diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index e8ea673..3988666 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ Physilinks is a browser-based physics linking game built with Matter.js. Match a
 - `styles.css`: Styling for canvas, HUD, overlays, and score popups.
 - `src/scenes/`: Scene presets split per file (`scene-*.js`) plus `index.js` that registers them to `window.PhysilinksScenes` (e.g., zero-G grid, balanced, low-G, fast drop, lava drift).
 - `src/scenes/scene-template.js`: Reference-only template documenting every scene config option; not loaded by default.
+- `src/config.js`: Base game config defaults (gravity, spawn timing, link settings, palettes, message defaults).
 - `src/decomp-setup.js`: Registers `poly-decomp` with Matter to allow concave shapes (stars, blobs) built via `Bodies.fromVertices`.
 - `src/ui.js`: DOM access, HUD updates, overlays, popups, and control/selector wiring.
 - `src/spawn.js`: Spawner utilities (intervals, batch/column/grid spawns), ball creation (shapes/blobs), radius scaling, and blob cleanup.
diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 775de82..074299f 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@
         <script src="./src/scenes/scene-storm-grid.js"></script>
         <script src="./src/scenes/scene-stack-blocks.js"></script>
         <script src="./src/scenes/index.js"></script>
+        <script src="./src/config.js"></script>
         <script src="./src/scene-registry.js"></script>
         <script src="./src/ui.js"></script>
         <script src="./src/storage.js"></script>
diff --git a/src/config.js b/src/config.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d181f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/config.js
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+(() => {
+  const create = () => {
+    const defaultMessageConfig = {
+      durationMs: 4200,
+      position: { xPercent: 50, yPercent: 10 },
+      text: null,
+      colors: null,
+    };
+
+    const config = {
+      gravity: 1,
+      spawnIntervalMs: 520,
+      autoSpawn: true,
+      minChain: 3,
+      palette: ["#ff595e", "#ffca3a", "#8ac926", "#1982c4", "#6a4c93"],
+      ballRadius: 18,
+      ballShape: "circle",
+      link: {
+        stiffness: 0.85,
+        lengthScale: 1.05, // max stretch factor; slack below this
+        damping: 0.08,
+        lineWidth: 3,
+        rope: true,
+        renderType: "line",
+        maxLengthMultiplier: 3.1,
+      },
+      messages: { ...defaultMessageConfig },
+    };
+
+    return {
+      defaultMessageConfig: { ...defaultMessageConfig },
+      config: { ...config, link: { ...config.link }, messages: { ...config.messages } },
+    };
+  };
+
+  window.PhysilinksConfig = { create };
+})();
diff --git a/src/main.js b/src/main.js
index 45c84bf..f7c7304 100644
--- a/src/main.js
+++ b/src/main.js
@@ -2,6 +2,24 @@
   const { Engine, Render, Runner, World, Body, Constraint, Events, Vector } =
     Matter;
 
+  const { config: baseConfig, defaultMessageConfig } = window.PhysilinksConfig
+    ?.create
+    ? window.PhysilinksConfig.create()
+    : {
+        config: {},
+        defaultMessageConfig: {
+          durationMs: 4200,
+          position: { xPercent: 50, yPercent: 10 },
+          text: null,
+          colors: null,
+        },
+      };
+  const config = {
+    ...baseConfig,
+    link: { ...(baseConfig?.link || {}) },
+    messages: { ...(baseConfig?.messages || {}) },
+  };
+
   const {
     scenes = [],
     defaultSceneId,
@@ -10,33 +28,6 @@
   const { getSceneById, getSceneIdFromUrl, setSceneIdInUrl, getNextSceneId } =
     window.PhysilinksSceneRegistry || {};
 
-  const defaultMessageConfig = {
-    durationMs: 4200,
-    position: { xPercent: 50, yPercent: 10 },
-    text: null,
-    colors: null,
-  };
-
-  const config = {
-    gravity: 1,
-    spawnIntervalMs: 520,
-    autoSpawn: true,
-    minChain: 3,
-    palette: ["#ff595e", "#ffca3a", "#8ac926", "#1982c4", "#6a4c93"],
-    ballRadius: 18,
-    ballShape: "circle",
-    link: {
-      stiffness: 0.85,
-      lengthScale: 1.05, // max stretch factor; slack below this
-      damping: 0.08,
-      lineWidth: 3,
-      rope: true,
-      renderType: "line",
-      maxLengthMultiplier: 3.1,
-    },
-    messages: { ...defaultMessageConfig },
-  };
-
   const ui = window.PhysilinksUI.create();
   const { sceneEl } = ui;
 
@@ -87,10 +78,13 @@
   let rotators = [];
   let oscillators = [];
   const initialSceneId =
-    getSceneIdFromUrl() ||
-    (getSceneById(defaultSceneId) ? defaultSceneId : null) ||
+    (getSceneIdFromUrl && getSceneIdFromUrl(scenes)) ||
+    (getSceneById && getSceneById(scenes, defaultSceneId)
+      ? defaultSceneId
+      : null) ||
     scenes[0]?.id;
-  let currentScene = getSceneById(initialSceneId) || scenes[0] || null;
+  let currentScene =
+    (getSceneById && getSceneById(scenes, initialSceneId)) || scenes[0] || null;
 
   if (currentScene && currentScene.config) {
     Object.assign(config, currentScene.config);
@@ -128,7 +122,7 @@
   } = window.PhysilinksStorage || {};
 
   const applyScene = (sceneId) => {
-    const next = getSceneById(sceneId) || scenes[0];
+    const next = (getSceneById && getSceneById(scenes, sceneId)) || scenes[0];
     if (!next) return;
     currentScene = next;
     ui.setSceneSelection(next.id);
diff --git a/src/scene-registry.js b/src/scene-registry.js
index 14c4f74..35c48d4 100644
--- a/src/scene-registry.js
+++ b/src/scene-registry.js
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 (() => {
-  const getSceneById = (scenes, sceneId) =>
-    scenes.find((candidate) => candidate.id === sceneId) || null;
+  const getSceneById = (scenes, sceneId) => {
+    if (!Array.isArray(scenes)) return null;
+    return scenes.find((candidate) => candidate.id === sceneId) || null;
+  };
 
   const getSceneIdFromUrl = (scenes) => {
+    if (!Array.isArray(scenes)) return null;
     try {
       const params = new URLSearchParams(window.location.search);
       const urlScene = params.get("scene");
@@ -24,8 +27,10 @@
   };
 
   const getNextSceneId = (scenes, order, currentScene) => {
+    if (!Array.isArray(scenes)) return null;
+    const ordered = Array.isArray(order) ? order : [];
     const currentId = currentScene?.id;
-    const orderedExisting = order.filter((id) =>
+    const orderedExisting = ordered.filter((id) =>
       scenes.some((s) => s.id === id),
     );
     if (orderedExisting.length > 0 && currentId) {