diff --git a/docs/runtime.md b/docs/runtime.md
index ec2acb4..4159be9 100644
--- a/docs/runtime.md
+++ b/docs/runtime.md
@@ -246,6 +246,33 @@ in-process. The package is **not** a default dep — install it explicitly
 (`npm i prismarine-viewer`) before enabling. If missing, the runtime
 logs a warning and continues.
 
+### Memory: world-journal + scenario-memory (2026-05-26)
+
+Two persistent stores under `state/<host>/`:
+
+- **`world-journal.jsonl`** — append-only log of discovered points
+  (`{kind, name, at:{x,y,z}, ts}`). Skills feed it automatically via
+  `worldDelta` on each successful dispatch — chops, mines, placements,
+  base/shelter location, planted/harvested crops, plus `dead_end`
+  markers on `no_target` / `silent_dig_failure`. Indexed by a 16-block
+  spatial grid so `nearest({kind, x, z, radius})` is O(neighbors).
+  Pruned at 6 h age + 10k line ceiling. `leanestQuadrant({x, z})`
+  returns the cardinal quadrant the bot has explored LEAST — used by
+  `explore.far` to circle rather than retread the same patch.
+- **`scenarios.jsonl`** — sliding window of `(skillId, situationHash,
+  code, ok, detail, ts)` tuples. `situationHash` is a coarse fingerprint
+  of where + how the bot was (16-cell + 8y bucket, day/night, food
+  bucket, hp bucket, inventory key set, closest hostile name). The
+  curriculum reflex calls `memory.shouldSkip({skillId, situation})` —
+  ≥3 failures of the same `(skill, situation)` within 30 min and the
+  reflex auto-converts into a wander hint instead of re-dispatching the
+  failing skill. A subsequent success in the same situation un-locks it.
+
+Both stores feed stuck-incident proposal bodies: when the LLM is
+asked to patch a stuck state, it sees `byKind` journal counts AND the
+last 12 scenario-memory entries, so it can write a structural fix
+based on what's actually been tried, not just one snapshot.
+
 ### Scheduler driven by the curriculum (2026-05-26)
 
 The reflex chain is now: `defend → eat → sleep → curriculum → idle`.
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 175853f..fc0a38b 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
     "tui": "tsx tui/tui.tsx",
     "propose:apply": "node scripts/propose-apply.js",
     "stop": "bash scripts/stop.sh",
-    "test": "node --test runtime/skills/contract.test.js runtime/skills/groups.test.js runtime/skills/compat.test.js runtime/curriculum.test.js runtime/social/social.test.js runtime/stuck-incident.test.js runtime/compat.test.js runtime/reflex.test.js runtime/base-site.test.js runtime/locations.test.js runtime/watch-filter.test.js scripts/edit-scope.test.js"
+    "test": "node --test runtime/skills/contract.test.js runtime/skills/groups.test.js runtime/skills/compat.test.js runtime/curriculum.test.js runtime/social/social.test.js runtime/stuck-incident.test.js runtime/compat.test.js runtime/reflex.test.js runtime/base-site.test.js runtime/locations.test.js runtime/watch-filter.test.js runtime/world-journal.test.js runtime/scenario-memory.test.js scripts/edit-scope.test.js"
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "dotenv": "^16.4.5",
diff --git a/runtime/bot.js b/runtime/bot.js
index 8f67912..d4294aa 100644
--- a/runtime/bot.js
+++ b/runtime/bot.js
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ import { generateReply } from "./social/reply.js";
 import { createChatMemory } from "./social/memory.js";
 import { createStuckIncidentDetector } from "./stuck-incident.js";
 import { createSkillMetrics } from "./skill-metrics.js";
+import { createWorldJournal } from "./world-journal.js";
+import { createScenarioMemory, situationHash } from "./scenario-memory.js";
 
 fs.mkdirSync(stateDir, { recursive: true });
 const JOINED_FLAG = path.join(stateDir, "joined-before.flag");
@@ -74,6 +76,8 @@ let lastEscalationAt = 0;
 const noProgress = createNoProgressDetector();
 const stuckIncident = createStuckIncidentDetector();
 const skillMetrics = createSkillMetrics();
+const worldJournal = createWorldJournal();
+const scenarioMemory = createScenarioMemory();
 let lastResult = null; // { label, ok, code, detail, ts }
 let lastFailureAt = 0;
 let lastPlanReadAt = 0;
@@ -82,6 +86,9 @@ let cachedPlanExists = false;
 const MILESTONE_CACHE_MS = 30_000;
 
 // Reflex context — passed into reflex.js every tick. Mutable across ticks.
