Close every top modal through one Esc and right-click path

- Add Help, Settings, Pause and review to the top-modal close chain so right-click and Esc behave consistently.
- Restore the venue menu after menu Settings and prevent Help from opening Pause behind itself.
- Reopen pause after in-shift Settings apply and recapture the mouse/unfreeze state on close.
- Extend the session smoke for menu Settings, right-click Help and guard unfreeze.

src/game/game_manager.gd

@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ var shift_review_panel: ShiftReview = null
 var start_menu: StartMenu = null
 var pause_overlay: PauseOverlay = null
 var settings_panel: SettingsPanel = null
+## Settings opened from the venue menu must return there on Cancel/Apply;
+## settings opened from pause must not leave a menu visible or the guard frozen.
+var _settings_from_start_menu := false
 var event_timeline: EventTimeline = null
 var tutorial_overlay: TutorialOverlay = null
 var help_overlay: HelpOverlay = null
@@ -352,8 +355,15 @@ func _phase_start_s(phase: int) -> float:
 
 func _show_start_menu() -> void:
 	_shift_running = false
+	_settings_from_start_menu = false
 	if pause_overlay:
 		pause_overlay.close()
+	if settings_panel:
+		settings_panel.close()
+	if help_overlay:
+		help_overlay.close_panel()
+	if event_timeline:
+		event_timeline.close()
 	if shift_review_panel:
 		shift_review_panel.hide()
 	if guard:
@@ -411,11 +421,21 @@ func _on_settings_applied(settings: Dictionary) -> void:
 			Save.save_campaign(campaign.summary())
 	if coordinator:
 		coordinator.scheduler.spawn_rate_multiplier = float(_difficulty()["spawn"])
-	if start_menu and start_menu.visible:
-		start_menu.open(campaign.summary() if campaign else {})
-	elif _shift_running:
+	# A settings panel opened from the venue menu is restored by
+	# `_on_settings_closed`; an in-shift panel returns to pause. Close it before
+	# opening pause so the new top-modal pass cannot cancel it twice.
+	if _shift_running:
+		if settings_panel:
+			settings_panel.close()
 		_open_pause()
 
+func _on_settings_closed() -> void:
+	if _settings_from_start_menu:
+		_settings_from_start_menu = false
+		_show_start_menu()
+	else:
+		_refresh_freeze()
+
 ## Clear the tutorial completion/skip flags and restart the Hollywood shift so
 ## the next player can replay the first-shift lesson from Settings.
 func _on_reset_campaign() -> void:
@@ -423,6 +443,7 @@ func _on_reset_campaign() -> void:
 		Save.reset_campaign()
 	if campaign:
 		campaign.setup({})
+	_settings_from_start_menu = false
 	if settings_panel:
 		settings_panel.close()
 	if pause_overlay:
@@ -434,6 +455,7 @@ func _on_replay_tutorial() -> void:
 	player_settings["tutorial_skipped"] = false
 	if Save:
 		Save.save_settings(player_settings)
+	_settings_from_start_menu = false
 	if settings_panel:
 		settings_panel.close()
 	if pause_overlay:
@@ -445,6 +467,7 @@ func _open_help() -> void:
 		help_overlay.open(selected_scenario.policy_summary if selected_scenario else "")
 
 func _open_settings() -> void:
+	_settings_from_start_menu = start_menu != null and start_menu.visible
 	if start_menu:
 		start_menu.close()
 	if pause_overlay:
@@ -517,6 +540,7 @@ func _build_ui() -> void:
 	settings_panel.applied.connect(_on_settings_applied)
 	settings_panel.replay_tutorial_requested.connect(_on_replay_tutorial)
 	settings_panel.reset_campaign_requested.connect(_on_reset_campaign)
+	settings_panel.closed.connect(_on_settings_closed)
 
 	event_timeline = EventTimeline.new()
 	add_child(event_timeline)
@@ -1367,6 +1391,18 @@ func _close_top_modal() -> bool:
 	if event_timeline and event_timeline.visible:
 		event_timeline.close()
 		return true
+	if help_overlay and help_overlay.visible:
+		help_overlay.close_panel()
+		return true
+	if settings_panel and settings_panel.visible:
+		settings_panel._on_cancel()
+		return true
+	if pause_overlay and pause_overlay.visible:
+		_close_pause()
+		return true
+	if shift_review_panel and shift_review_panel.visible:
+		_on_review_restart()
+		return true
 	return false
 
 func _open_radial() -> void:

src/test/smoke_session_shell.gd

@@ -22,6 +22,33 @@ func _initialize() -> void:
 
 func _process(_delta: float) -> bool:
 	_frames += 1
+	if _frames == 5:
+		_manager = _main.get_node_or_null("GameManager")
+		if _manager == null or _manager.start_menu == null or not _manager.start_menu.visible:
+			printerr("start menu not visible before settings check")
+			quit(1)
+			return true
+		_manager._open_settings()
+	if _frames == 7:
+		if _manager.settings_panel == null or not _manager.settings_panel.visible:
+			printerr("settings did not open from the venue menu")
+			quit(1)
+			return true
+		_manager.settings_panel._on_cancel()
+	if _frames == 8:
+		if not _manager.start_menu.visible:
+			printerr("cancelling menu settings did not return to the venue menu")
+			quit(1)
+			return true
+		print("boot: menu settings cancel returns to menu")
+		_manager._open_help()
+		_manager._handle_cancel(true)
+	if _frames == 9:
+		if _manager.help_overlay.visible or not _manager.start_menu.visible:
+			printerr("right-click did not close Help and keep the venue menu")
+			quit(1)
+			return true
+		print("boot: help closes on right-click")
 	if _frames == 10:
 		_manager = _main.get_node_or_null("GameManager")
 		if _manager.start_menu == null or not _manager.start_menu.visible:
@@ -65,6 +92,10 @@ func _process(_delta: float) -> bool:
 			return true
 		print("boot: settings visible")
 		_manager.settings_panel._on_cancel()
+		if _manager.guard.input_locked:
+			printerr("guard stayed frozen after settings cancel")
+			quit(1)
+			return true
 		_manager._quit_to_menu()
 	if _frames == 290:
 		if not _manager.start_menu.visible: