diff --git a/pylings/app.py b/pylings/app.py
index 2895cf1..f766aff 100644
--- a/pylings/app.py
+++ b/pylings/app.py
@@ -30,11 +30,16 @@ def __init__(
         self.watch_files = watch_files
 
     def on_mount(self) -> None:
+        first_launch = not self.state.seen_intro
         self.push_screen(TopicPickerScreen())
         target = self._startup_target()
         if target is not None:
             topic, exercise = target
             self.push_screen(TrackScreen(topic, start_exercise=exercise))
+        if first_launch and target is not None:
+            from pylings.screens.welcome import WelcomeScreen
+
+            self.push_screen(WelcomeScreen())
 
     def _startup_target(self) -> tuple[str, str | None] | None:
         if self._start_topic is not None:
diff --git a/pylings/pylings.tcss b/pylings/pylings.tcss
index 47d6091..c431d7b 100644
--- a/pylings/pylings.tcss
+++ b/pylings/pylings.tcss
@@ -121,3 +121,30 @@ DocsScreen {
     height: 1;
     color: $text;
 }
+
+WelcomeScreen {
+    align: center middle;
+}
+
+#welcome-window {
+    width: 72%;
+    max-width: 76;
+    height: auto;
+    padding: 1 2;
+    border: heavy $primary;
+    background: $surface;
+    color: $text;
+}
+
+#welcome-title {
+    height: 1;
+}
+
+#welcome-body {
+    margin: 1 0;
+}
+
+#welcome-footer {
+    height: 1;
+    color: $text-muted;
+}
diff --git a/pylings/screens/welcome.py b/pylings/screens/welcome.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..992be50
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pylings/screens/welcome.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+# pylings/screens/welcome.py
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from textual.app import ComposeResult
+from textual.binding import Binding
+from textual.containers import Vertical
+from textual.screen import ModalScreen
+from textual.widgets import Static
+
+from pylings.core.state import save as save_state
+
+
+def welcome_text() -> str:
+    """The first-launch explainer for the edit/save/advance loop."""
+    return (
+        "You learn Python here by fixing small broken programs. The loop is:\n\n"
+        "  1. Open the current exercise file in your own editor.\n"
+        "  2. Fix the code and save -- the check reruns automatically.\n"
+        "  3. Remove the `# I AM NOT DONE` marker to advance to the next one.\n\n"
+        "Handy keys: F1 hint - F3 exercise list - F4 topics - "
+        "F5 local docs - Ctrl+Q quit.\n\n"
+        "Press Enter to start."
+    )
+
+
+class WelcomeScreen(ModalScreen[None]):
+    """First-launch onboarding overlay explaining the core loop."""
+
+    BINDINGS = [
+        Binding("enter", "start", "Start", priority=True),
+        Binding("escape", "start", "Start"),
+    ]
+
+    def compose(self) -> ComposeResult:
+        yield Vertical(
+            Static("[bold]Welcome to pylings[/bold]", id="welcome-title"),
+            Static(welcome_text(), id="welcome-body"),
+            Static("Enter  Start", id="welcome-footer"),
+            id="welcome-window",
+        )
+
+    def action_start(self) -> None:
+        self.app.state.seen_intro = True
+        save_state(self.app.root, self.app.state)
+        self.dismiss()
diff --git a/tests/tui/test_app_pilot.py b/tests/tui/test_app_pilot.py
index f213cab..21df184 100644
--- a/tests/tui/test_app_pilot.py
+++ b/tests/tui/test_app_pilot.py
@@ -20,6 +20,9 @@
 def _work_copy(tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
     work = tmp_path / "work"
     shutil.copytree(MULTI, work, ignore=shutil.ignore_patterns(".pylings"))
+    # These tests exercise the returning-user flow, so start past the
+    # first-launch welcome overlay (covered separately in test_welcome_pilot.py).
+    save_state(work, State(seen_intro=True))
     return work
 
 
@@ -69,7 +72,10 @@ async def test_enter_on_picker_opens_selected_topic(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 async def test_picker_shows_first_run_start_banner(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
-    app = PylingsApp(root=_work_copy(tmp_path), force_picker=True)
+    # This one needs genuine first-run state (no seen_intro seed) for the banner.
+    work = tmp_path / "work"
+    shutil.copytree(MULTI, work, ignore=shutil.ignore_patterns(".pylings"))
+    app = PylingsApp(root=work, force_picker=True)
     async with app.run_test() as pilot:
         await _settle(pilot)
         banner = str(app.screen.query_one("#topic-banner").content)
diff --git a/tests/tui/test_welcome_pilot.py b/tests/tui/test_welcome_pilot.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14c9546
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tui/test_welcome_pilot.py
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+import shutil
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+from textual.worker import WorkerCancelled
+
+from pylings.app import PylingsApp
+from pylings.core.state import State, load as load_state, save as save_state
+from pylings.screens.track import TrackScreen
+from pylings.screens.welcome import WelcomeScreen
+
+MULTI = Path(__file__).parent.parent / "fixtures" / "multi_topic"
+
+
+def _work_copy(tmp_path: Path) -> Path:
+    work = tmp_path / "work"
+    shutil.copytree(MULTI, work, ignore=shutil.ignore_patterns(".pylings"))
+    return work
+
+
+async def _settle(pilot) -> None:
+    for _ in range(6):
+        try:
+            await pilot.app.workers.wait_for_complete()
+        except WorkerCancelled:
+            pass
+        await pilot.pause()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_welcome_shown_on_first_launch(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    app = PylingsApp(root=_work_copy(tmp_path))
+    async with app.run_test() as pilot:
+        await _settle(pilot)
+        assert isinstance(app.screen, WelcomeScreen)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_welcome_not_shown_after_intro_seen(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    work = _work_copy(tmp_path)
+    save_state(work, State(seen_intro=True))
+
+    app = PylingsApp(root=work)
+    async with app.run_test() as pilot:
+        await _settle(pilot)
+        assert not isinstance(app.screen, WelcomeScreen)
+        assert isinstance(app.screen, TrackScreen)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_dismissing_welcome_persists_seen_intro(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    work = _work_copy(tmp_path)
+
+    app = PylingsApp(root=work)
+    async with app.run_test() as pilot:
+        await _settle(pilot)
+        assert isinstance(app.screen, WelcomeScreen)
+        await pilot.press("enter")
+        await _settle(pilot)
+        assert not isinstance(app.screen, WelcomeScreen)
+
+    assert load_state(work).seen_intro is True
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_welcome.py b/tests/unit/test_welcome.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba9e74d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/unit/test_welcome.py
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pylings.screens.welcome import welcome_text
+
+
+def test_welcome_text_explains_the_loop() -> None:
+    text = welcome_text()
+
+    # the core loop a beginner needs to understand
+    assert "I AM NOT DONE" in text
+    assert "save" in text.lower()
+    # mentions at least one key shortcut
+    assert "F1" in text