+// Memory stores (journal + memory) live here so skill code can consult
+// them directly — gather.* can preferentially target known log positions,
+// deposit-surplus can mark the chest it placed, etc.
 const reflexCtx = {
 	bot: null,
 	snapshot: lastSnapshot,
@@ -93,6 +100,8 @@ const reflexCtx = {
 	// Tracks repeated failure of the same labelled action — triggers a proposal.
 	recentFailures: [], // [{label, detail, ts}], capped at 10
 	dispatch: dispatchAction,
+	journal: worldJournal,
+	memory: scenarioMemory,
 };
 
 let chatTimestamps = [];
@@ -156,6 +165,45 @@ function maybeHandleAuthPrompt(text) {
 // Reflexes call this to fire an async action without blocking the tick.
 // Sets busy=true, runs fn, clears busy when done; optional onComplete callback
 // receives the action's { ok, detail } result.
+// Pull worldDelta fields written by skills (e.g. {choppedAt, logType,
+// minedAt, blockType, gotWool, baseAt, shelterAt, depositedTotal,
+// plantedAt, harvestedAt, tilledAt}) and turn them into journal lines.
+// Any unknown delta is silently skipped — skills can extend the world
+// journal without bot.js needing to know each schema.
+function recordWorldDeltaToJournal(label, res, snapshot) {
+	const wd = res?.worldDelta;
+	if (!wd || typeof wd !== "object") return;
+	try {
+		if (wd.choppedAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "chopped", name: wd.logType ?? "log", at: wd.choppedAt });
+		if (wd.minedAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "chopped", name: wd.blockType ?? "stone", at: wd.minedAt });
+		if (wd.placedAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "placed", name: wd.placedType ?? "block", at: wd.placedAt });
+		if (wd.baseAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "base", name: "base", at: wd.baseAt });
+		if (wd.shelterAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "shelter", name: "shelter", at: wd.shelterAt });
+		if (wd.plantedAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "farm", name: "planted", at: wd.plantedAt });
+		if (wd.harvestedAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "farm", name: "harvested", at: wd.harvestedAt });
+		if (wd.tilledAt) worldJournal.append({ kind: "farm", name: "tilled", at: wd.tilledAt });
+		// failures: blacklisted / no_target — log a dead-end at current pos
+		if (res?.code === "no_target" && snapshot?.position) {
+			worldJournal.append({
+				kind: "dead_end",
+				name: label,
+				reason: res?.detail ? String(res.detail).slice(0, 80) : "no_target",
+				at: snapshot.position,
+			});
+		}
+		if (res?.code === "silent_dig_failure" && snapshot?.position) {
+			worldJournal.append({
+				kind: "dead_end",
+				name: label,
+				reason: "silent_dig_failure",
+				at: wd?.blacklisted ?? snapshot.position,
+			});
+		}
+	} catch (e) {
+		warn("journal", `append from ${label} failed: ${e.message}`);
+	}
+}
+
 function dispatchAction(fn, label, opts = {}) {
 	if (reflexCtx.busy) {
 		warn("dispatch", `tried to dispatch ${label} while busy with ${reflexCtx.currentActionLabel}`);
@@ -163,9 +211,14 @@ function dispatchAction(fn, label, opts = {}) {
 	}
 	reflexCtx.busy = true;
 	reflexCtx.currentActionLabel = label;
+	// Capture the situation hash BEFORE the action runs so a failure is
+	// attributable to the state at dispatch time, not the state after the
+	// (partial) effect.
+	const startSnap = lastSnapshot;
+	const startSituation = situationHash(startSnap);
 	// current-task is a resume anchor — keep it small. Embedding the full
 	// perception snapshot blows the file up to ~3 KB per write × every action.
-	writeCurrentTask({ label, status: "in_progress", position: lastSnapshot.position });
+	writeCurrentTask({ label, status: "in_progress", position: startSnap.position });
 	info("dispatch", `→ ${label}`);
 	Promise.resolve()
 		.then(() => fn())
@@ -184,6 +237,14 @@ function dispatchAction(fn, label, opts = {}) {
 				ts: Date.now(),
 			};
 			skillMetrics.record(label, ok);
+			scenarioMemory.record({
+				skillId: label,
+				situation: startSituation,
+				code: lastResult.code,
+				ok,
+				detail: res?.detail,
+			});
+			recordWorldDeltaToJournal(label, res, startSnap);
 			if (!ok) {
 				lastFailureAt = lastResult.ts;
 				recordFailure(label, res?.detail);
@@ -210,6 +271,13 @@ function dispatchAction(fn, label, opts = {}) {
 				ts: Date.now(),
 			};
 			skillMetrics.record(label, false);
+			scenarioMemory.record({
+				skillId: label,
+				situation: startSituation,
+				code: "threw",
+				ok: false,
+				detail: String(e?.message ?? e),
+			});
 			lastFailureAt = lastResult.ts;
 			recordFailure(label, String(e?.message ?? e));
 		})
@@ -710,6 +778,8 @@ function tick() {
 			snapshot: lastSnapshot,
 			lastResult,
 			metrics: lastSnapshot.skillMetrics,
+			journalSummary: worldJournal.summary(),
+			scenarioTail: scenarioMemory.recentTailFor({ n: 12 }),
 			now,
 		});
 		if (stuck?.fire) {
diff --git a/runtime/reflex.js b/runtime/reflex.js
index e8cb690..bd91387 100644
--- a/runtime/reflex.js
+++ b/runtime/reflex.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
 	wander,
 } from "./actions.js";
 import { runSkill, getSkill } from "./skills/index.js";
+import { situationHash } from "./scenario-memory.js";
 
 // Each "wander hint" triggered by a skill returning no_target should take
 // the bot meaningfully further than 16 blocks — otherwise the curriculum
@@ -226,6 +227,20 @@ function curriculumReflex(ctx) {
 	const backoffUntil = ctx.skillBackoff?.[skillId] ?? 0;
 	if (Date.now() < backoffUntil) return { action: "noop" };
 
+	// Scenario memory: this exact (skill, situation) pattern failed N times
+	// recently? Skip and let the wander/explore hint move us to a different
+	// situation. The hash includes coarse position + day/night + food + hp
+	// + inventory keys + nearby hostile — "same kind of place + state".
