diff --git a/addons/yaml/bin/~libgdyaml.windows.debug.x86_64.dll~RF299268ec.TMP b/addons/yaml/bin/~libgdyaml.windows.debug.x86_64.dll~RF299268ec.TMP
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e0bf381
Binary files /dev/null and b/addons/yaml/bin/~libgdyaml.windows.debug.x86_64.dll~RF299268ec.TMP differ
diff --git a/test/make_gif.ps1 b/test/make_gif.ps1
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71ab525
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/make_gif.ps1
@@ -0,0 +1,89 @@
+# Stitches the per-step screenshots from a test run into one side-by-side GIF,
+# server on the left, client on the right.
+#
+#   powershell -File test\make_gif.ps1
+#
+# Reads logs\mptest_frames_server\ and logs\mptest_frames_client\ (written when
+# the driver runs with --mptest-frames) and writes logs\mptest_run.gif.
+# run_mp_test_windowed.ps1 calls this automatically; run it by hand to rebuild
+# the GIF after a manual session, or to re-render at a different speed.
+#
+# Each frame already carries its own caption: the on-screen overlay in the
+# capture starts with [SERVER] or [CLIENT] and shows that step's log lines.
+
+param(
+    [string]$FFmpeg = "ffmpeg",
+    # Seconds each step is held on screen.
+    [double]$SecondsPerStep = 1.2,
+    # Width of each peer's half of the frame, in pixels.
+    [int]$HalfWidth = 900,
+    [string]$Out = ""
+)
+
+$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
+$proj = Split-Path -Parent $PSScriptRoot
+$serverDir = Join-Path $proj "logs/mptest_frames_server"
+$clientDir = Join-Path $proj "logs/mptest_frames_client"
+if (-not $Out) { $Out = Join-Path $proj "logs/mptest_run.gif" }
+
+if (-not (Get-Command $FFmpeg -EA SilentlyContinue)) {
+    Write-Host "ffmpeg not found. Install it, or pass -FFmpeg <path to ffmpeg.exe>."
+    exit 1
+}
+
+function Frame-Count($dir) {
+    if (-not (Test-Path $dir)) { return 0 }
+    return (Get-ChildItem (Join-Path $dir "frame_*.png") -EA SilentlyContinue).Count
+}
+
+$ns = Frame-Count $serverDir
+$nc = Frame-Count $clientDir
+Write-Host "server frames: $ns"
+Write-Host "client frames: $nc"
+
+if ($ns -eq 0 -and $nc -eq 0) {
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "No frames found. Run the test with frame capture first:"
+    Write-Host "  powershell -File test\run_mp_test_windowed.ps1"
+    Write-Host "(frame capture needs a real window - a headless run renders nothing to grab)"
+    exit 1
+}
+
+$fps = [Math]::Round(1.0 / $SecondsPerStep, 4)
+
+if ($ns -gt 0 -and $nc -gt 0) {
+    if ($ns -ne $nc) {
+        # hstack stops at the shorter input, so the tail of the longer one is lost.
+        Write-Host "note: frame counts differ, the GIF will stop after $([Math]::Min($ns,$nc)) steps"
+    }
+    # Two passes in one command: build a palette from the stacked frames, then
+    # apply it. A single global palette keeps the GIF small and stops colours
+    # shifting from frame to frame.
+    $filter = "[0:v]scale=${HalfWidth}:-1:flags=lanczos[l];" +
+              "[1:v]scale=${HalfWidth}:-1:flags=lanczos[r];" +
+              "[l][r]hstack=inputs=2[v];" +
+              "[v]split[a][b];[a]palettegen=max_colors=192[p];[b][p]paletteuse=dither=bayer:bayer_scale=3"
+    $args = @(
+        "-y", "-hide_banner", "-loglevel", "error",
+        "-framerate", $fps, "-i", (Join-Path $serverDir "frame_%04d.png"),
+        "-framerate", $fps, "-i", (Join-Path $clientDir "frame_%04d.png"),
+        "-filter_complex", $filter, "-loop", "0", $Out
+    )
+} else {
+    # Only one peer produced frames (e.g. a solo manual session).
+    $dir = if ($ns -gt 0) { $serverDir } else { $clientDir }
+    $filter = "[0:v]scale=${HalfWidth}:-1:flags=lanczos[v];" +
+              "[v]split[a][b];[a]palettegen=max_colors=192[p];[b][p]paletteuse=dither=bayer:bayer_scale=3"
+    $args = @(
+        "-y", "-hide_banner", "-loglevel", "error",
+        "-framerate", $fps, "-i", (Join-Path $dir "frame_%04d.png"),
+        "-filter_complex", $filter, "-loop", "0", $Out
+    )
+}
+
+& $FFmpeg @args
+if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { Write-Host "ffmpeg failed ($LASTEXITCODE)"; exit $LASTEXITCODE }
+
+$size = [Math]::Round((Get-Item $Out).Length / 1MB, 2)
+Write-Host ""
+Write-Host "wrote $Out  (${size} MB)"
diff --git a/test/mp_test_driver.gd b/test/mp_test_driver.gd
index fb24575..2756399 100644
--- a/test/mp_test_driver.gd
+++ b/test/mp_test_driver.gd
@@ -44,8 +44,9 @@ const SETUP_TIMEOUT_SEC := 30.0
 const SNAP_TOLERANCE := 0.12
 ## Cooking and washing both take ~3s of station time; allow generously for it.
 const STATION_WORK_TIMEOUT := 20.0
-## Lines kept in the on-screen overlay.
-const OVERLAY_LINES := 16
+## Lines kept in the on-screen overlay. Enough to show a whole step, without the
+## panel eating the view of the kitchen underneath it.
+const OVERLAY_LINES := 11
 
