diff --git a/src/ScenarioEditor/ScenarioEditorWindow.cs b/src/ScenarioEditor/ScenarioEditorWindow.cs
index a4a9a70..c17fb14 100644
--- a/src/ScenarioEditor/ScenarioEditorWindow.cs
+++ b/src/ScenarioEditor/ScenarioEditorWindow.cs
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@ namespace Cthangover.Core.UI.Tool.ScenarioEditor
         private Label _filePathLabel;
 
         private bool _playActive;
+        private string _returnRoute;
         private CanvasLayer _stopOverlay;
 
         public ScenarioEditorWindow() : base("tools/scenario_editor/title")
@@ -294,6 +295,13 @@ namespace Cthangover.Core.UI.Tool.ScenarioEditor
 
             Visible = false;
 
+            // The screen the editor was opened from (the novel_editor hub, a
+            // mod menu) is freed by the shell load below; remember its route so
+            // the play-test returns there instead of to the engine's main menu.
+            var sceneService = GetNodeOrNull<GodotSceneService>("/root/GodotSceneService");
+            var current = sceneService?.CurrentGodotSceneName;
+            _returnRoute = !string.IsNullOrEmpty(current) && SceneRouteRegistry.TryGet(current, out _) ? current : null;
+
             _stopOverlay = CreateStopOverlay();
             var tree = Godot.Engine.GetMainLoop() as SceneTree;
             tree?.Root.AddChild(_stopOverlay);
@@ -305,7 +313,6 @@ namespace Cthangover.Core.UI.Tool.ScenarioEditor
                 sceneManager.PendingSceneName = metadata.Scene;
             }
 
-            var sceneService = GetNodeOrNull<GodotSceneService>("/root/GodotSceneService");
             sceneService?.LoadShell();
 
             _playActive = true;
@@ -329,7 +336,11 @@ namespace Cthangover.Core.UI.Tool.ScenarioEditor
             }
 
             var sceneService = GetNodeOrNull<GodotSceneService>("/root/GodotSceneService");
-            sceneService?.SwitchToMenu();
+            if (_returnRoute != null && SceneRouteRegistry.TryGet(_returnRoute, out var route))
+                sceneService?.SwitchRoute(route);
+            else
+                sceneService?.SwitchToMenu();
+            _returnRoute = null;
             SetStatus(ToolUi.Tr("tools/scenario_editor/play_stopped"));
         }
 
