diff --git a/src/app/components/LeaderboardList.js b/src/app/components/LeaderboardList.js
index 524ac50..3837749 100644
--- a/src/app/components/LeaderboardList.js
+++ b/src/app/components/LeaderboardList.js
@@ -6,37 +6,24 @@ import { Skeleton } from '@/components/ui/skeleton';
 import { formatDistance, calculateScore, bandsForBbox } from '../../lib/game';
 import { getRegion, isRegion } from '../../lib/regions';
 
-// Keyed by the round score the distance would earn, so the tint tracks the
-// scoring ladder instead of re-typing its thresholds.
-const DISTANCE_COLORS = {
-  5: 'text-green-700 dark:text-green-300',
-  4: 'text-blue-700 dark:text-blue-300',
-  3: 'text-yellow-700 dark:text-yellow-300',
-  2: 'text-orange-700 dark:text-orange-300',
-};
-
 // Graded against the BOARD's own regional ladder, mirroring how the boards
-// are credited: 2km is red on a district board and green on the country one.
+// are credited: 2km is amber on a district board and green on the country
+// one. Three semantic states, not a rainbow -- good, close, far -- because
+// finer steps carried no meaning a reader could recover.
 function getDistanceColor(distance, bands) {
-  return DISTANCE_COLORS[calculateScore(distance, bands)] ?? 'text-red-700 dark:text-red-300';
-}
-
-function getScoreColor(score) {
-  if (score >= 50) return 'text-purple-700 dark:text-purple-300';
-  if (score >= 25) return 'text-green-700 dark:text-green-300';
-  if (score >= 15) return 'text-blue-700 dark:text-blue-300';
-  if (score >= 10) return 'text-yellow-700 dark:text-yellow-300';
-  if (score >= 5) return 'text-orange-700 dark:text-orange-300';
-  return 'text-red-700 dark:text-red-300';
+  const score = calculateScore(distance, bands);
+  if (score >= 4) return 'text-success';
+  if (score >= 2) return 'text-warning';
+  return 'text-danger';
 }
 
 // Medal tint for the podium. The rank number stays visible alongside it, so the
 // placing never depends on reading the colour or an emoji glyph.
 function getMedalClass(rank) {
   switch (rank) {
-    case 1: return 'text-amber-500';
-    case 2: return 'text-slate-400';
-    case 3: return 'text-orange-700 dark:text-orange-400';
+    case 1: return 'text-rank-gold';
+    case 2: return 'text-rank-silver';
+    case 3: return 'text-rank-bronze';
     default: return '';
   }
 }
@@ -84,7 +71,7 @@ export default function LeaderboardList({ data, loading, currentUsername, type,
             key={key}
             className={`flex items-center justify-between p-3 rounded-lg transition-all ${
               isUser
-                ? 'bg-amber-100/70 dark:bg-amber-950/40 border-2 border-amber-500 shadow-md'
+                ? 'bg-brand-subtle/70 border-2 border-brand shadow-md'
                 : entry.rank <= 3
                   ? 'bg-brand-subtle/40 border border-brand/20'
                   : 'bg-muted/50 hover:bg-muted'
@@ -98,10 +85,10 @@ export default function LeaderboardList({ data, loading, currentUsername, type,
                 <span className="text-base font-bold tabular-nums">#{entry.rank}</span>
               </div>
               <div>
-                <div className={`font-semibold ${isUser ? 'text-amber-900 dark:text-amber-200' : 'text-foreground'}`}>
+                <div className={`font-semibold ${isUser ? 'text-brand-subtle-foreground' : 'text-foreground'}`}>
                   {entry.username}
                   {isUser && (
-                    <Badge className="ml-2 bg-amber-700 text-white text-xs">YOU</Badge>
+                    <Badge className="ml-2 bg-brand text-brand-foreground text-xs">YOU</Badge>
                   )}
                 </div>
                 {isDistance && entry.timestamp && (
@@ -111,8 +98,11 @@ export default function LeaderboardList({ data, loading, currentUsername, type,
                 )}
               </div>
             </div>
+            {/* Score totals carry no tint: unlike a distance, a running total
+                has no ladder to grade against, and the old size-keyed rainbow
+                encoded nothing a reader could recover. */}
             <Badge variant="secondary" className={`text-lg font-bold tabular-nums ${
-              isDistance ? getDistanceColor(entry.distance, distanceBands) : getScoreColor(entry.score)
+              isDistance ? getDistanceColor(entry.distance, distanceBands) : ''
             }`}>
               {isDistance ? formatDistance(entry.distance) : entry.score}
             </Badge>
diff --git a/src/app/components/ThemeToggle.js b/src/app/components/ThemeToggle.js
index e5f2f01..f225b9c 100644
--- a/src/app/components/ThemeToggle.js
+++ b/src/app/components/ThemeToggle.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 "use client";
 
