diff --git a/src/core/reduce.ts b/src/core/reduce.ts
index 346d570..d6002b3 100644
--- a/src/core/reduce.ts
+++ b/src/core/reduce.ts
@@ -244,6 +244,9 @@ function reduceMouseDownInWorld(state: GameState, wp: WidgetPoint & { t: 'world'
 }
 
 function reduceMouseDownInHand(state: GameState, wp: WidgetPoint & { t: 'hand' }, button: number, mods: Set<string>): GameState {
+  if (state.lost)
+    return vacuous_down(state, wp);
+
   const p_in_hand_int = vm(wp.p_in_local, Math.floor);
   const tiles = get_hand_tiles(state);
   const tool = currentTool(state);
@@ -326,7 +329,10 @@ function reduceGameAction(state: GameState, action: GameAction): effectful.Resul
       }));
     }
     case 'mouseDown': {
-      return gs(reduceMouseDown(state, getWidgetPoint(state, action.p), action.button, action.mods));
+      const wp = getWidgetPoint(state, action.p);
+      if (state.lost && wp.t == 'pauseButton')
+        return { state: { t: 'menu' }, effects: [] };
+      return gs(reduceMouseDown(state, wp, action.button, action.mods));
     }
     case 'mouseUp': return gs(resolveMouseup(state));
     case 'mouseMove': return gs(produce(state, s => {
@@ -340,7 +346,9 @@ function reduceGameAction(state: GameState, action: GameAction): effectful.Resul
       });
       if (state.panic !== undefined) {
         if (getPanicFraction(state.panic) > 1) {
-          return { state: { t: 'menu' }, effects: [] };
+          return gs(produce(state, s => {
+            s.lost = true;
+          }));
         }
         return gs(produce(state, s => { s.panic!.currentTime = now; }));
       }
diff --git a/src/core/state.ts b/src/core/state.ts
index f3a29f0..bca0e50 100644
--- a/src/core/state.ts
+++ b/src/core/state.ts
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ export type GameState = {
   bonusOverlay: Overlay<Bonus>,
   selected?: SelectionState,
   score: number,
+  lost: boolean,
   panic: PanicData | undefined,
   paused: PauseData | undefined,
 };
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ export function mkGameState(seed?: number): GameState {
     bonusLayer: mkLayer(bonusGenerator),
     bonusOverlay: mkOverlay<Bonus>(),
     score: 0,
+    lost: false,
     panic: undefined,
     paused: undefined,
   };
diff --git a/src/core/tools.ts b/src/core/tools.ts
index 4cf6700..69d276d 100644
--- a/src/core/tools.ts
+++ b/src/core/tools.ts
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ export function indexOfTool(tool: Tool): number {
 }
 
 export function currentTool(state: GameState): Tool {
+  if (state.lost) {
+    return 'hand';
+  }
   // state should be responsible for maintaining the invariant that
   // tool index is always valid. Maybe instead I should store Tool in
   // state, not toolIndex, idk.
diff --git a/src/ui/instructions.tsx b/src/ui/instructions.tsx
index 011b220..8beb1d6 100644
--- a/src/ui/instructions.tsx
+++ b/src/ui/instructions.tsx
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ function exampleState(): GameState {
       }
     },
     score: 7,
+    lost: false,
     panic: { currentTime: Date.now(), lastClear: Date.now() - PANIC_INTERVAL_MS / 3 },
     paused: undefined,
   };
diff --git a/src/ui/render.ts b/src/ui/render.ts
index e7b79c0..dd59e3c 100644
--- a/src/ui/render.ts
+++ b/src/ui/render.ts
@@ -189,10 +189,17 @@ export function rawPaint(ci: CanvasInfo, state: GameState) {
       { p: { x: 0, y: S * state.toolIndex }, sz: { x: S, y: S } }
     );
     fillRect(d, rect_in_canvas, 'rgba(255, 255, 0, 0.5)');
+  }
 
+  function drawPauseButton() {
     d.textAlign = 'center';
     d.textBaseline = 'middle';
-    fillText(d, "⏸", midpointOfRect(pause_button_bds_in_canvas), 'black', '48px sans-serif');
+    if (!state.lost) {
+      fillText(d, "⏸", midpointOfRect(pause_button_bds_in_canvas), 'black', '48px sans-serif');
+    }
+    else {
+      fillText(d, "⟳", midpointOfRect(pause_button_bds_in_canvas), 'black', '48px sans-serif');
+    }
   }
 
   function drawHand() {
@@ -280,11 +287,21 @@ export function rawPaint(ci: CanvasInfo, state: GameState) {
     });
   }
 
-  drawToolbar();
+  if (!state.lost)
+    drawToolbar();
+  else {
+    fillRect(d, toolbar_bds_in_canvas, backgroundGray);
+  }
+  drawPauseButton();
   drawWorld();
   drawHand();
-  drawOtherUi();
-  drawAnimations(Date.now());
+  if (!state.lost) {
+    drawOtherUi();
+    drawAnimations(Date.now());
+  }
+  else {
+    fillText(d, "You lost :(", midpointOfRect(canvas_bds_in_canvas), 'rgba(0,0,0,0.3)', '96px sans-serif');
+  }
 }
 
 export class RenderPane {