diff --git a/ai_animation/src/backgroundAudio.test.ts b/ai_animation/src/backgroundAudio.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c575f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ai_animation/src/backgroundAudio.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+/**
+ * Tests for background audio looping functionality
+ */
+
+import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach, vi } from 'vitest';
+
+// Mock HTMLAudioElement
+class MockAudio {
+  loop = false;
+  volume = 1;
+  paused = true;
+  src = '';
+  currentTime = 0;
+  duration = 10;
+  
+  constructor() {
+    // Constructor can be empty or set default values
+  }
+  
+  play = vi.fn().mockResolvedValue(undefined);
+  pause = vi.fn();
+  addEventListener = vi.fn();
+}
+
+describe('Background Audio Looping', () => {
+  let originalAudio: any;
+  
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    // Store original and replace with mock
+    originalAudio = global.Audio;
+    global.Audio = MockAudio as any;
+    
+    // Clear any module state by re-importing
+    vi.resetModules();
+  });
+
+  afterEach(() => {
+    // Restore original Audio constructor
+    global.Audio = originalAudio;
+  });
+
+  it('should set loop property to true during initialization', async () => {
+    // Import fresh module to avoid state pollution
+    const { initializeBackgroundAudio } = await import('./backgroundAudio');
+    
+    // Initialize background audio
+    initializeBackgroundAudio();
+
+    // The actual test is that initialization doesn't throw and sets up the audio correctly
+    // We can't directly access the private audio instance, but we can test the behavior
+    expect(global.Audio).toBeDefined();
+  });
+
+  it('should handle audio loop property correctly', () => {
+    // Create a mock audio instance to test loop behavior
+    const audioElement = new MockAudio() as any;
+    
+    // Set loop to true (like our code does)
+    audioElement.loop = true;
+    audioElement.duration = 5; // 5 second track
+    
+    // Simulate audio playing and ending
+    audioElement.paused = false;
+    audioElement.currentTime = 0;
+    
+    // Simulate what happens when audio reaches the end
+    audioElement.currentTime = audioElement.duration;
+    
+    // With loop=true, browser automatically restarts
+    const simulateLoopBehavior = () => {
+      if (audioElement.loop && !audioElement.paused && audioElement.currentTime >= audioElement.duration) {
+        audioElement.currentTime = 0; // Browser resets to start
+        return true; // Indicates loop occurred
+      }
+      return false;
+    };
+    
+    // Test loop behavior
+    const looped = simulateLoopBehavior();
+    
+    expect(audioElement.loop).toBe(true);
+    expect(looped).toBe(true);
+    expect(audioElement.currentTime).toBe(0); // Should be reset to start
+  });
+
+  it('should verify loop property is essential for continuous playback', () => {
+    const audioWithLoop = new MockAudio() as any;
+    const audioWithoutLoop = new MockAudio() as any;
+    
+    // Setup both audio elements
+    audioWithLoop.loop = true;
+    audioWithoutLoop.loop = false;
+    
+    audioWithLoop.duration = 10;
+    audioWithoutLoop.duration = 10;
+    
+    // Both start playing
+    audioWithLoop.paused = false;
+    audioWithoutLoop.paused = false;
+    
+    // Both reach the end
+    audioWithLoop.currentTime = audioWithLoop.duration;
+    audioWithoutLoop.currentTime = audioWithoutLoop.duration;
+    
+    // Simulate end behavior
+    const testLooping = (audio: any) => {
+      if (audio.currentTime >= audio.duration) {
+        if (audio.loop) {
+          audio.currentTime = 0; // Loop back to start
+          return 'looped';
+        } else {
+          audio.paused = true; // Stop playing
+          return 'stopped';
+        }
+      }
+      return 'playing';
+    };
+    
+    const resultWithLoop = testLooping(audioWithLoop);
+    const resultWithoutLoop = testLooping(audioWithoutLoop);
+    
+    expect(resultWithLoop).toBe('looped');
+    expect(resultWithoutLoop).toBe('stopped');
+    expect(audioWithLoop.currentTime).toBe(0); // Reset to start
+    expect(audioWithoutLoop.paused).toBe(true); // Stopped
+  });
+
+  it('should test the actual module behavior', async () => {
+    // Import fresh module
+    const { initializeBackgroundAudio, startBackgroundAudio, stopBackgroundAudio } = await import('./backgroundAudio');
+    
+    // Test initialization doesn't throw
+    expect(() => initializeBackgroundAudio()).not.toThrow();
+    
+    // Test double initialization protection
+    expect(() => initializeBackgroundAudio()).toThrow('Attempted to init audio twice.');
+  });
+
+  it('should demonstrate loop property importance with realistic scenario', () => {
+    // This test demonstrates why loop=true is critical for background music
+    const backgroundTrack = new MockAudio() as any;
+    
+    // Our code sets this to true
+    backgroundTrack.loop = true;
+    backgroundTrack.volume = 0.4;
+    backgroundTrack.src = './sounds/background_ambience.mp3';
+    backgroundTrack.duration = 30; // 30 second ambient track
+    
+    // Start playing
+    backgroundTrack.paused = false;
+    backgroundTrack.currentTime = 0;
+    
+    // Simulate game running for longer than track duration
+    const gameRuntime = 90; // 90 seconds
+    const timeStep = 1; // 1 second steps
+    
+    let currentGameTime = 0;
+    let trackRestarts = 0;
+    
+    while (currentGameTime < gameRuntime) {
+      currentGameTime += timeStep;
+      backgroundTrack.currentTime += timeStep;
+      
+      // Check if track ended and needs to loop
+      if (backgroundTrack.currentTime >= backgroundTrack.duration) {
+        if (backgroundTrack.loop) {
+          backgroundTrack.currentTime = 0; // Restart
+          trackRestarts++;
+        } else {
+          backgroundTrack.paused = true; // Would stop without loop
+          break;
+        }
+      }
+    }
+    
+    // With a 30-second track and 90-second game, we expect 3 restarts (0-30, 30-60, 60-90)
+    expect(backgroundTrack.loop).toBe(true);
+    expect(trackRestarts).toBe(3);
+    expect(backgroundTrack.paused).toBe(false); // Still playing
+    expect(currentGameTime).toBe(gameRuntime); // Game completed full duration
+  });
+});
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/backgroundAudio.ts b/ai_animation/src/backgroundAudio.ts
index 2ec6acd..b3cdb11 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/backgroundAudio.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/backgroundAudio.ts
@@ -41,10 +41,20 @@ export function initializeBackgroundAudio(): void {
  * Will only work after user interaction due to browser policies
  */
 export function startBackgroundAudio(): void {
-  if (backgroundAudio && backgroundAudio.paused) {
-    backgroundAudio.play().catch(err => {
-      console.log('Background audio autoplay blocked, will retry on user interaction:', err);
+  if (!backgroundAudio) {
+    console.warn('Background audio not initialized');
+    return;
+  }
+  
+  if (backgroundAudio.paused) {
+    console.log('Starting background audio...');
+    backgroundAudio.play().then(() => {
+      console.log('Background audio started successfully');
+    }).catch(err => {
+      console.warn('Background audio autoplay blocked, will retry on user interaction:', err);
     });
+  } else {
+    console.log('Background audio already playing');
   }
 }
 
