diff --git a/app/game/Main.hs b/app/game/Main.hs
index bb7bd1c25..c59a16b1a 100644
--- a/app/game/Main.hs
+++ b/app/game/Main.hs
@@ -1,10 +1,12 @@
+{-# LANGUAGE ApplicativeDo #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE LambdaCase #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE RecordWildCards #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE TemplateHaskell #-}
 
 -- |
 -- SPDX-License-Identifier: BSD-3-Clause
-module Main where
+module Main (main) where
 
 import Control.Monad (when)
 import Data.Foldable qualified
@@ -44,25 +46,29 @@ cliParser :: Parser CLI
 cliParser =
   subparser
     ( mconcat
-        [ command "format" (info (Format <$> parseFormat) (progDesc "Format a file"))
+        [ command "run" (info (Run <$> appOpts <**> helper) (progDesc "Run the Swarm game (default)"))
+        , command "format" (info (Format <$> parseFormat) (progDesc "Format a file"))
         , command "lsp" (info (pure LSP) (progDesc "Start the LSP"))
         , command "version" (info (pure Version) (progDesc "Get current and upstream version."))
         , command "keybindings" (info (ListKeybinding <$> initKeybindingConfig <*> printKeyMode <**> helper) (progDesc "List the keybindings"))
         ]
     )
-    <|> Run
-      <$> ( AppOpts
-              <$> seed
-              <*> scenario
-              <*> run
-              <*> autoplay
-              <*> speedFactor
-              <*> cheat
-              <*> color
-              <*> webPort
-              <*> pure gitInfo
-          )
+    <|> Run <$> appOpts
  where
+  appOpts :: Parser AppOpts
+  appOpts = do
+    let repoGitInfo = gitInfo
+    userSeed <- seed
+    userScenario <- scenario
+    scriptToRun <- run
+    pausedAtStart <- paused
+    autoPlay <- autoplay
+    speed <- speedFactor
+    cheatMode <- cheat
+    colorMode <- color
+    userWebPort <- webPort
+    return $ AppOpts {..}
+
   input :: Parser FormatInput
   input =
     flag' Stdin (long "stdin" <> help "Read code from stdin")
@@ -108,6 +114,8 @@ cliParser =
   scenario = optional $ strOption (long "scenario" <> short 'i' <> metavar "FILE" <> help "Name of an input scenario to load")
   run :: Parser (Maybe String)
   run = optional $ strOption (long "run" <> short 'r' <> metavar "FILE" <> help "Run the commands in a file at startup")
+  paused :: Parser Bool
+  paused = switch (long "paused" <> short 'p' <> help "Pause the game at start.")
   autoplay :: Parser Bool
   autoplay = switch (long "autoplay" <> short 'a' <> help "Automatically run the solution defined in the scenario, if there is one. Mutually exclusive with --run.")
   speedFactor :: Parser Int
diff --git a/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State.hs b/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State.hs
index cba84bddc..c97d842ad 100644
--- a/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State.hs
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ import Swarm.Game.Location
 import Swarm.Game.Robot
 import Swarm.Game.Robot.Concrete
 import Swarm.Game.Scenario.Status
+import Swarm.Game.State.Config
 import Swarm.Game.State.Landscape
 import Swarm.Game.State.Robot
 import Swarm.Game.State.Substate
@@ -457,7 +458,7 @@ initGameState :: GameStateConfig -> GameState
 initGameState gsc =
   GameState
     { _creativeMode = False
-    , _temporal = initTemporalState
+    , _temporal = initTemporalState $ startPaused gsc
     , _winCondition = NoWinCondition
     , _winSolution = Nothing
     , _robotInfo = initRobots gsc
diff --git a/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Runtime.hs b/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Runtime.hs
index 97c943d8e..d76d151a5 100644
--- a/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Runtime.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Runtime.hs
@@ -78,21 +78,23 @@ initGameStateConfig ::
   , Has (Accum (Seq SystemFailure)) sig m
   , Has (Lift IO) sig m
   ) =>
+  Bool ->
   m GameStateConfig
-initGameStateConfig = do
+initGameStateConfig pause = do
   gsi <- initGameStateInputs
   appDataMap <- readAppData
   nameGen <- initNameGenerator appDataMap
-  return $ GameStateConfig appDataMap nameGen gsi
+  return $ GameStateConfig appDataMap nameGen pause gsi
 
 initRuntimeState ::
   ( Has (Throw SystemFailure) sig m
   , Has (Accum (Seq SystemFailure)) sig m
   , Has (Lift IO) sig m
   ) =>
+  Bool ->
   m RuntimeState
-initRuntimeState = do
-  gsc <- initGameStateConfig
+initRuntimeState pause = do
+  gsc <- initGameStateConfig pause
   scenarios <- loadScenarios $ gsiScenarioInputs $ initState gsc
 
   return $
diff --git a/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Substate.hs b/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Substate.hs
index 52231664e..6374cb43d 100644
--- a/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Substate.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-engine/Swarm/Game/State/Substate.hs
@@ -392,11 +392,11 @@ defaultRobotStepsPerTick = 100
 