+	if (ctx.memory?.shouldSkip && ctx.snapshot) {
+		const sit = situationHash(ctx.snapshot);
+		if (ctx.memory.shouldSkip({ skillId, situation: sit })) {
+			// Pretend a wander hint fired so the next tick will explore.
+			ctx.skillBackoff = ctx.skillBackoff ?? {};
+			ctx.skillBackoff["__wander_hint__"] = Date.now() + SKILL_BACKOFF_MS;
+			return { action: "noop" };
+		}
+	}
+
 	ctx.lastCurriculumAt = Date.now();
 	ctx.dispatch(() => runSkill(skillId, ctx), skillId, {
 		onComplete: (res) => {
diff --git a/runtime/scenario-memory.js b/runtime/scenario-memory.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8dc7eca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/scenario-memory.js
@@ -0,0 +1,149 @@
+// Scenario memory: the bot remembers what skill it tried in what kind of
+// situation and how that worked out. Two consumers:
+//
+//   1. The scheduler skips a skill when (skillId, situationHash) showed
+//      ≥N failures within MEMORY_WINDOW_MS — no point retrying the same
+//      thing in the same context. The cooldown is shorter than the
+//      per-skill backoff so the bot can come back later, but the hash
+//      includes the current biome + time-of-day + nearby-block-types so
+//      "I'm in a different place now" un-locks the skill automatically.
+//
+//   2. Pi-side proposals (stuck-incident) get a tail of recent entries
+//      so the LLM can see what's been tried and reason about it
+//      structurally instead of guessing.
+//
+// Persisted at state/<host>/scenarios.jsonl, append-only. Loaded into a
+// circular in-memory buffer for fast lookups. Old entries pruned by age.
+
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { stateDir } from "./config.js";
+
+const SCENARIO_PATH = path.join(stateDir, "scenarios.jsonl");
+const MAX_LINES = 5_000;
+const TRIM_TARGET = 3_500;
+const MEMORY_WINDOW_MS = 30 * 60_000; // 30 min — recent enough to matter
+
+function ensureDir() {
+	try { fs.mkdirSync(stateDir, { recursive: true }); } catch {}
+}
+
+// Cheap structural hash of the situation the bot is acting in: bucketed
+// position (16×16×8 cell), biome (if known), day/night, food bucket,
+// inventory keys (presence only, not counts), closest hostile type. The
+// hash is intentionally coarse — we want "same kind of place + same kind
+// of state" to match, not "exact (x,y,z) again".
+export function situationHash(snapshot) {
+	if (!snapshot?.connected) return "disconnected";
+	const p = snapshot.position ?? { x: 0, y: 0, z: 0 };
+	const cx = Math.floor(p.x / 16);
+	const cy = Math.floor(p.y / 8);
+	const cz = Math.floor(p.z / 16);
+	const day = snapshot.isDay ? "d" : "n";
+	const food = snapshot.food === undefined ? "?" : snapshot.food >= 18 ? "F" : snapshot.food >= 12 ? "f" : "h";
+	const hp = (snapshot.health ?? 20) >= 15 ? "H" : "L";
+	const hostile = snapshot.closestHostile && snapshot.closestHostile.distance < 24
+		? snapshot.closestHostile.name
+		: "-";
+	// Inventory keys, sorted — we lose counts but keep "what kind of stuff do
+	// I have". Limited to first 10 names for hash stability.