@@ -52,8 +62,16 @@ export function startBackgroundAudio(): void {
  * Stop background audio
  */
 export function stopBackgroundAudio(): void {
-  if (backgroundAudio && !backgroundAudio.paused) {
+  if (!backgroundAudio) {
+    console.warn('Background audio not initialized');
+    return;
+  }
+  
+  if (!backgroundAudio.paused) {
+    console.log('Stopping background audio...');
     backgroundAudio.pause();
+  } else {
+    console.log('Background audio already paused');
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/components/rotatingDisplay.ts b/ai_animation/src/components/rotatingDisplay.ts
index 66b7d0b..b4a4300 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/components/rotatingDisplay.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/components/rotatingDisplay.ts
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ export function updateRotatingDisplay(
     //containerElement.style.opacity = '0';
 
     // Update content after fade-out
-    setTimeout(() => {
+    gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(300, () => {
       // Render the appropriate view based on current display type
       switch (currentDisplayType) {
         case DisplayType.SC_HISTORY_CHART:
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ export function updateRotatingDisplay(
 
       // Update last rendered type
       lastRenderedDisplayType = currentDisplayType;
-    }, 300);
+    }, `rotating-display-update-${Date.now()}`);
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/components/twoPowerConversation.ts b/ai_animation/src/components/twoPowerConversation.ts
index eee9d98..8f14d21 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/components/twoPowerConversation.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/components/twoPowerConversation.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,26 @@ export function showTwoPowerConversation(options: TwoPowerDialogueOptions): void
     return;
   }
 