 ## Where the debug camera sits and what it aims at: a fixed vantage point that
 ## frames the whole kitchen (Counter2 at x=-2 through DirtStation at x=2).
@@ -78,10 +79,16 @@ var _hand_detached := false
 var _overlay: Label
 var _overlay_lines: Array[String] = []
 
+# Per-step screenshots, later stitched into a side-by-side GIF of both peers.
+var _frames_enabled := false
+var _frames_dir := ""
+var _frame_index := 0
+
 
 func _ready() -> void:
 	var args := OS.get_cmdline_user_args()
 	_auto_mode = "--mptest" in args
+	_frames_enabled = "--mptest-frames" in args
 	_step_pause = _arg_value(args, "--mptest-pause", 0.0)
 	_end_hold = _arg_value(args, "--mptest-hold", 0.0)
 	_world = get_parent()
@@ -96,6 +103,7 @@ func _ready() -> void:
 			_finish(false)
 		return
 	_build_debug_camera()
+	_setup_frames()
 	if not _auto_mode:
 		_log("MANUAL MODE - keys act on this window's peer:")
 		_log("  " + HELP)
@@ -173,6 +181,8 @@ func _run_server() -> void:
 		return
 	await _wait_frames(60)
 	_banner("starting sequence")
+	# A frame of the untouched kitchen, so the GIF opens on the starting state.
+	await _capture_step_frame("start")
 
 	# 1-2. Both peers can pick the plate up and put it down.
 	await _step("client", "client_grab_plate", "grab", ["Plate"])
@@ -290,6 +300,7 @@ func _step(actor: String, label: String, step: String, args: Array) -> void:
 		res = await _remote(step, args)
 	_record(label, actor, res)
 	await _audit_sync(label)
+	await _capture_step_frame(label)
 	await _pause()
 
 
@@ -300,6 +311,7 @@ func _both(label: String, step: String, args: Array) -> void:
 	_record(label, "server", await _run_local_step(step, args))
 	_record(label, "client", await _remote(step, args))
 	await _audit_sync(label)
+	await _capture_step_frame(label)
 	await _pause()
 