 -- * Record initialization
 
-initTemporalState :: TemporalState
-initTemporalState =
+initTemporalState :: Bool -> TemporalState
+initTemporalState pausedAtStart =
   TemporalState
     { _gameStep = WorldTick
-    , _runStatus = Running
+    , _runStatus = if pausedAtStart then ManualPause else Running
     , _ticks = TickNumber 0
     , _robotStepsPerTick = defaultRobotStepsPerTick
     }
diff --git a/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/State/Config.hs b/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/State/Config.hs
index 7ad9b79fc..03978f64b 100644
--- a/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/State/Config.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-scenario/Swarm/Game/State/Config.hs
@@ -16,5 +16,7 @@ data GameStateConfig = GameStateConfig
   { initAppDataMap :: Map Text Text
   , nameParts :: NameGenerator
   -- ^ Lists of words/adjectives for use in building random robot names.
+  , startPaused :: Bool
+  -- ^ Start the game paused - useful for debugging or competitive play.
   , initState :: GameStateInputs
   }
diff --git a/src/swarm-tournament/Swarm/Web/Tournament/Validate.hs b/src/swarm-tournament/Swarm/Web/Tournament/Validate.hs
index 997a56df2..e8913a4d9 100644
--- a/src/swarm-tournament/Swarm/Web/Tournament/Validate.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-tournament/Swarm/Web/Tournament/Validate.hs
@@ -183,7 +183,8 @@ gamestateFromScenarioText content = do
     withExceptT (ScenarioEnvironmentFailure . ContextInitializationFailure)
       . ExceptT
       . runThrow
-      $ evalAccum (mempty :: Seq SystemFailure) initGameStateConfig
+      . evalAccum (mempty :: Seq SystemFailure)
+      $ initGameStateConfig False
 
   let scenarioInputs = gsiScenarioInputs $ initState gsc
   scenarioObject <- initScenarioObject scenarioInputs content
diff --git a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Controller/Util.hs b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Controller/Util.hs
index 9d329cca2..20713716e 100644
--- a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Controller/Util.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Controller/Util.hs
@@ -33,7 +33,15 @@ import Swarm.Game.World qualified as W
 import Swarm.Game.World.Coords
 import Swarm.Language.Capability (Capability (CDebug))
 import Swarm.Language.Syntax hiding (Key)
-import Swarm.TUI.Model
+import Swarm.TUI.Model (
+  AppState,
+  FocusablePanel,
+  ModalType (..),
+  Name (..),
+  gameState,
+  modalScroll,
+  uiState,
+ )
 import Swarm.TUI.Model.Repl (REPLHistItem, REPLPrompt, REPLState, addREPLItem, replHistory, replPromptText, replPromptType)
 import Swarm.TUI.Model.UI
 import Swarm.TUI.View.Util (generateModal)
diff --git a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model.hs b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model.hs
index 0eebb453e..2f8930b16 100644
--- a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model.hs
@@ -249,6 +249,8 @@ data AppOpts = AppOpts
   -- ^ Scenario the user wants to play.
   , scriptToRun :: Maybe FilePath
   -- ^ Code to be run on base.
+  , pausedAtStart :: Bool
+  -- ^ Pause the game on start by default.
   , autoPlay :: Bool
   -- ^ Automatically run the solution defined in the scenario file
   , speed :: Int
@@ -270,6 +272,7 @@ defaultAppOpts =
     { userSeed = Nothing
     , userScenario = Nothing
     , scriptToRun = Nothing
+    , pausedAtStart = False
     , autoPlay = False
     , speed = defaultInitLgTicksPerSecond
     , cheatMode = False
diff --git a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model/StateUpdate.hs b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model/StateUpdate.hs
index 71d0f2a34..058db4434 100644
--- a/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model/StateUpdate.hs
+++ b/src/swarm-tui/Swarm/TUI/Model/StateUpdate.hs
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ initPersistentState ::
   m (RuntimeState, UIState, KeyEventHandlingState)
 initPersistentState opts@(AppOpts {..}) = do
   (warnings :: Seq SystemFailure, (initRS, initUI, initKs)) <- runAccum mempty $ do
-    rs <- initRuntimeState
+    rs <- initRuntimeState pausedAtStart
     ui <- initUIState speed (not (skipMenu opts)) cheatMode
     ks <- initKeyHandlingState
     return (rs, ui, ks)
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ constructAppState ::
   AppOpts ->
   m AppState
 constructAppState rs ui key opts@(AppOpts {..}) = do
-  let gs = initGameState $ rs ^. stdGameConfigInputs
+  let gs = initGameState (rs ^. stdGameConfigInputs)
   case skipMenu opts of
     False -> return $ AppState gs (ui & uiGameplay . uiTiming . lgTicksPerSecond .~ defaultInitLgTicksPerSecond) key rs
     True -> do
diff --git a/test/bench/Benchmark.hs b/test/bench/Benchmark.hs
index 71b42fdfd..a5d44bad4 100644
--- a/test/bench/Benchmark.hs
+++ b/test/bench/Benchmark.hs
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ mkGameState prog robotMaker numRobots = do
 
   -- NOTE: This replaces "classicGame0", which is still used by unit tests.
   gs <- simpleErrorHandle $ do
-    (_ :: Seq SystemFailure, initRS) <- runAccum mempty initRuntimeState
+    (_ :: Seq SystemFailure, initRS) <- runAccum mempty $ initRuntimeState False
     (scenario, _) <- loadStandaloneScenario "classic"
     return $ pureScenarioToGameState scenario 0 0 Nothing $ view stdGameConfigInputs initRS