+  // Mark as displaying moment immediately
+  gameState.isDisplayingMoment = true;
+
+  // Schedule the conversation to be shown through event queue
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(0, () => {
+    showConversationModalSequence(power1, power2, title, moment, conversationMessages, onClose);
+  }, `show-conversation-${Date.now()}`);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Shows the conversation modal and sequences all messages through the event queue
+ */
+function showConversationModalSequence(
+  power1: string, 
+  power2: string, 
+  title: string | undefined, 
+  moment: Moment | undefined, 
+  conversationMessages: ConversationMessage[], 
+  onClose?: () => void
+): void {
   // Create overlay
   dialogueOverlay = createDialogueOverlay();
 
@@ -60,28 +80,107 @@ export function showTwoPowerConversation(options: TwoPowerDialogueOptions): void
   dialogueOverlay.appendChild(dialogueContainer);
   document.body.appendChild(dialogueOverlay);
 
-  gameState.isDisplayingMoment = true;
-
   // Set up event listeners
   setupEventListeners(onClose);
 
-  // Animate messages
-  animateMessages(conversationArea, conversationMessages, power1, power2);
+  // Trigger fade in
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(10, () => dialogueOverlay!.style.opacity = '1', `fade-in-overlay-${Date.now()}`);
+
+  // Schedule messages to be displayed sequentially through event queue
+  scheduleMessageSequence(conversationArea, conversationMessages, power1, power2);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Schedules all messages to be displayed sequentially through the event queue
+ */
+function scheduleMessageSequence(
+  container: HTMLElement,
+  messages: ConversationMessage[],
+  power1: string,
+  power2: string
+): void {
+  let currentDelay = 500; // Start after modal is fully visible
+  
+  // Calculate timing based on mode
+  const messageDisplayTime = config.isInstantMode ? 100 : config.effectivePlaybackSpeed;
+  const messageAnimationTime = config.isInstantMode ? 50 : 300;
+  
+  messages.forEach((message, index) => {
+    // Schedule each message display
+    gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(currentDelay, () => {
+      displaySingleMessage(container, message, power1, power2);
+    }, `display-message-${index}-${Date.now()}`);
+    
+    // Increment delay for next message
+    currentDelay += messageDisplayTime + messageAnimationTime;
+  });
+  
+  // Schedule conversation close after all messages are shown
+  const totalConversationTime = currentDelay + (config.isInstantMode ? 500 : 2000); // Extra delay before closing
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(totalConversationTime, () => {
+    closeTwoPowerConversation();
+    
+    // After closing conversation, advance to next phase if playing
+    if (gameState.isPlaying) {
+      // Import _setPhase dynamically to avoid circular dependency
+      import('../phase').then(({ _setPhase }) => {
+        _setPhase(gameState.phaseIndex + 1);
+      });
+    }
+  }, `close-conversation-after-messages-${Date.now()}`);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Displays a single message with animation
+ */
+function displaySingleMessage(
+  container: HTMLElement,
+  message: ConversationMessage,
+  power1: string,
+  power2: string
+): void {
+  const messageElement = createMessageElement(message, power1, power2);
+  container.appendChild(messageElement);
+
+  // Animate message appearance
+  messageElement.style.opacity = '0';
+  messageElement.style.transform = 'translateY(20px)';
+
+  // Use event queue for smooth animation
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(50, () => {
+    messageElement.style.transition = 'opacity 0.3s ease, transform 0.3s ease';
+    messageElement.style.opacity = '1';
+    messageElement.style.transform = 'translateY(0)';
+
+    // Scroll to bottom
+    container.scrollTop = container.scrollHeight;
+  }, `animate-message-${Date.now()}`);
 }
 
 /**
  * Closes the two-power conversation dialogue
+ * @param immediate If true, removes overlay immediately without animation
  */
-export function closeTwoPowerConversation(): void {
+export function closeTwoPowerConversation(immediate: boolean = false): void {
   if (dialogueOverlay) {
-    dialogueOverlay.classList.add('fade-out');
-    setTimeout(() => {
+    if (immediate) {
+      // Immediate cleanup for phase transitions
       if (dialogueOverlay?.parentNode) {
         dialogueOverlay.parentNode.removeChild(dialogueOverlay);
       }
       dialogueOverlay = null;
       gameState.isDisplayingMoment = false;
-    }, 300);
+    } else {
+      // Normal fade-out animation
+      dialogueOverlay.classList.add('fade-out');
+      gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(300, () => {
+        if (dialogueOverlay?.parentNode) {
+          dialogueOverlay.parentNode.removeChild(dialogueOverlay);
+        }
+        dialogueOverlay = null;
+        gameState.isDisplayingMoment = false;
+      }, `close-conversation-${Date.now()}`);
+    }
   }
 }
 
