diff --git a/locale/ui_en.properties b/locale/ui_en.properties
index ffcdeef..d9ee13d 100644
--- a/locale/ui_en.properties
+++ b/locale/ui_en.properties
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ tools/rpg_editor/redo = Redo
 tools/rpg_editor/redo_tip = Redo (Ctrl+Y)
 tools/rpg_editor/play = Play
 tools/rpg_editor/play_tip = Save and walk the map from its spawn in the running game
-tools/rpg_editor/play_no_scene = Scene "{0}" is not loaded yet: reload the mods (Ctrl+Shift+R) after creating a map.
+tools/rpg_editor/play_no_scene = The game does not know scene "{0}": check scenes/{0}.json in the map's mod.
 tools/rpg_editor/scene_created = scene {0} created
 tools/rpg_editor/section_palette = Palette
 tools/rpg_editor/section_map = Map
diff --git a/locale/ui_ru.properties b/locale/ui_ru.properties
index 9e62197..ab3799a 100644
--- a/locale/ui_ru.properties
+++ b/locale/ui_ru.properties
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ tools/rpg_editor/redo = Вернуть
 tools/rpg_editor/redo_tip = Вернуть отменённое (Ctrl+Y)
 tools/rpg_editor/play = Играть
 tools/rpg_editor/play_tip = Сохранить и пройтись по карте от точки появления в запущенной игре
-tools/rpg_editor/play_no_scene = Сцена «{0}» ещё не загружена: после создания карты перезагрузите моды (Ctrl+Shift+R).
+tools/rpg_editor/play_no_scene = Игра не знает сцену «{0}»: проверьте файл scenes/{0}.json в моде карты.
 tools/rpg_editor/scene_created = создана сцена {0}
 tools/rpg_editor/section_palette = Палитра
 tools/rpg_editor/section_map = Карта
diff --git a/mod.jpg b/mod.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b2aa24
Binary files /dev/null and b/mod.jpg differ
diff --git a/src/RpgMapEditorWindow.cs b/src/RpgMapEditorWindow.cs
index ff7d8c1..032d260 100644
--- a/src/RpgMapEditorWindow.cs
+++ b/src/RpgMapEditorWindow.cs
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.RpgEditor
     /// (Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y); Ctrl+S saves. A new file becomes a map filled with the
     /// first tile of the first tileset, and the first save also writes
     /// <c>scenes/&lt;id&gt;.json</c> when the mod has no such scene, because the
-    /// map id is the scene name.
+    /// map id is the scene name; the game re-reads its scenes right away
+    /// (<see cref="SceneFileService.RefreshGame"/>), so "Play" works on a new map
+    /// without a mod reload.
     /// <para/>
     /// After a save the map is put into the running game's map cache, and a
     /// world showing it is remounted, so the edit is visible at once; "Play"
@@ -254,6 +256,8 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.RpgEditor
             }
 
             var sceneNote = isNew ? EnsureScene() : null;
+            if (sceneNote != null)
+                SceneFileService.RefreshGame();
             isNew = false;
             MarkClean();
             PublishToGame(json);
diff --git a/test_suites/edit/src/RpgEditorTestDriver.cs b/test_suites/edit/src/RpgEditorTestDriver.cs
index d947ca4..6b6eb17 100644
--- a/test_suites/edit/src/RpgEditorTestDriver.cs
+++ b/test_suites/edit/src/RpgEditorTestDriver.cs
@@ -1,9 +1,13 @@
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.IO;
 using System.Linq;
 using Cthangover.Core.Bootstrap;
+using Cthangover.Core.Scenes;
 using Cthangover.Core.Utils;
 using Cthangover.Mods.Interface.Tool;
 using Cthangover.Mods.Rpg;
+using Cthangover.Tools.Common;
+using Cthangover.Tools.Services;
 using Godot;
 