+	const invKeys = Object.keys(snapshot.inventory ?? {})
+		.sort()
+		.slice(0, 10)
+		.join(",") || "-";
+	return `${cx},${cy},${cz}|${day}|${food}|${hp}|host:${hostile}|inv:${invKeys}`;
+}
+
+function loadScenarios() {
+	const entries = [];
+	let raw = "";
+	try { raw = fs.readFileSync(SCENARIO_PATH, "utf8"); }
+	catch (e) { if (e.code !== "ENOENT") return entries; return entries; }
+	const now = Date.now();
+	const lines = raw.split("\n").filter((l) => l.trim());
+	for (const line of lines) {
+		try {
+			const entry = JSON.parse(line);
+			const ts = Date.parse(entry.ts ?? "");
+			if (!Number.isFinite(ts)) continue;
+			if (now - ts > MEMORY_WINDOW_MS * 4) continue; // hard expire ×4 window
+			entries.push({ ...entry, _ts: ts });
+		} catch {}
+	}
+	return entries;
+}
+
+function maybeTrim(linesSoFar) {
+	if (linesSoFar <= MAX_LINES) return;
+	try {
+		const raw = fs.readFileSync(SCENARIO_PATH, "utf8");
+		const lines = raw.split("\n").filter((l) => l.trim());
+		const keep = lines.slice(-TRIM_TARGET).join("\n") + "\n";
+		const tmp = `${SCENARIO_PATH}.tmp`;
+		fs.writeFileSync(tmp, keep);
+		fs.renameSync(tmp, SCENARIO_PATH);
+	} catch {}
+}
+
+export function createScenarioMemory({ failureThreshold = 3, windowMs = MEMORY_WINDOW_MS } = {}) {
+	const entries = loadScenarios();
+	let appended = entries.length;
+
+	function record({ skillId, situation, code, ok, detail }) {
+		if (!skillId || !situation) return;
+		const entry = {
+			ts: new Date().toISOString(),
+			skillId, situation, code, ok: !!ok,
+			detail: detail ? String(detail).slice(0, 200) : null,
+			_ts: Date.now(),
+		};
+		entries.push(entry);
+		ensureDir();
+		fs.appendFileSync(SCENARIO_PATH, JSON.stringify({ ...entry, _ts: undefined }) + "\n");
+		appended++;
+		if (appended % 200 === 0) maybeTrim(appended);
+	}
+
+	function recentFailures({ skillId, situation, now = Date.now() }) {
+		return entries.filter((e) =>
+			e.skillId === skillId &&
+			e.situation === situation &&
+			!e.ok &&
+			now - e._ts < windowMs
+		);
+	}
+
+	// Decision: "should I skip dispatching skill in this situation right now?"
+	function shouldSkip({ skillId, situation, now = Date.now() }) {
+		const fails = recentFailures({ skillId, situation, now });
+		if (fails.length < failureThreshold) return false;
+		// Also: have we succeeded with this same (skill, situation) lately? If
+		// so, don't skip — the pattern may have changed.
+		const recentOk = entries.find((e) =>
+			e.skillId === skillId &&
+			e.situation === situation &&
+			e.ok &&
+			now - e._ts < windowMs,
+		);
+		if (recentOk) return false;
+		return true;
+	}
+
+	// Pi-bound: tail of recent attempts as plain text (skill, situation, code, ok).
+	function recentTailFor({ skillId, n = 10 } = {}) {
+		const filtered = skillId ? entries.filter((e) => e.skillId === skillId) : entries;
+		return filtered.slice(-n).map((e) => ({
+			ts: e.ts,
+			skillId: e.skillId,
+			ok: e.ok,
+			code: e.code,
+			detail: e.detail,
+			situationHashShort: (e.situation ?? "").slice(0, 60),
+		}));
+	}
+
+	function size() { return entries.length; }
+	function clear() { entries.length = 0; try { fs.unlinkSync(SCENARIO_PATH); } catch {} }
+
+	return { record, recentFailures, shouldSkip, recentTailFor, size, clear };
+}
diff --git a/runtime/scenario-memory.test.js b/runtime/scenario-memory.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..baf34fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/scenario-memory.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { createScenarioMemory, situationHash } from "./scenario-memory.js";
+
+function snap(extras = {}) {
+	return {
+		connected: true,
+		position: { x: 100, y: 64, z: -200 },
+		isDay: true,
+		food: 18,
+		health: 20,
+		inventory: {},
+		closestHostile: null,
+		...extras,
+	};
+}
+
+test("situationHash is stable for the same situation, different for different cell", () => {
+	const a = situationHash(snap());
+	const b = situationHash(snap());
+	assert.equal(a, b);
+	const c = situationHash(snap({ position: { x: 200, y: 64, z: -200 } }));
+	assert.notEqual(a, c);
+});
+
+test("situationHash changes with day/night, food, health bucket, hostile", () => {
+	const base = snap();
+	const night = situationHash({ ...base, isDay: false });
+	const lowHp = situationHash({ ...base, health: 5 });
+	const hostile = situationHash({ ...base, closestHostile: { name: "zombie", distance: 5 } });
+	assert.notEqual(situationHash(base), night);
+	assert.notEqual(situationHash(base), lowHp);
+	assert.notEqual(situationHash(base), hostile);
+});
+
+test("shouldSkip flips after N failures in the same situation", () => {