@@ -131,7 +230,7 @@ function createDialogueOverlay(): HTMLElement {
     `;
 
   // Trigger fade in
-  setTimeout(() => overlay.style.opacity = '1', 10);
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(10, () => overlay.style.opacity = '1', `fade-in-overlay-${Date.now()}`);
 
   return overlay;
 }
@@ -395,8 +494,15 @@ function setupEventListeners(onClose?: () => void): void {
 
   const closeButton = dialogueOverlay.querySelector('.close-button');
   const handleClose = () => {
-    closeTwoPowerConversation();
+    closeTwoPowerConversation(true); // immediate close for manual actions
     onClose?.();
+    
+    // When manually closed, still advance phase if playing
+    if (gameState.isPlaying) {
+      import('../phase').then(({ _setPhase }) => {
+        _setPhase(gameState.phaseIndex + 1);
+      });
+    }
   };
 
   // Close button click
@@ -419,37 +525,6 @@ function setupEventListeners(onClose?: () => void): void {
   });
 }
 
-/**
- * Animates the display of messages in the conversation
- */
-async function animateMessages(
-  container: HTMLElement,
-  messages: ConversationMessage[],
-  power1: string,
-  power2: string
-): Promise<void> {
-  for (const message of messages) {
-    const messageElement = createMessageElement(message, power1, power2);
-    container.appendChild(messageElement);
-
-    // Animate message appearance
-    messageElement.style.opacity = '0';
-    messageElement.style.transform = 'translateY(20px)';
-
-    await new Promise(resolve => {
-      setTimeout(() => {
-        messageElement.style.transition = 'opacity 0.3s ease, transform 0.3s ease';
-        messageElement.style.opacity = '1';
-        messageElement.style.transform = 'translateY(0)';
-
-        // Scroll to bottom
-        container.scrollTop = container.scrollHeight;
-
-        setTimeout(resolve, 300 + (1000 / config.effectivePlaybackSpeed));
-      }, 100);
-    });
-  }
-}
 
 /**
  * Creates a message element for display
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/components/victoryModal.ts b/ai_animation/src/components/victoryModal.ts
index 828a795..24b058d 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/components/victoryModal.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/components/victoryModal.ts
@@ -87,7 +87,7 @@ function createVictoryOverlay(): HTMLElement {
   document.head.appendChild(style);
 
   // Trigger fade in
-  setTimeout(() => overlay.style.opacity = '1', 10);
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(10, () => overlay.style.opacity = '1', `victory-modal-fade-in-${Date.now()}`);
 
   return overlay;
 }
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/domElements.ts b/ai_animation/src/domElements.ts
index 1903d88..4e2aa37 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/domElements.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/domElements.ts
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@ export function updatePhaseDisplay() {
   phaseDisplay.style.opacity = '0';
 
   // Update text after fade-out
-  setTimeout(() => {
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(300, () => {
     phaseDisplay.textContent = `Era: ${currentPhase.name || 'Unknown Era'}`;
     // Fade back in
     phaseDisplay.style.opacity = '1';
-  }, 300);
+  }, `phase-display-update-${Date.now()}`);
 }
 
 export function updateGameIdDisplay() {
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ export function updateGameIdDisplay() {
   gameIdDisplay.style.opacity = '0';
 
   // Update text after fade-out
-  setTimeout(() => {
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(300, () => {
     gameIdDisplay.textContent = `Game: ${gameState.gameId}`;
     // Fade back in
     gameIdDisplay.style.opacity = '1';
-  }, 300);
+  }, `game-id-display-update-${Date.now()}`);
 }
 
 export function loadGameBtnFunction(file: File) {
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/domElements/chatWindows.ts b/ai_animation/src/domElements/chatWindows.ts
index ca9a767..058224a 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/domElements/chatWindows.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/domElements/chatWindows.ts
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ export function updateChatWindows(stepMessages = false) {
         index++; // Only increment after animation completes
 
         // Schedule next message with proper delay
-        setTimeout(showNext, config.effectivePlaybackSpeed);
+        gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(config.effectivePlaybackSpeed, showNext, `show-next-message-${index}-${Date.now()}`);
       };
 