 namespace Cthangover.Tools.RpgEditor.Tests
@@ -11,8 +15,10 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.RpgEditor.Tests
     /// <summary>
     /// Drives the RPG map editor through its controls like an author: layer
     /// buttons are pressed, the palette and the canvas get mouse events through
-    /// their <c>gui_input</c> signal, Ctrl+Z goes into the window. The window is
-    /// freed at the end without saving, so the demo maps never change.
+    /// their <c>gui_input</c> signal, Ctrl+Z goes into the window. That window is
+    /// freed without saving, so the demo maps never change. A second window then
+    /// creates a new map through the file selector's "+" and saves it: the game must
+    /// know the map's scene at once (no mod reload); its files are deleted again.
     /// Result line: <c>[TEST_RESULT] name=rpg_editor_edit passed=N failed=M</c>.
     /// </summary>
     public partial class RpgEditorTestDriver : Node
@@ -20,6 +26,7 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.RpgEditor.Tests
         private const float TickSeconds = 0.15f;
         private const float TimeoutSeconds = 60f;
         private const int RockTile = 11;
+        private const string NewMap = "zz_editor_test_map";
 
         private static readonly Vector2I PaintCell = new(3, 5);
         private static readonly Vector2I EventCell = new(2, 6);
@@ -32,6 +39,7 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.RpgEditor.Tests
         private RpgMapEditorWindow window;
         private RpgMapEditorCanvas canvas;
         private int eventsBefore;
+        private string newMapMod;
 
         /// <summary>Creates the driver; <paramref name="shotsDir"/> null disables screenshots.</summary>
         public RpgEditorTestDriver(string shotsDir)
@@ -115,11 +123,58 @@ namespace Cthangover.Tools.RpgEditor.Tests
                 case 4:
                     Shot("collision");
                     window.QueueFree();
+                    window = ToolWindow.Open<RpgMapEditorWindow>();
+                    step++;
+                    return;
+                case 5:
+                    canvas = window.FindChildren("*", "", true, false).OfType<RpgMapEditorCanvas>().FirstOrDefault();
+                    if (canvas?.Document == null)
+                        return;
+                    newMapMod = Selector().CurrentMod;
+                    DeleteNewMapFiles();
+                    Selector().FindChildren("*", "", true, false).OfType<Button>().First(b => b.Text == "+").EmitSignal(BaseButton.SignalName.Pressed);
+                    step++;
+                    return;
+                case 6:
+                    var dialog = window.FindChildren("*", "", true, false).OfType<ConfirmationDialog>().FirstOrDefault();
+                    if (dialog == null)
+                        return;
+                    dialog.FindChildren("*", "", true, false).OfType<LineEdit>().First().Text = NewMap;
+                    dialog.EmitSignal(AcceptDialog.SignalName.Confirmed);
+                    step++;
+                    return;
+                case 7:
+                    if (canvas.Document?.Map?.ID != NewMap)
+                        return;
+                    try
+                    {
+                        Press("tools/common/save");
+                        Check(File.Exists(ModFileService.GetWritablePath(newMapMod, "scenes/" + NewMap + ".json")), "the first save of a new map writes its scene");
+                        Check(GetTree().Root.GetNodeOrNull<SceneManager>("SceneManager")?.HasScene(NewMap) == true, "the game knows the new map's scene without a mod reload");
+                    }
+                    finally
+                    {
+                        window.QueueFree();
+                        DeleteNewMapFiles();
+                        SceneFileService.RefreshGame();
+                    }
                     Finish();
                     return;
             }
         }
 
+        private ModFileSelector Selector() => window.FindChildren("*", "", true, false).OfType<ModFileSelector>().First();
+
+        private void DeleteNewMapFiles()
+        {
+            foreach (var file in new[] { "maps/" + NewMap + ".json", "scenes/" + NewMap + ".json" })
+            {
+                var path = ModFileService.GetWritablePath(newMapMod, file);
+                if (path != null && File.Exists(path))
+                    File.Delete(path);
+            }
+        }
+
         private void Press(string key)
         {
             var text = TranslationServer.Translate(key);