+	const m = createScenarioMemory({ failureThreshold: 3, windowMs: 60_000 });
+	const sit = "x|y|z|d|F|H|host:-|inv:-";
+	const skillId = "test.always-fails-" + Date.now();
+	assert.equal(m.shouldSkip({ skillId, situation: sit }), false);
+	for (let i = 0; i < 3; i++) {
+		m.record({ skillId, situation: sit, code: "no_target", ok: false, detail: "no" });
+	}
+	assert.equal(m.shouldSkip({ skillId, situation: sit }), true);
+});
+
+test("a recent success in the same situation un-locks the skill", () => {
+	const m = createScenarioMemory({ failureThreshold: 2, windowMs: 60_000 });
+	const sit = "site_alpha";
+	const skillId = "test.flaky-" + Date.now();
+	m.record({ skillId, situation: sit, code: "fail", ok: false });
+	m.record({ skillId, situation: sit, code: "fail", ok: false });
+	assert.equal(m.shouldSkip({ skillId, situation: sit }), true);
+	m.record({ skillId, situation: sit, code: "done", ok: true });
+	assert.equal(m.shouldSkip({ skillId, situation: sit }), false);
+});
+
+test("recentTailFor returns most-recent entries with situation hash short form", () => {
+	const m = createScenarioMemory();
+	const skillId = "test.tail-" + Date.now();
+	for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+		m.record({ skillId, situation: `s${i}`, code: i % 2 ? "ok" : "no_target", ok: i % 2 === 1 });
+	}
+	const tail = m.recentTailFor({ skillId, n: 3 });
+	assert.equal(tail.length, 3);
+	assert.equal(tail[2].skillId, skillId);
+	assert.ok(typeof tail[0].situationHashShort === "string");
+});
diff --git a/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js b/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js
index c29dcad..a871075 100644
--- a/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js
+++ b/runtime/skills/chop-logs.js
@@ -3,8 +3,27 @@
 // while exposing the survival-skill contract (preconditions, timeout,
 // structured worldDelta, recovery hint).
 
+import pathfinderPkg from "mineflayer-pathfinder";
+const { pathfinder, goals } = pathfinderPkg;
+
 import { chopNearestTree } from "../actions.js";
 import { logs as logBlocks } from "./groups.js";
+import { info } from "../log.js";
+
+let pluginLoaded = new WeakSet();
+function ensurePathfinder(bot) {
+	if (pluginLoaded.has(bot)) return;
+	bot.loadPlugin(pathfinder);
+	pluginLoaded.add(bot);
+}
+
+function withTimeout(promise, ms, label) {
+	let timer;
+	const timeout = new Promise((_, reject) => {
+		timer = setTimeout(() => reject(new Error(`${label} timed out after ${ms / 1000}s`)), ms);
+	});
+	return Promise.race([promise, timeout]).finally(() => clearTimeout(timer));
+}
 
 export const skill = Object.freeze({
 	id: "gather.logs",
@@ -19,6 +38,28 @@ export const skill = Object.freeze({
 		return { ok: true };
 	},
 	async execute(ctx) {
+		// Journal-aware approach: if we previously chopped a tree (or saw a
+		// tree marker) within 96 blocks, walk to that bucket first — the
+		// chunk has been confirmed to contain trees, so the next chop is
+		// likely to succeed there even if findBlock at the current position
+		// returned nothing.
+		const bot = ctx.bot;
+		const here = bot.entity?.position;
+		if (here && ctx?.journal?.nearest) {
+			const near = ctx.journal.nearest({ kind: "chopped", x: here.x, z: here.z, radius: 96, limit: 1 });
+			if (near.length && near[0].distance > 8) {
+				ensurePathfinder(bot);
+				const t = near[0].at;
+				info("action", `gather.logs: journal hint → walk to known tree area ${t.x},${t.y},${t.z} (${near[0].distance.toFixed(0)}m)`);
+				try {
+					await withTimeout(
+						bot.pathfinder.goto(new goals.GoalNear(t.x, t.y, t.z, 6)),
+						25_000,
+						"gotoTreeArea",
+					);
+				} catch {} // ignore, fall through to chop attempt
+			}
+		}
 		const res = await chopNearestTree(ctx.bot);
 		if (res.ok) {
 			return {
diff --git a/runtime/skills/explore-far.js b/runtime/skills/explore-far.js
index 2fe3fcb..f71ac56 100644
--- a/runtime/skills/explore-far.js
+++ b/runtime/skills/explore-far.js
@@ -69,7 +69,23 @@ export const skill = Object.freeze({
 		// gives us a free-direction signal cheaply.
 		const dist = Math.max(24, args.distance ?? 48);
 		const trials = await probeCardinalStep(bot, 800);
-		const best = trials.reduce((b, t) => (t.dist > b.dist ? t : b), { dist: 0, yaw: 0, name: "?" });
+		const movable = trials.filter((t) => t.dist > 0.5);
+
+		// Journal-aware: if more than one direction is walkable, prefer the
+		// one in the LEANEST quadrant (least amount of stuff we've already
+		// catalogued, including dead_end markers — so we don't loop the same
+		// area). Falls back to "best by distance" when only one direction
+		// works or journal is empty.
