diff --git a/src/blob/controller.ts b/src/blob/controller.ts
index cbeafe3..bc7b6b6 100644
--- a/src/blob/controller.ts
+++ b/src/blob/controller.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,42 @@ export function createBlobController(
   addEventListener('keyup', (e) => keys.delete(e.code))
   const held = (...codes: string[]) => codes.some((c) => keys.has(c))
 
+  // ---- gamepad (poll API — read fresh each fixed step) ----
+  // Left stick = analog camera-relative move (radial deadzone, magnitude kept
+  // so gentle stick = gentle roll), d-pad = digital, A/Cross or B/Circle = jump
+  // through the same buffered-edge path as Space.
+  const pad = { x: 0, z: 0 }
+  let padJumpHeld = false
+  function pollGamepad(): void {
+    pad.x = 0
+    pad.z = 0
+    let jump = false
+    const pads = typeof navigator !== 'undefined' && navigator.getGamepads
+      ? navigator.getGamepads() : null
+    if (pads) {
+      for (const p of pads) {
+        if (!p || !p.connected) continue
+        const dz = 0.15
+        const ax = p.axes[0] ?? 0
+        const ay = p.axes[1] ?? 0
+        const mag = Math.hypot(ax, ay)
+        if (mag > dz) {
+          const scale = Math.min(1, (mag - dz) / (1 - dz)) / mag
+          pad.x = ax * scale
+          pad.z = ay * scale
+        }
+        if (p.buttons[14]?.pressed) pad.x = -1 // d-pad left
+        if (p.buttons[15]?.pressed) pad.x = 1  // d-pad right
+        if (p.buttons[12]?.pressed) pad.z = -1 // d-pad up
+        if (p.buttons[13]?.pressed) pad.z = 1  // d-pad down
+        jump = !!(p.buttons[0]?.pressed || p.buttons[1]?.pressed)
+        break // first connected pad wins
+      }
+    }
+    if (jump && !padJumpHeld) jumpBuffer = 0.12
+    padJumpHeld = jump
+  }
+
   // ---- state ----
   let grounded = false
   let coyote = 0 // seconds of "still counts as grounded" after leaving ground
@@ -103,13 +139,17 @@ export function createBlobController(
       fwd.normalize()
       right.set(-fwd.z, 0, fwd.x) // forward × up
 
+      pollGamepad()
       move.set(0, 0, 0)
       if (held('KeyW', 'ArrowUp')) move.add(fwd)
       if (held('KeyS', 'ArrowDown')) move.sub(fwd)
       if (held('KeyD', 'ArrowRight')) move.add(right)
       if (held('KeyA', 'ArrowLeft')) move.sub(right)
+      if (pad.x !== 0 || pad.z !== 0) {
+        move.addScaledVector(fwd, -pad.z).addScaledVector(right, pad.x) // stick up = away from camera
+      }
       const hasInput = move.lengthSq() > 1e-6
-      if (hasInput) move.normalize()
+      if (move.lengthSq() > 1) move.normalize() // keep sub-unit analog magnitudes
 
       const v = body.linvel()
       const mass = body.mass()
diff --git a/src/game.ts b/src/game.ts
index 0c4cdc1..357452f 100644
--- a/src/game.ts
+++ b/src/game.ts
@@ -110,6 +110,32 @@ export function installGame(world: World) {
     if (e.code === 'KeyC') world.events.emit('paint:request-cleanse', { fraction: 0.5 })
   })
 
+  // ---- gamepad niceties (movement/jump live in the blob controller) ----
+  let startHeld = false
+  world.addSystem({
+    update() {
+      const pads = navigator.getGamepads?.()
+      if (!pads) return
+      for (const p of pads) {
+        if (!p || !p.connected) continue
+        const s = !!p.buttons[9]?.pressed // Start/Options = respawn
+        if (s && !startHeld) respawn()
+        startHeld = s
+        break
+      }
+    },
+  })
+  addEventListener('gamepadconnected', (e) => {
+    const toast = document.createElement('div')
+    toast.textContent = `🎮 ${(e as GamepadEvent).gamepad.id.slice(0, 40)} connected — stick to roll, A to jump, Start to respawn`
+    toast.style.cssText =
+      'position:fixed;bottom:16px;left:50%;transform:translateX(-50%);' +
+      'font:13px ui-monospace,Menlo,monospace;color:#fff;background:rgba(20,24,34,.88);' +
+      'padding:9px 14px;border-radius:9px;z-index:20;pointer-events:none'
+    document.body.appendChild(toast)
+    setTimeout(() => toast.remove(), 3200)
+  })
+
   // debug handle (dev builds are the only builds right now)
   ;(window as unknown as { BLOBBO: unknown }).BLOBBO = { world, blob, skin, course }