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { Monitor, Moon, Sun } from 'lucide-react';
 import {
   THEMES,
   DEFAULT_THEME,
@@ -10,6 +11,14 @@ import {
   watchSystemTheme,
 } from '../../lib/theme';
 
+// Lucide, matching the rest of the chrome's icon language (Trophy, Wrench,
+// ArrowLeft ...); emoji ignored currentColor and read noisier than the rest.
+const THEME_ICONS = {
+  light: Sun,
+  dark: Moon,
+  system: Monitor,
+};
+
 export default function ThemeToggle({ className = '' }) {
   const [theme, setTheme] = useState(DEFAULT_THEME);
   // The stored choice only exists on the client, so the first paint has to
@@ -46,6 +55,7 @@ export default function ThemeToggle({ className = '' }) {
     >
       {THEMES.map((option) => {
         const selected = mounted && theme === option.value;
+        const Icon = THEME_ICONS[option.value];
         return (
           <button
             key={option.value}
@@ -54,14 +64,13 @@ export default function ThemeToggle({ className = '' }) {
             aria-label={option.label}
             title={option.label}
             onClick={() => handleSelect(option.value)}
-            className={`flex h-11 w-9 items-center justify-center rounded-lg text-base leading-none outline-none transition-[background-color,opacity] focus-visible:ring-[3px] focus-visible:ring-ring/50 ${
-              selected ? 'bg-brand shadow-sm' : 'opacity-55 hover:opacity-100 hover:bg-muted'
+            className={`flex h-11 w-11 items-center justify-center rounded-lg outline-none transition-colors focus-visible:ring-[3px] focus-visible:ring-ring/50 ${
+              selected
+                ? 'bg-brand text-brand-foreground shadow-sm'
+                : 'text-muted-foreground hover:bg-muted hover:text-foreground'
             }`}
           >
-            {/* Emoji ignore currentColor, so the selected state cannot be
-                carried by text colour. Opacity gives a cue that works on a
-                glyph the palette cannot reach. */}
-            <span aria-hidden="true">{option.emoji}</span>
+            <Icon className="size-4" aria-hidden="true" />
           </button>
         );
       })}
diff --git a/src/app/debug/layout.js b/src/app/debug/layout.js
index d388b1a..aa72786 100644
--- a/src/app/debug/layout.js
+++ b/src/app/debug/layout.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import DebugNav from './DebugNav';
 // manages its own panes.
 export default function DebugLayout({ children }) {
   return (
-    <div className="flex h-dvh flex-col vn-gradient-bg">
+    <div className="flex h-dvh flex-col vn-surface">
       <header className="flex flex-wrap items-center justify-between gap-2 border-b border-border bg-card px-3 py-2 pt-[calc(0.5rem+env(safe-area-inset-top))] shadow-sm sm:px-4">
         <div className="flex items-center gap-1">
           <Button
diff --git a/src/app/game/page.js b/src/app/game/page.js
index 44d1527..c511fc5 100644
--- a/src/app/game/page.js
+++ b/src/app/game/page.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import GameClient from '../components/GameClient';
 
