diff --git a/src/client/App.tsx b/src/client/App.tsx
index 9983d96..220012e 100644
--- a/src/client/App.tsx
+++ b/src/client/App.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { EventDetail } from "./components/EventDetail.tsx";
 import { EventRow, type RowEvent } from "./components/EventRow.tsx";
 import { NextUp } from "./components/NextUp.tsx";
 import { Timeline } from "./components/Timeline.tsx";
+import { Welcome } from "./components/Welcome.tsx";
 import { useCompletions } from "./state/useCompletions.ts";
 import { usePrefs } from "./state/usePrefs.ts";
 import { clockFor, DAY, endingSoonestFirst, formatRemaining } from "../shared/time.ts";
@@ -91,6 +92,25 @@ export function App() {
     );
   }
 
+  // First run: ask which games before showing a calendar full of ones they
+  // don't play. Stored as hiddenGames (the inverse) so a game added later shows
+  // up by default rather than staying invisible.
+  if (!prefs.onboarded) {
+    return (
+      <Shell>
+        <Welcome
+          available={games}
+          onConfirm={(chosen) =>
+            update({
+              onboarded: true,
+              hiddenGames: games.filter((g) => !chosen.includes(g)),
+            })
+          }
+        />
+      </Shell>
+    );
+  }
+
   const staleSources = state.feed.sources.filter(
     (s) => s.lastSuccessAt === null || now - Date.parse(s.lastSuccessAt) > 2 * DAY,
   );
diff --git a/src/client/components/Welcome.tsx b/src/client/components/Welcome.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b9a17d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/client/components/Welcome.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+import { useState } from "react";
+import { gameMeta } from "../../shared/games.ts";
+import type { GameId } from "../../shared/schema.ts";
+
+/**
+ * First run: pick your games.
+ *
+ * Asked once, before any events are shown, because a calendar full of games you
+ * don't play is worse than an empty one — it buries the thing you came for.
+ *
+ * Nothing is preselected. An empty state with a disabled button is clearer than
+ * guessing on the reader's behalf and hoping they notice.
+ */
+export function Welcome({
+  available,
+  onConfirm,
+}: {
+  available: GameId[];
+  onConfirm: (chosen: GameId[]) => void;
+}) {
+  const [chosen, setChosen] = useState<GameId[]>([]);
+
+  const toggle = (id: GameId) =>
+    setChosen((prev) =>
+      prev.includes(id) ? prev.filter((g) => g !== id) : [...prev, id],
+    );
+
+  return (
+    <div className="flex min-h-full flex-col px-5 py-12">
+      <p className="font-display text-[0.9375rem] font-bold tracking-[0.02em]">
+        EVENT<span className="text-near">CLOCK</span>
+      </p>
+
+      <h1 className="mt-8 max-w-sm font-display text-[1.75rem] font-semibold leading-[1.15] tracking-tight">
+        Which games do you play?
+      </h1>
+      <p className="mt-3 max-w-sm text-sm leading-relaxed text-muted">
+        You'll only see events for these. Change it any time — nothing is saved
+        anywhere but this browser.
+      </p>
+
+      <div className="mt-8 flex flex-col gap-2">
+        {available.map((id) => {
+          const game = gameMeta(id);
+          const on = chosen.includes(id);
+          return (
+            <button
+              key={id}
+              type="button"
+              onClick={() => toggle(id)}
+              aria-pressed={on}
+              className="game-pick flex items-center gap-3 rounded-xl border px-4 py-3.5 text-left"
+              style={{
+                ["--hue" as string]: game.hue,
+                borderColor: on ? game.hue : "var(--color-hairline)",
+                background: on
+                  ? `color-mix(in srgb, ${game.hue} 12%, transparent)`
+                  : "transparent",
+              }}
+            >
+              <span
+                aria-hidden
+                className="size-2.5 shrink-0 rounded-full transition-transform duration-150"
+                style={{
+                  background: on ? game.hue : "var(--color-hairline)",
+                  transform: on ? "scale(1.25)" : "scale(1)",
+                }}
+              />
+              <span
+                className="flex-1 text-[0.9375rem] font-medium"
+                style={{ color: on ? game.hue : "var(--color-muted)" }}
+              >
+                {game.name}
+              </span>
+              {on && (
+                <svg viewBox="0 0 16 16" className="size-4" style={{ color: game.hue }} aria-hidden>
+                  <path
+                    d="M2.5 8.5l3.5 3.5 7.5-8"
+                    fill="none"
+                    stroke="currentColor"
+                    strokeWidth="2"
+                    strokeLinecap="round"
+                    strokeLinejoin="round"
+                  />
+                </svg>
+              )}
+            </button>
+          );
+        })}
+      </div>
+
+      <div className="mt-8 flex flex-col gap-3">
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          disabled={chosen.length === 0}
+          onClick={() => onConfirm(chosen)}
+          className="rounded-xl bg-ink px-5 py-3 text-sm font-semibold text-ground transition-colors duration-150 hover:bg-white disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:bg-raised disabled:text-faint"
+        >
+          {chosen.length === 0
+            ? "Pick at least one game"
+            : `Show my ${chosen.length === 1 ? "game" : `${chosen.length} games`}`}
+        </button>
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          onClick={() => onConfirm(available)}
+          className="text-xs text-faint transition-colors duration-150 hover:text-muted"
+        >
+          Show everything instead
+        </button>
+      </div>
+
+      <p className="mt-auto pt-10 text-xs leading-relaxed text-faint">
+        More games are coming as sources are added. Anything you switch on later
+        shows up automatically.
+      </p>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/client/state/usePrefs.ts b/src/client/state/usePrefs.ts
index b471555..8332cf9 100644
--- a/src/client/state/usePrefs.ts
+++ b/src/client/state/usePrefs.ts
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ export interface Prefs {
   showCompleted: boolean;
   /** False until the reader confirms or changes the guessed region. */
   regionConfirmed: boolean;
+  /** False until the reader has picked their games on first run. */
+  onboarded: boolean;
 }
 
 function defaults(): Prefs {
@@ -18,6 +20,7 @@ function defaults(): Prefs {
     hiddenGames: [],
     showCompleted: true,
     regionConfirmed: false,
+    onboarded: false,
   };
 }