       // Add the message with word animation
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ export function updateChatWindows(stepMessages = false) {
     };
 
     // Start the message sequence with initial delay
-    setTimeout(showNext, 50);
+    gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(50, showNext, `start-message-sequence-${Date.now()}`);
   }
 }
 
@@ -409,11 +409,11 @@ function animateMessageWords(message: string, contentSpanId: string, targetPower
       console.log(`Finished animating message with ${words.length} words in ${targetPower} chat`);
 
       // Add a slight delay after the last word for readability
-      setTimeout(() => {
+      gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(Math.min(config.effectivePlaybackSpeed / 3, 150), () => {
         if (onComplete) {
           onComplete(); // Call the completion callback
         }
-      }, Math.min(config.effectivePlaybackSpeed / 3, 150));
+      }, `message-complete-${Date.now()}`);
 
       return;
     }
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@ function animateMessageWords(message: string, contentSpanId: string, targetPower
     // In streaming mode, use a more consistent delay to prevent overlap
     const baseDelay = config.effectivePlaybackSpeed
     const delay = Math.max(50, Math.min(200, baseDelay * (wordLength / 4)));
-    setTimeout(addNextWord, delay);
+    gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(delay, addNextWord, `add-word-${wordIndex}-${Date.now()}`);
 
     // Scroll to ensure newest content is visible
     // Use requestAnimationFrame to batch DOM updates in streaming mode
@@ -749,7 +749,7 @@ export function addToNewsBanner(newText: string): void {
   bannerEl.style.transition = `opacity ${transitionDuration}s ease-out`;
   bannerEl.style.opacity = '0';
 
-  setTimeout(() => {
+  gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(config.isInstantMode ? 0 : 300, () => {
     // If the banner only has the default text or is empty, replace it
     if (
       bannerEl.textContent?.trim() === 'Diplomatic actions unfolding...' ||
@@ -763,5 +763,5 @@ export function addToNewsBanner(newText: string): void {
 
     // Fade back in
     bannerEl.style.opacity = '1';
-  }, config.isInstantMode ? 0 : 300);
+  }, `banner-fade-in-${Date.now()}`);
 }
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/gameState.ts b/ai_animation/src/gameState.ts
index 0d7c1ce..54bf96d 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/gameState.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/gameState.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { Tween, Group as TweenGroup } from "@tweenjs/tween.js";
 import { MomentsDataSchema, Moment, NormalizedMomentsData } from "./types/moments";
 import { updateLeaderboard } from "./components/leaderboard";
 import { closeVictoryModal } from "./components/victoryModal.ts";
+import { EventQueue } from "./types/events";
 
 //FIXME: This whole file is a mess. Need to organize and format
 
@@ -112,9 +113,6 @@ class GameState {
   // Animations needed for this turn
   unitAnimations: Tween[]
 
-  //
-  playbackTimer!: number
-
   // Camera Animation during playing
   cameraPanAnim!: TweenGroup
 
@@ -122,6 +120,9 @@ class GameState {
   globalTime: number
   deltaTime: number
 
+  // Event queue for deterministic animations
+  eventQueue: EventQueue
+
   constructor(boardName: AvailableMaps) {
     this.phaseIndex = 0
     this.boardName = boardName
@@ -141,6 +142,7 @@ class GameState {
     this.unitAnimations = []
     this.globalTime = 0
     this.deltaTime = 0
+    this.eventQueue = new EventQueue()
     this.loadBoardState()
   }
 
@@ -303,6 +305,13 @@ class GameState {
    * Loads the next game in the order, reseting the board and gameState
    */
   loadNextGame = (setPlayback: boolean = false) => {
+    // Ensure any open overlays are cleaned up before loading next game
+    if (this.isDisplayingMoment) {
+      // Import at runtime to avoid circular dependency
+      import('./components/twoPowerConversation').then(({ closeTwoPowerConversation }) => {
+        closeTwoPowerConversation(true);
+      });
+    }
 
     let gameId = this.gameId + 1
     let contPlaying = false
@@ -312,9 +321,9 @@ class GameState {
     this.loadGameFile(gameId).then(() => {
       gameState.gameId = gameId
       if (contPlaying) {
-        setTimeout(() => {
+        this.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(config.victoryModalDisplayMs, () => {
           togglePlayback(true)
-        }, config.victoryModalDisplayMs)
+        }, `load-next-game-playback-${Date.now()}`)
       }
     }).catch(() => {
       console.warn("caught error trying to advance game. Setting gameId to 0 and restarting...")
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/main.ts b/ai_animation/src/main.ts
index 7b1d31e..2c0733b 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/main.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/main.ts
@@ -46,10 +46,19 @@ function initScene() {
         updateLeaderboard();
 
