');
+attachTooltip(this.resourcesTab, 'Resources', 'right');
+```
+
+**Step 2: Verify it compiles**
+
+Run: `npx -w client tsc --noEmit`
+Expected: No errors
+
+**Step 3: Manual verification**
+
+Run: `npm -w client run dev`
+Hover over each left panel tab (S, E, I, R) and verify tooltips appear to the right with correct labels.
+
+**Step 4: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add client/src/ui/LeftPanel.ts
+git commit -m "feat: add hover tooltips to left panel tabs"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Task 3: Add Tooltips to NPC Info Panel Tabs
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `client/src/ui/NpcInfoPanel.ts`
+
+**Step 1: Import tooltip utility and attach tooltips to tabs**
+
+At the top of `NpcInfoPanel.ts`, add:
+```typescript
+import { attachTooltip } from './tooltip.js';
+```
+
+After the tabs are created (after line ~96, before `tabColumn.appendChild`), add:
+```typescript
+attachTooltip(this.statusTab, 'Status', 'left');
+attachTooltip(this.relationshipsTab, 'Relationships', 'left');
+attachTooltip(this.historyTab, 'History', 'left');
+attachTooltip(this.inventoryTab, 'Inventory', 'left');
+```
+
+**Step 2: Verify it compiles**
+
+Run: `npx -w client tsc --noEmit`
+Expected: No errors
+
+**Step 3: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add client/src/ui/NpcInfoPanel.ts
+git commit -m "feat: add hover tooltips to NPC info panel tabs"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Task 4: Add Tooltips to Stat Abbreviations
+
+**Files:**
+- Modify: `client/src/ui/NpcInfoPanel.ts`
+
+**Step 1: Add stat tooltip mapping and attach tooltips in setStatDisplay**
+
+Add a constant at the top of the file (after the `EB` object):
+```typescript
+const STAT_FULL_NAMES: Record<string, string> = {
+  STR: 'Strength', DEX: 'Dexterity', CON: 'Constitution', INT: 'Intelligence', PER: 'Perception',
+  SOC: 'Sociability', COU: 'Courage', CUR: 'Curiosity', EMP: 'Empathy', TMP: 'Temperament',
+};
+```
+
+In the `setStatDisplay` method, after the stat element is created (inside the `if (!el)` block, after `this.statElements.set(label, el);`), add:
+```typescript
+if (STAT_FULL_NAMES[label]) {
+  attachTooltip(el, STAT_FULL_NAMES[label], 'above');
+}
+```
+
+**Step 2: Verify it compiles**
+
+Run: `npx -w client tsc --noEmit`
+Expected: No errors
+
+**Step 3: Commit**
+
+```bash
+git add client/src/ui/NpcInfoPanel.ts
+git commit -m "feat: add hover tooltips to stat abbreviations"
+```
+
+---
+
+### Task 5: Visual QA
+
+**Step 1: Start the client and server**
+
+Run: `npm -w server run dev` and `npm -w client run dev`
+
+**Step 2: Verify all tooltips**
+
+- Hover over each left panel tab (S, E, I, R) — tooltips appear to the right
+- Follow an NPC, hover over each right panel tab (S, R, H, I) — tooltips appear to the left
+- Hover over each stat abbreviation (STR, DEX, etc.) — tooltips appear above
+- Verify tooltips disappear when mouse leaves
+- Verify tooltip styling matches the game aesthetic (pixel font, dark background, purple border)
+
+**Step 3: Final commit if any fixes needed**