 function GameLoadingFallback() {
   return (
-    <div className="min-h-dvh flex items-center justify-center vn-gradient-bg">
+    <div className="min-h-dvh flex items-center justify-center vn-surface">
       <div role="status" aria-live="polite" className="text-center space-y-4 animate-fade-in-up">
         <div className="w-12 h-12 border-4 border-border border-t-brand rounded-full animate-spin mx-auto" aria-hidden="true" />
         <p className="text-foreground text-lg font-medium">Loading game...</p>
diff --git a/src/app/globals.css b/src/app/globals.css
index 0ba2243..c3254c7 100644
--- a/src/app/globals.css
+++ b/src/app/globals.css
@@ -49,6 +49,15 @@
   --color-brand-subtle: var(--brand-subtle);
   --color-brand-subtle-foreground: var(--brand-subtle-foreground);
   --color-surface: var(--surface);
+  --color-success: var(--success);
+  --color-success-foreground: var(--success-foreground);
+  --color-warning: var(--warning);
+  --color-warning-foreground: var(--warning-foreground);
+  --color-danger: var(--danger);
+  --color-danger-foreground: var(--danger-foreground);
+  --color-rank-gold: var(--rank-gold);
+  --color-rank-silver: var(--rank-silver);
+  --color-rank-bronze: var(--rank-bronze);
   --shadow-xs: var(--elevation-xs);
   --shadow-sm: var(--elevation-sm);
   --shadow-md: var(--elevation-md);
@@ -107,6 +116,24 @@
   /* Page background, one step off --background so cards read as raised. */
   --surface: oklch(0.977 0.002 250);
 
+  /* Semantic result colours. Every good/near/far judgement goes through these
+     rather than raw Tailwind greens and ambers, so light and dark stay tuned
+     in one place. Doubles as text tint (on surface) and chip background (with
+     its -foreground), like --brand does. */
+  --success: oklch(0.55 0.15 150);
+  --success-foreground: #ffffff;
+  /* Deliberately darker than Tailwind amber-600: white text on it must clear
+     large-text contrast, which amber-600 did not. */
+  --warning: oklch(0.6 0.13 75);
+  --warning-foreground: #ffffff;
+  --danger: oklch(0.577 0.245 27.325);
+  --danger-foreground: #ffffff;
+
+  /* Podium metal tints; the rank number always renders beside them. */
+  --rank-gold: oklch(0.77 0.16 85);
+  --rank-silver: oklch(0.71 0.02 260);
+  --rank-bronze: oklch(0.56 0.12 60);
+
   /* Elevation. A single scale for buttons, cards and dialogs so raised things
      agree on how raised they are. */
   --elevation-xs: 0 1px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 5%);
@@ -164,6 +191,18 @@
   --brand-subtle-foreground: oklch(0.86 0.11 27);
   --surface: oklch(0.115 0 0);
 
+  /* Like --brand: lightened rather than inverted, with dark on-colour text. */
+  --success: oklch(0.75 0.15 150);
+  --success-foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
+  --warning: oklch(0.8 0.13 80);
+  --warning-foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
+  --danger: oklch(0.704 0.191 22.216);
+  --danger-foreground: oklch(0.145 0 0);
+
+  --rank-gold: oklch(0.83 0.16 85);
+  --rank-silver: oklch(0.75 0.02 260);
+  --rank-bronze: oklch(0.7 0.12 60);
+
   /* Dark shadows read as nothing against a dark ground, so they carry more
      opacity and add a faint top highlight to suggest a lit edge instead. */
   --elevation-xs: 0 1px 2px 0 rgb(0 0 0 / 40%);
@@ -209,7 +248,9 @@
   z-index: 9999 !important;
 }
 
-.vn-gradient-bg {
+/* Page ground, one step off --background. Named for what it is: a flat
+   surface (an earlier iteration was a gradient; the name outlived it). */
+.vn-surface {
   background: var(--surface);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/theme.js b/src/lib/theme.js
index 1b91e4b..573bca5 100644
--- a/src/lib/theme.js
+++ b/src/lib/theme.js
@@ -8,10 +8,12 @@
 export const THEME_STORAGE_KEY = 'vngeoguessr_theme';
 export const DEFAULT_THEME = 'system';
 
+// Icons live with the toggle component (Lucide, following currentColor);
+// this module stays free of UI imports.
 export const THEMES = [
-  { value: 'light', emoji: '☀️', label: 'Light theme' },
-  { value: 'dark', emoji: '🌙', label: 'Dark theme' },
-  { value: 'system', emoji: '⚙️', label: 'Match system theme' },
+  { value: 'light', label: 'Light theme' },
+  { value: 'dark', label: 'Dark theme' },
+  { value: 'system', label: 'Match system theme' },
 ];
 
 const DARK_QUERY = '(prefers-color-scheme: dark)';