         if (phaseStartIdx !== undefined) {
-          setTimeout(() => {
+          gameState.eventQueue.start();
+          gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(500, () => {
             // FIXME: Race condition waiting to happen. I'm delaying this call as I'm too tired to do this properly right now.
             _setPhase(phaseStartIdx)
-          }, 500)
+          }, `phase-start-delay-${Date.now()}`)
+        } else if (!isStreamingMode && !config.isTestingMode) {
+          // Auto-start playback for normal mode (not streaming, no specific phase, not testing)
+          // Note: Background audio will start when togglePlayback is called (which provides user interaction context)
+          gameState.eventQueue.start();
+          gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(1000, () => {
+            console.log("Auto-starting playback after game load");
+            togglePlayback(true); // true = explicitly set to playing
+          }, `auto-start-playback-${Date.now()}`);
         }
       })
 
@@ -60,9 +69,10 @@ function initScene() {
       }
       if (isStreamingMode) {
         startBackgroundAudio()
-        setTimeout(() => {
+        gameState.eventQueue.start();
+        gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(2000, () => {
           togglePlayback()
-        }, 2000)
+        }, `streaming-mode-start-${Date.now()}`)
       }
     })
   }).catch(err => {
@@ -117,9 +127,11 @@ function createCameraPan(): Group {
  * Handles camera movement, animations, and game state transitions
  */
 function animate() {
-
-
   requestAnimationFrame(animate);
+  
+  // Update event queue
+  gameState.eventQueue.update();
+  
   if (gameState.isPlaying) {
     // Update the camera angle
     // FIXME: This has to call the update functino twice inorder to avoid a bug in Tween.js, see here  https://github.com/tweenjs/tween.js/issues/677
@@ -128,10 +140,10 @@ function animate() {
 
     // If all animations are complete 
     if (gameState.unitAnimations.length === 0 && !gameState.messagesPlaying && !gameState.isSpeaking && !gameState.nextPhaseScheduled) {
-      // Schedule next phase after a pause delay
+      // Schedule next phase after a pause delay using event queue
       console.log(`Scheduling next phase in ${config.effectivePlaybackSpeed}ms`);
       gameState.nextPhaseScheduled = true;
-      gameState.playbackTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+      gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(config.effectivePlaybackSpeed, () => {
         try {
           advanceToNextPhase()
         } catch {
@@ -139,7 +151,7 @@ function animate() {
           //    We should instead bee figuring out why units aren't where we expect them to be when the engine has said that is a valid move
           nextPhase()
         }
-      }, config.effectivePlaybackSpeed);
+      }, `next-phase-${Date.now()}`);
     }
   } else {
     // Manual camera controls when not in playback mode
@@ -219,14 +231,27 @@ nextBtn.addEventListener('click', () => {
   nextPhase()
 });
 
-playBtn.addEventListener('click', () => { togglePlayback() });
+playBtn.addEventListener('click', () => { 
+  // Ensure background audio is ready when user manually clicks play
+  startBackgroundAudio();
+  togglePlayback();
+});
 
 speedSelector.addEventListener('change', e => {
   config.playbackSpeed = parseInt(e.target.value);
-  // If we're currently playing, restart the timer with the new speed
-  if (gameState.isPlaying && gameState.playbackTimer) {
-    clearTimeout(gameState.playbackTimer);
-    gameState.playbackTimer = setTimeout(() => advanceToNextPhase(), config.effectivePlaybackSpeed);
+  // If we're currently playing, restart the event queue with the new speed
+  if (gameState.isPlaying) {
+    // Reset and restart event queue to pick up new speed
+    gameState.eventQueue.reset();
+    gameState.eventQueue.start();
+    gameState.nextPhaseScheduled = true;
+    gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(config.effectivePlaybackSpeed, () => {
+      try {
+        advanceToNextPhase()
+      } catch {
+        nextPhase()
+      }
+    }, `speed-change-next-phase-${Date.now()}`);
   }
 });
 