+		let best = trials.reduce((b, t) => (t.dist > b.dist ? t : b), { dist: 0, yaw: 0, name: "?" });
+		if (movable.length > 1 && ctx?.journal?.leanestQuadrant) {
+			const here = bot.entity.position;
+			const { best: leanest } = ctx.journal.leanestQuadrant({ x: here.x, z: here.z, radius: 96 });
+			const QUAD_TO_CARDINAL = { NE: "N", SE: "E", SW: "S", NW: "W" };
+			const preferredName = QUAD_TO_CARDINAL[leanest];
+			const preferred = movable.find((t) => t.name === preferredName);
+			if (preferred) best = preferred;
+			info("action", `explore.far: journal says leanest quadrant=${leanest} → prefer ${preferredName}`);
+		}
 		info("action", `explore.far: cardinal probe trials=${trials.map((t) => `${t.name}:${t.dist.toFixed(1)}`).join(" ")} best=${best.name}`);
 
 		if (best.dist < 0.5) {
diff --git a/runtime/stuck-incident.js b/runtime/stuck-incident.js
index 988b775..ac3b902 100644
--- a/runtime/stuck-incident.js
+++ b/runtime/stuck-incident.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export function createStuckIncidentDetector({ thresholdMs = STUCK_THRESHOLD_MS,
 
 	// Returns { fire: true, body, kind, editScope } when an incident should
 	// be filed this tick; null otherwise.
-	function check({ snapshot, lastResult, metrics, now = Date.now() }) {
+	function check({ snapshot, lastResult, metrics, journalSummary, scenarioTail, now = Date.now() }) {
 		const reason = snapshot?.noProgressReason ?? null;
 		if (!reason) {
 			reset();
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ export function createStuckIncidentDetector({ thresholdMs = STUCK_THRESHOLD_MS,
 				.join(", ")
 			: "(none)";
 
+		const journalLine = journalSummary
+			? `byKind=${JSON.stringify(journalSummary.byKind ?? {})} buckets=${journalSummary.totalBuckets ?? 0}`
+			: "(no journal)";
+
+		const scenarioLines = Array.isArray(scenarioTail) && scenarioTail.length
+			? scenarioTail.map((e) =>
+				`- \`${e.skillId}\` ${e.ok ? "OK" : "FAIL"} code=${e.code ?? "?"} ${e.detail ? `(${e.detail.slice?.(0, 120) ?? ""})` : ""} situ=${e.situationHashShort ?? "?"}`,
+			).join("\n")
+			: "_(no scenario memory recorded yet)_";
+
 		const body = [
 			`# Stuck on \`${reason}\``,
 			"",
@@ -88,15 +98,23 @@ export function createStuckIncidentDetector({ thresholdMs = STUCK_THRESHOLD_MS,
 				? `\`${lastResult.label}\` → ${lastResult.code ?? (lastResult.ok ? "ok" : "fail")}${lastResult.detail ? ` (${JSON.stringify(lastResult.detail).slice(0, 200)})` : ""}`
 				: "_(none recorded)_",
 			"",
-			"## Skill metrics so far",
+			"## Skill metrics so far (this process lifetime)",
 			"",
 			metricsLine,
 			"",
+			"## World journal (what we have discovered so far)",
+			"",
+			journalLine,
+			"",
+			"## Recent scenario memory (last attempts, what worked / failed in similar situations)",
+			"",
+			scenarioLines,
+			"",
 			"## Suggested fix",
 			"",
 			suggested
-				? `Improve \`${suggested}\` so the bot can clear the \`${reason}\` blocker. Touch only the listed files. Add or update tests under \`runtime/skills/\`.`
-				: `The curriculum has no suggested skill for this state. Either teach the curriculum a new milestone OR add a recovery skill that turns this reason code into a productive action.`,
+				? `Improve \`${suggested}\` so the bot can clear the \`${reason}\` blocker, OR teach a NEW skill that handles this kind of situation if no single edit fixes it. Touch only the listed files (the test files under runtime/**/*.test.js are auto-allowed). Use the scenario-memory entries above to avoid re-introducing patterns that already failed.`
+				: `The curriculum has no suggested skill for this state. Either teach the curriculum a new milestone OR add a recovery skill that turns this reason code into a productive action. The scenario memory above shows what's been tried.`,
 			"",
 			"## Edit scope (auto-patch must obey this)",
 			"",
diff --git a/runtime/world-journal.js b/runtime/world-journal.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3904d2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/world-journal.js
@@ -0,0 +1,151 @@
+// Persistent map of what the bot has discovered in the world. Append-only
+// JSONL at state/<host>/world-journal.jsonl. Lines look like:
+//
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"tree","name":"oak_log","at":{"x":..,"y":..,"z":..},"dim":"overworld"}
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"stone","name":"stone","at":{...}}
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"water","at":{...}}
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"sheep","at":{...}}
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"hostile_zone","name":"zombie","at":{...},"count":12}
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"dead_end","reason":"wedged","at":{...}}
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"chopped","name":"oak_log","at":{...}}     // we removed this block
+//   {"ts":"…","kind":"placed","name":"crafting_table","at":{...}}
+//
+// On boot we replay the file into an in-memory index (kind → spatial
+// bucket). Bucket = floor(coord / GRID_CELL) so lookups are O(neighbors).
+// Old entries auto-prune at MAX_AGE_MS so the bot adapts to changing world.
+
+import fs from "node:fs";
+import path from "node:path";
+import { stateDir } from "./config.js";
+
+const JOURNAL_PATH = path.join(stateDir, "world-journal.jsonl");
+const GRID_CELL = 16;
+const MAX_AGE_MS = 6 * 60 * 60_000; // 6 hours; world changes faster than that on a live server
+const MAX_LINES = 10_000;
+const TRIM_TARGET = 7_500;
+
+function ensureDir() {
+	try { fs.mkdirSync(stateDir, { recursive: true }); } catch {}
+}
+
+function cellOf(x, z) {
+	return `${Math.floor(x / GRID_CELL)},${Math.floor(z / GRID_CELL)}`;
+}
+
+function loadJournal() {
+	const index = new Map(); // "kind:cell" → array of entries
+	let raw = "";
+	try { raw = fs.readFileSync(JOURNAL_PATH, "utf8"); }
+	catch (e) { if (e.code !== "ENOENT") return { index }; return { index }; }
+	const now = Date.now();
+	const lines = raw.split("\n").filter((l) => l.trim());
+	for (const line of lines) {
+		try {
+			const entry = JSON.parse(line);
+			if (!entry?.at || typeof entry.at.x !== "number") continue;
+			const ts = Date.parse(entry.ts ?? "");
+			if (Number.isFinite(ts) && now - ts > MAX_AGE_MS) continue;
+			const key = `${entry.kind}:${cellOf(entry.at.x, entry.at.z)}`;
+			const bucket = index.get(key) ?? [];
+			bucket.push(entry);
+			index.set(key, bucket);
+		} catch {}
+	}
+	return { index, count: lines.length };
+}
+
+function maybeTrim(count) {
+	if (count <= MAX_LINES) return;
+	try {
+		const raw = fs.readFileSync(JOURNAL_PATH, "utf8");
+		const lines = raw.split("\n").filter((l) => l.trim());
+		const keep = lines.slice(-TRIM_TARGET).join("\n") + "\n";
+		const tmp = `${JOURNAL_PATH}.tmp`;
+		fs.writeFileSync(tmp, keep);
+		fs.renameSync(tmp, JOURNAL_PATH);
+	} catch {}
+}
+
+export function createWorldJournal() {
+	let { index, count = 0 } = loadJournal();
+	let appended = count;
+
+	function append(entry) {
+		if (!entry?.kind || !entry?.at) return;
+		ensureDir();
+		const line = JSON.stringify({ ts: new Date().toISOString(), ...entry }) + "\n";
+		fs.appendFileSync(JOURNAL_PATH, line);
+		const key = `${entry.kind}:${cellOf(entry.at.x, entry.at.z)}`;
+		const bucket = index.get(key) ?? [];
+		bucket.push({ ts: new Date().toISOString(), ...entry });
+		index.set(key, bucket);
+		appended++;
+		if (appended % 500 === 0) maybeTrim(appended);
+	}
+
+	// O(neighbors): scan a ring of cells around (x,z) up to `radius` blocks
+	// and return all entries matching `kind`. Filters out dead_end markers
+	// older than the live game cycle.
+	function nearest({ kind, x, z, radius = 32, limit = 5 }) {
+		const cellsPerSide = Math.ceil(radius / GRID_CELL);
+		const cx = Math.floor(x / GRID_CELL);
+		const cz = Math.floor(z / GRID_CELL);
+		const out = [];
+		for (let dx = -cellsPerSide; dx <= cellsPerSide; dx++) {
+			for (let dz = -cellsPerSide; dz <= cellsPerSide; dz++) {
+				const key = `${kind}:${cx + dx},${cz + dz}`;
+				const bucket = index.get(key);
+				if (!bucket) continue;
+				for (const e of bucket) {
+					const d = Math.hypot(e.at.x - x, e.at.z - z);
+					if (d <= radius) out.push({ ...e, distance: d });
+				}
+			}
+		}
+		out.sort((a, b) => a.distance - b.distance);
+		return out.slice(0, limit);
+	}
+
+	// "Which quadrants have we NOT searched yet?" — exploration helper for
+	// explore.far. Counts dead_end + dead-target entries per quadrant, recommends
+	// the leanest one.