 
@@ -343,6 +355,8 @@ func _report() -> void:
 	for r in _results:
 		if not r["ok"]:
 			_log("FAILURE %s [%s]: %s" % [r["step"], r["side"], r["detail"]])
+	await _capture_step_frame("final")
+	_write_frame_index()
 	if not _auto_mode:
 		return
 	_quit_client.rpc_id(_client_id)
@@ -374,6 +388,7 @@ func _result(step: String, ok: bool, detail: String) -> void:
 
 @rpc("authority", "reliable")
 func _quit_client() -> void:
+	_write_frame_index()
 	if _end_hold > 0.0:
 		await get_tree().create_timer(_end_hold).timeout
 	_finish(true)
@@ -663,6 +678,94 @@ func _check_plate_contains(plate_name: String, food_id: String) -> Dictionary:
 	return {"ok": true, "detail": "%s contains %s" % [plate_name, str(pc.contained_ids)]}
 
 
+# --- Per-step screenshots --------------------------------------------------
+#
+# One frame per peer per step, saved as PNGs and stitched into a single
+# side-by-side GIF afterwards (see test/make_gif.ps1). Seeing both peers'
+# viewports next to each other for the same step is the fastest way to spot a
+# visual desync — the numbers in the log tell you something diverged, the GIF
+# shows you what it looked like.
+
+## Frames are captured at half the viewport's resolution: 60-odd full-size
+## frames per peer is a lot of pixels to write and then re-encode.
+const FRAME_SCALE := 0.5
+
+
+func _setup_frames() -> void:
+	if not _frames_enabled:
+		return
+	if DisplayServer.get_name() == "headless":
+		_frames_enabled = false
+		_log("frame capture disabled: a headless run has no rendered output to grab")
+		return
+	var role := "server" if "--server" in OS.get_cmdline_user_args() else "client"
+	_frames_dir = "res://logs/mptest_frames_%s" % role
+	DirAccess.make_dir_recursive_absolute(ProjectSettings.globalize_path(_frames_dir))
+	# Clear out a previous run's frames, or the GIF would splice the two together.
+	var dir := DirAccess.open(_frames_dir)
+	if dir:
+		for f in dir.get_files():
+			if f.ends_with(".png"):
+				dir.remove(f)
+	_log("capturing a frame per step into %s" % ProjectSettings.globalize_path(_frames_dir))
+
+
+# The server numbers the frames and tells the client to grab the matching one, so
+# frame N is the same step on both sides and they can be stitched in pairs.
+func _capture_step_frame(label: String) -> void:
+	if not _frames_enabled:
+		return
+	_frame_index += 1
+	if NetworkManager.is_server() and _client_id != 0:
+		_capture_frame_rpc.rpc_id(_client_id, _frame_index, label)
+	await _save_frame(_frame_index, label)
+
+
+@rpc("authority", "reliable")
+func _capture_frame_rpc(index: int, label: String) -> void:
+	if not _frames_enabled:
+		return
+	_frame_index = index
+	await _save_frame(index, label)
+
+
+func _save_frame(index: int, label: String) -> void:
+	# Wait for the frame to actually be drawn, or we capture whatever was in the
+	# buffer before this step's changes landed.
+	await RenderingServer.frame_post_draw
+	var tex := get_viewport().get_texture()
+	if not tex:
+		return
+	var img := tex.get_image()
+	if not img:
+		return
+	if FRAME_SCALE != 1.0:
+		img.resize(int(img.get_width() * FRAME_SCALE), int(img.get_height() * FRAME_SCALE),
+			Image.INTERPOLATE_BILINEAR)
+	# Index-only filenames so ffmpeg's image sequence reader can pick them up as
+	# frame_%04d.png; the step name is already legible in the on-screen overlay.
+	var err := img.save_png("%s/frame_%04d.png" % [_frames_dir, index])
+	if err != OK:
+		_log("  could not save frame %d (%s)" % [index, error_string(err)])
+	else:
+		_frame_labels.append("%04d  %s" % [index, label])
+
+
+# Written alongside the frames so a given frame number can be traced back to the
+# step that produced it.
+var _frame_labels: Array[String] = []
+
+
+func _write_frame_index() -> void:
+	if not _frames_enabled or _frame_labels.is_empty():
+		return
+	var f := FileAccess.open("%s/frames.txt" % _frames_dir, FileAccess.WRITE)
+	if f:
+		for line in _frame_labels:
+			f.store_line(line)
+		f.close()
+
+
 # --- Cross-peer sync audit -------------------------------------------------
 #
 # Runs after every step. Targeted per-step assertions only look at the one thing
@@ -878,6 +981,9 @@ func _manual(what: String, step: String, args: Array) -> void:
 	var res := await _run_local_step(step, args)
 	_running = false
 	_log("%s %s :: %s" % ["PASS" if res.get("ok") else "FAIL", what, res.get("detail", "")])
+	# Capture manual steps too, so a hand-driven repro can be turned into a GIF.
+	await _capture_step_frame(step)
+	_write_frame_index()
 
 
 # --- Helpers ---------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -1031,7 +1137,9 @@ func _build_overlay() -> void:
 	panel.set_anchors_preset(Control.PRESET_TOP_WIDE)
 	panel.modulate = Color(1, 1, 1, 0.85)
 	_overlay = Label.new()
-	_overlay.add_theme_font_size_override("font_size", 13)
+	# Sized for a 1800x1200 canvas, and to stay legible once a captured frame has
+	# been scaled down into the GIF.
+	_overlay.add_theme_font_size_override("font_size", 22)
 	_overlay.autowrap_mode = TextServer.AUTOWRAP_OFF
 	_overlay.clip_text = true
 	panel.add_child(_overlay)
diff --git a/test/run_mp_test_windowed.ps1 b/test/run_mp_test_windowed.ps1
index 9ca0ff1..05280fb 100644
--- a/test/run_mp_test_windowed.ps1
+++ b/test/run_mp_test_windowed.ps1
@@ -13,7 +13,13 @@ param(
     # Seconds to pause between steps, and to hold the final state on screen.
     [double]$Pause = 1.5,
     [double]$Hold = 20,
-    [int]$TimeoutSec = 300
+    [int]$TimeoutSec = 300,
+    # Passed through to make_gif.ps1. HalfWidth 900 keeps the on-screen
+    # step log readable in the GIF; lower it to shrink the file.
+    [int]$HalfWidth = 900,
+    [double]$SecondsPerStep = 1.2,
+    # Skip building the GIF (frames are still captured).
+    [switch]$NoGif
 )
 
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
@@ -30,7 +36,7 @@ function Start-Instance($extraArgs) {
     # --xr-mode off keeps it on the desktop (SteamVR's OpenXR runtime otherwise
     # takes over, and two instances can't share a headset anyway).
     $a = "--xr-mode off --resolution 900x600 --path `"$proj`" $scene -- " +
-         "$($extraArgs -join ' ') --mptest --mptest-pause $Pause --mptest-hold $Hold"
+         "$($extraArgs -join ' ') --mptest --mptest-frames --mptest-pause $Pause --mptest-hold $Hold"
     $p = Start-Process -FilePath $Godot -ArgumentList $a -PassThru
     # Touching .Handle caches it, which is what makes .ExitCode readable later.
     $null = $p.Handle
@@ -62,6 +68,13 @@ foreach ($pair in @(@("SERVER", $serverLog), @("CLIENT", $clientLog))) {
     if (Test-Path $pair[1]) { Get-Content $pair[1] -Encoding UTF8 } else { Write-Host "(no log written)" }
 }
 
+if (-not $NoGif) {
+    Write-Host ""
+    Write-Host "======================== GIF ========================"
+    & powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File (Join-Path $PSScriptRoot "make_gif.ps1") `
+        -HalfWidth $HalfWidth -SecondsPerStep $SecondsPerStep
+}
+
 $server.WaitForExit(2000) | Out-Null
 $code = if ($server.HasExited) { $server.ExitCode } else { 1 }
 Write-Host ""