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/phase.ts b/ai_animation/src/phase.ts
index 90e0708..ed84ad8 100644
--- a/ai_animation/src/phase.ts
+++ b/ai_animation/src/phase.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import { closeVictoryModal, showVictoryModal } from "./components/victoryModal";
 import { notifyPhaseChange } from "./webhooks/phaseNotifier";
 import { updateLeaderboard } from "./components/leaderboard";
 import { updateRotatingDisplay } from "./components/rotatingDisplay";
+import { startBackgroundAudio, stopBackgroundAudio } from "./backgroundAudio";
 
 const MOMENT_THRESHOLD = 8.0
 // If we're in debug mode or instant mode, show it quick, otherwise show it for 30 seconds
@@ -46,12 +47,25 @@ export function _setPhase(phaseIndex: number) {
     displayPhase(true)
   } else {
     // Clear any existing animations to prevent overlap
-    if (gameState.playbackTimer) {
-      clearTimeout(gameState.playbackTimer);
-      gameState.playbackTimer = 0;
+    // (playbackTimer is replaced by event queue system)
+
+    // Ensure any open two-power conversations are closed immediately before resetting event queue
+    if (gameState.isDisplayingMoment) {
+      closeTwoPowerConversation(true); // immediate = true
     }
 
-    // Reset animation state
+    // Reset event queue for new phase with cleanup callback
+    gameState.eventQueue.reset(() => {
+      // Ensure proper state cleanup when events are canceled
+      gameState.messagesPlaying = false;
+      gameState.isAnimating = false;
+    });
+    
+    if (gameState.isPlaying) {
+      gameState.eventQueue.start();
+    }
+
+    // Reset animation state (redundant but kept for clarity)
     gameState.isAnimating = false;
     gameState.messagesPlaying = false;
 
@@ -100,6 +114,12 @@ export function togglePlayback(explicitSet: boolean | undefined = undefined) {
     nextBtn.disabled = true;
     logger.log("Starting playback...");
 
+    // Start background audio when playback starts
+    startBackgroundAudio();
+
+    // Start event queue for deterministic animations
+    gameState.eventQueue.start();
+
     if (gameState.cameraPanAnim) gameState.cameraPanAnim.getAll()[1].start()
 
     // First, show the messages of the current phase if it's the initial playback
@@ -115,10 +135,24 @@ export function togglePlayback(explicitSet: boolean | undefined = undefined) {
   } else {
     if (gameState.cameraPanAnim) gameState.cameraPanAnim.getAll()[0].pause();
     playBtn.textContent = "▶ Play";
-    if (gameState.playbackTimer) {
-      clearTimeout(gameState.playbackTimer);
-      gameState.playbackTimer = null;
+    // (playbackTimer is replaced by event queue system)
+    
+    // Stop background audio when pausing
+    stopBackgroundAudio();
+    
+    // Ensure any open two-power conversations are closed when pausing
+    if (gameState.isDisplayingMoment) {
+      closeTwoPowerConversation(true); // immediate = true
     }
+    
+    // Stop and reset event queue when pausing with cleanup
+    gameState.eventQueue.stop();
+    gameState.eventQueue.reset(() => {
+      // Ensure proper state cleanup when events are canceled
+      gameState.messagesPlaying = false;
+      gameState.isAnimating = false;
+    });
+    
     gameState.messagesPlaying = false;
     prevBtn.disabled = false;
     nextBtn.disabled = false;
@@ -141,11 +175,9 @@ export function nextPhase() {
         moment: moment
       })
       if (gameState.isPlaying) {
-
-        setTimeout(() => {
-          closeTwoPowerConversation()
-          _setPhase(gameState.phaseIndex + 1)
-        }, MOMENT_DISPLAY_TIMEOUT_MS)
+        // The conversation will close itself and then advance the phase
+        // We don't need to schedule a timeout here anymore since the conversation manages its own timing
+        console.log("Two-power conversation will handle its own timing and phase advancement");
       } else {
         _setPhase(gameState.phaseIndex + 1)
       }
@@ -293,7 +325,7 @@ export function advanceToNextPhase() {
   // First show summary if available
   if (currentPhase.summary && currentPhase.summary.trim() !== '') {
     // Delay speech in streaming mode
-    setTimeout(() => {
+    gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(speechDelay, () => {
       // Speak the summary and advance after
       if (!gameState.isSpeaking) {
         speakSummary(currentPhase.summary)
@@ -314,7 +346,7 @@ export function advanceToNextPhase() {
       } else {
         console.error("Attempted to start speaking when already speaking...");
       }
-    }, speechDelay);
+    }, `speech-delay-${Date.now()}`);
   } else {
     console.log("No summary available, skipping speech");
     // No summary to speak, advance immediately
@@ -364,9 +396,9 @@ function displayFinalPhase() {
       maxCenters,
       finalStandings,
     });
-    setTimeout(() => {
+    gameState.eventQueue.scheduleDelay(config.victoryModalDisplayMs, () => {
       gameState.loadNextGame(true)
-    }, config.victoryModalDisplayMs)
+    }, `victory-modal-timeout-${Date.now()}`)
 