+	function leanestQuadrant({ x, z, radius = 64 }) {
+		const quads = {
+			NE: 0, SE: 0, SW: 0, NW: 0,
+		};
+		for (const bucket of index.values()) {
+			for (const e of bucket) {
+				const dx = e.at.x - x;
+				const dz = e.at.z - z;
+				if (Math.hypot(dx, dz) > radius) continue;
+				if (dx >= 0 && dz < 0) quads.NE++;
+				else if (dx >= 0 && dz >= 0) quads.SE++;
+				else if (dx < 0 && dz >= 0) quads.SW++;
+				else quads.NW++;
+			}
+		}
+		// Return the quadrant with the FEWEST known markers — least explored.
+		let best = "NE";
+		for (const [q, c] of Object.entries(quads)) if (c < quads[best]) best = q;
+		return { best, counts: quads };
+	}
+
+	function summary() {
+		const byKind = {};
+		for (const [key, bucket] of index) {
+			const kind = key.split(":")[0];
+			byKind[kind] = (byKind[kind] ?? 0) + bucket.length;
+		}
+		return { totalBuckets: index.size, byKind };
+	}
+
+	function clear() {
+		index.clear();
+		try { fs.unlinkSync(JOURNAL_PATH); } catch {}
+		appended = 0;
+	}
+
+	return { append, nearest, leanestQuadrant, summary, clear };
+}
+
+export const _internal = { cellOf, GRID_CELL, MAX_AGE_MS };
diff --git a/runtime/world-journal.test.js b/runtime/world-journal.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..68b880e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/runtime/world-journal.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import { test } from "node:test";
+import assert from "node:assert/strict";
+
+import { createWorldJournal, _internal } from "./world-journal.js";
+
+function tag() { return `__t_${Date.now()}_${Math.floor(Math.random() * 1e6)}`; }
+
+test("cellOf buckets by GRID_CELL", () => {
+	assert.equal(_internal.cellOf(0, 0), "0,0");
+	assert.equal(_internal.cellOf(15, 15), "0,0");
+	assert.equal(_internal.cellOf(16, 16), "1,1");
+	assert.equal(_internal.cellOf(-1, -1), "-1,-1");
+});
+
+test("append + nearest returns the entry we just stored", () => {
+	const j = createWorldJournal();
+	const name = tag();
+	j.append({ kind: "chopped", name, at: { x: 100, y: 64, z: 200 } });
+	const got = j.nearest({ kind: "chopped", x: 100, z: 200, radius: 16, limit: 5 });
+	const ours = got.find((e) => e.name === name);
+	assert.ok(ours, "expected to find our own entry back");
+	assert.equal(ours.at.x, 100);
+});
+
+test("nearest ranks by distance and respects radius", () => {
+	const j = createWorldJournal();
+	const t = tag();
+	j.append({ kind: "stone", name: t + "_far", at: { x: 100, y: 64, z: 100 } });
+	j.append({ kind: "stone", name: t + "_near", at: { x: 5, y: 64, z: 5 } });
+	const got = j.nearest({ kind: "stone", x: 0, z: 0, radius: 50, limit: 5 });
+	const near = got.find((e) => e.name === t + "_near");
+	const far = got.find((e) => e.name === t + "_far");
+	assert.ok(near);
+	assert.equal(far, undefined, "far entry > radius should be excluded");
+});
+
+test("leanestQuadrant returns the quadrant with fewest entries", () => {
+	const j = createWorldJournal();
+	const t = tag();
+	for (let i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+		j.append({ kind: "dead_end", name: t, at: { x: 10 + i, y: 64, z: -10 - i } }); // NE
+	}
+	for (let i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
+		j.append({ kind: "dead_end", name: t, at: { x: 10 + i, y: 64, z: 10 + i } }); // SE
+	}
+	const { best, counts } = j.leanestQuadrant({ x: 0, z: 0, radius: 64 });
+	assert.ok(["SW", "NW"].includes(best), `expected unused quadrant, got ${best} counts=${JSON.stringify(counts)}`);
+});
+
+test("summary lists per-kind totals", () => {
+	const j = createWorldJournal();
+	j.append({ kind: "chopped", name: "oak_log", at: { x: 1, y: 1, z: 1 } });
+	j.append({ kind: "chopped", name: "oak_log", at: { x: 2, y: 1, z: 2 } });
+	j.append({ kind: "shelter", name: "shelter", at: { x: 0, y: 1, z: 0 } });
+	const s = j.summary();
+	assert.ok(s.byKind.chopped >= 2);
+	assert.ok(s.byKind.shelter >= 1);
+});