diff --git a/test_suites/windows/scenarios/playtest_return.scenario b/test_suites/windows/scenarios/playtest_return.scenario
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7e948e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_suites/windows/scenarios/playtest_return.scenario
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+scene: home_basement
+priority: 0
+---
+delay 60 hidden=true
+end
diff --git a/test_suites/windows/src/ScenarioPlayReturnCheck.cs b/test_suites/windows/src/ScenarioPlayReturnCheck.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8a422b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test_suites/windows/src/ScenarioPlayReturnCheck.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,105 @@
+using System;
+using System.Linq;
+using Cthangover.Core.Scenes;
+using Cthangover.Core.UI.Tool.ScenarioEditor;
+using Cthangover.Mods.Interface.Tool;
+using Cthangover.Tools.Common;
+using Cthangover.Tools.Hub;
+using Cthangover.Tools.Services;
+using Godot;
+
+namespace Cthangover.Tools.Tests.Windows
+{
+    /// <summary>
+    /// Play-test round trip of the scenario editor opened from the
+    /// <see cref="NovelEditorHub"/>: plays this suite's own scenario (so the
+    /// editor's save-before-play rewrites a test file, not game content), lets
+    /// the play end the way a finished dialog ends it
+    /// (<see cref="SceneManager.IsTestPlayActive"/> drops), then plays again and
+    /// presses Stop. Both times the game must come back to the hub with the
+    /// editor visible — not to the engine's main menu. Advanced one step per
+    /// driver tick; <see cref="Tick"/> returns true when done.
+    /// </summary>
+    public class ScenarioPlayReturnCheck
+    {
+        private const string SuiteModId = "tools__windows";
+        private const string ScenarioPath = "scenarios/playtest_return.scenario";
+        private const int ShellSettleTicks = 3;
+
+        private readonly Action<bool, string> _check;
+        private ScenarioEditorWindow _window;
+        private int _step;
+        private int _settle;
+
+        /// <summary>Creates the check; <paramref name="check"/> records one assertion.</summary>
+        public ScenarioPlayReturnCheck(Action<bool, string> check)
+        {
+            _check = check;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>Advances the round trip by one step; true once finished.</summary>
+        public bool Tick(SceneTree tree)
+        {
+            switch (_step)
+            {
+                case 0:
+                    _window = (ScenarioEditorWindow)ToolWindow.ShowWindow(new ScenarioEditorWindow());
+                    var tabs = _window.FindChildren("*", "", true, false).OfType<ScenarioEditTabs>().FirstOrDefault();
+                    tabs?.OpenFile(ScenarioFileService.MakeKey(SuiteModId, ScenarioPath));
+                    _check(tabs?.HasActiveFile == true, "scenario_editor: test scenario opened");
+                    break;
+
+                case 1:
+                case 4:
+                    PressButton(_window, "tools/scenario_editor/play");
+                    _settle = ShellSettleTicks;
+                    break;
+
+                case 2:
+                    if (!InGame(tree))
+                        return false;
+                    SceneManager.IsTestPlayActive = false;
+                    break;
+
+                case 5:
+                    if (!InGame(tree))
+                        return false;
+                    PressButton(tree.Root, "tools/scenario_editor/stop");
+                    break;
+
+                case 3:
+                case 6:
+                    if (tree.CurrentScene is not NovelEditorHub || !_window.Visible)
+                        return false;
+                    _check(true, _step == 3
+                        ? "scenario_editor: the scenario's end returns to the editor hub"
+                        : "scenario_editor: Stop returns to the editor hub");
+                    if (_step == 6)
+                    {
+                        _window.QueueFree();
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                    break;
+            }
+
+            _step++;
+            return false;
+        }
+
+        /// <summary>The play-test left the hub for the game shell and the shell settled.</summary>
+        private bool InGame(SceneTree tree)
+        {
+            if (tree.CurrentScene is NovelEditorHub || GodotSceneService.IsTransitioning || --_settle > 0)
+                return false;
+            _check(!_window.Visible, "scenario_editor: play hides the editor and enters the game");
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        private static void PressButton(Node root, string textKey)
+        {
+            var text = ToolUi.Tr(textKey);
+            var button = root.FindChildren("*", nameof(Button), true, false).OfType<Button>().FirstOrDefault(b => b.Text == text);
+            button?.EmitSignal(BaseButton.SignalName.Pressed);
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/test_suites/windows/src/ToolWindowsTestDriverNode.cs b/test_suites/windows/src/ToolWindowsTestDriverNode.cs
index 03f2796..609cc4a 100644
--- a/test_suites/windows/src/ToolWindowsTestDriverNode.cs
+++ b/test_suites/windows/src/ToolWindowsTestDriverNode.cs
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.Tests.Windows
     /// Launched as the <c>novel_editor</c> game (<c>--game=novel_editor --new</c>)
     /// it first waits for the collection's entry scene, the
     /// <see cref="NovelEditorHub"/>, and checks it lists a launcher button for
-    /// every registered tool before opening the windows.
+    /// every registered tool before opening the windows; after the windows it
+    /// plays a scenario from the editor and checks that both the scenario's
+    /// end and Stop return to the hub (<see cref="ScenarioPlayReturnCheck"/>).
     /// </summary>
     public partial class ToolWindowsTestDriverNode : Node
     {
@@ -42,6 +44,8 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.Tests.Windows
         private double _elapsed;
         private bool _finished;
         private Window _window;
+        private bool _inHub;
+        private ScenarioPlayReturnCheck _playCheck;
         private readonly ToolWindowsErrorLogger _errors = new();
 
         /// <summary>Creates the driver; <paramref name="shotsDir"/> null or empty disables screenshots.</summary>
@@ -73,18 +77,25 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.Tests.Windows
                 if (!Boot.IsReady || tree?.CurrentScene == null)
                     return;
 
-                var inHub = ActiveGame.Id == NovelEditorHub.SceneName;
-                if (inHub && tree.CurrentScene is not NovelEditorHub)
+                _inHub = ActiveGame.Id == NovelEditorHub.SceneName;
+                if (_inHub && tree.CurrentScene is not NovelEditorHub)
                     return;
 
                 _tools.AddRange(ToolFactory.Instance.GetAll());
                 Check(_tools.Count > 0, $"tools registered ({_tools.Count})");
-                if (inHub)
+                if (_inHub)
                     CheckHub(tree.CurrentScene);
                 OpenNext();
                 return;
             }
 
+            if (_playCheck != null)
+            {
+                if (_playCheck.Tick(GetTree()))
+                    Finish();
+                return;
+            }
+
             if (_window == null)
                 return;
 
@@ -112,7 +123,10 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.Tests.Windows
             _toolIndex++;
             if (_toolIndex >= _tools.Count)
             {
-                Finish();
+                if (_inHub)
+                    _playCheck = new ScenarioPlayReturnCheck(Check);
+                else
+                    Finish();
                 return;
             }