   } else {
     logger.log("Could not determine game winner");
diff --git a/ai_animation/src/types/events.ts b/ai_animation/src/types/events.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..61cfdee
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ai_animation/src/types/events.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+/**
+ * Event queue system for deterministic animations
+ */
+
+export interface ScheduledEvent {
+  id: string;
+  triggerAtTime: number;  // Relative to startTime in seconds
+  callback: () => void;
+  resolved?: boolean;
+  priority?: number;  // Higher numbers execute first for events at same time
+}
+
+export class EventQueue {
+  private events: ScheduledEvent[] = [];
+  private startTime: number = 0;
+  private isRunning: boolean = false;
+
+  /**
+   * Start the event queue with current time as reference
+   */
+  start(): void {
+    this.startTime = performance.now() / 1000;
+    this.isRunning = true;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Stop the event queue
+   */
+  stop(): void {
+    this.isRunning = false;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Reset the event queue, clearing all events
+   * @param resetCallback Optional callback to run after reset (for cleanup)
+   */
+  reset(resetCallback?: () => void): void {
+    this.events = [];
+    this.isRunning = false;
+    if (resetCallback) {
+      resetCallback();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Add an event to the queue
+   */
+  schedule(event: ScheduledEvent): void {
+    this.events.push(event);
+    // Keep events sorted by trigger time, then by priority
+    this.events.sort((a, b) => {
+      if (a.triggerAtTime === b.triggerAtTime) {
+        return (b.priority || 0) - (a.priority || 0);
+      }
+      return a.triggerAtTime - b.triggerAtTime;
+    });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Remove resolved events from the queue
+   */
+  cleanup(): void {
+    this.events = this.events.filter(event => !event.resolved);
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Update the event queue, triggering events that are ready
+   */
+  update(): void {
+    if (!this.isRunning) return;
+
+    const now = performance.now() / 1000;
+    const elapsed = now - this.startTime;
+
+    for (const event of this.events) {
+      if (!event.resolved && elapsed >= event.triggerAtTime) {
+        event.callback();
+        event.resolved = true;
+      }
+    }
+
+    // Clean up resolved events periodically
+    if (this.events.length > 0 && this.events.every(e => e.resolved)) {
+      this.cleanup();
+    }
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get remaining events count
+   */
+  get pendingCount(): number {
+    return this.events.filter(e => !e.resolved).length;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Get all events (for debugging)
+   */
+  get allEvents(): ScheduledEvent[] {
+    return [...this.events];
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Schedule a simple delay callback (like setTimeout)
+   */
+  scheduleDelay(delayMs: number, callback: () => void, id?: string): void {
+    const now = performance.now() / 1000;
+    const elapsed = this.isRunning ? now - this.startTime : 0;
+    this.schedule({
+      id: id || `delay-${Date.now()}-${Math.random()}`,
+      triggerAtTime: elapsed + (delayMs / 1000), // Schedule relative to current time
+      callback
+    });
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * Schedule a recurring event (like setInterval) 
+   * Returns a function to cancel the recurring event
+   */
+  scheduleRecurring(intervalMs: number, callback: () => void, id?: string): () => void {
+    let counter = 0;
+    const baseId = id || `recurring-${Date.now()}`;
+    const now = performance.now() / 1000;
+    const startElapsed = this.isRunning ? now - this.startTime : 0;
+    
+    const scheduleNext = () => {
+      counter++;
+      this.schedule({
+        id: `${baseId}-${counter}`,
+        triggerAtTime: startElapsed + (intervalMs * counter) / 1000,
+        callback: () => {
+          callback();
+          scheduleNext(); // Schedule the next occurrence
+        }
+      });
+    };
+    
+    scheduleNext();
+    
+    // Return cancel function
+    return () => {
+      // Mark all future events for this recurring schedule as resolved
+      this.events.forEach(event => {
+        if (event.id.startsWith(baseId) && !event.resolved) {
+          event.resolved = true;
+        }
+      });
+    };
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file