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 **Last Updated: 2026-03-24**
 
 ### Recent Changes (2026-03-24)
+- Added `README.md` with project overview and quick start guide
 - Added `.gitignore` for proper repository hygiene
 - Added `package-lock.json` files for reproducible builds
 - Verified all tests pass (glicko2.test.ts, generator.test.ts)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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+# AI Code Battle
+
+A competitive bot programming platform where participants write HTTP servers that control units on a grid world.
+
+## Overview
+
+AI Code Battle is a game simulation platform where:
+- Participants write bots in any language that expose HTTP endpoints
+- Bots compete on a toroidal (wrapping) grid world
+- Matches are executed offline and presented as completed replays
+- A web platform shows leaderboards, match history, and replay viewers
+
+## Quick Start
+
+### Prerequisites
+
+- Go 1.21+ (for game engine and CLI tools)
+- Node.js 18+ (for web and worker components)
+- Docker (for containerized deployment)
+
+### Running Locally
+
+```bash
+# Build CLI tools
+go build ./cmd/acb-local
+go build ./cmd/acb-mapgen
+
+# Run a match between built-in bots
+./acb-local -seed 42 -max-turns 100 -output replay.json -verbose
+
+# Start web development server
+cd web && npm install && npm run dev
+# Open http://localhost:3000/app.html
+```
+
+### Viewing Replays
+
+1. Open the web app at `http://localhost:3000/app.html`
+2. Navigate to "Replay Viewer" in the menu
+3. Load a replay JSON file or enter a URL
+
+## Project Structure
+
+```
+ai-code-battle/
+├── engine/              # Go game simulation library
+│   ├── types.go         # Core data types
+│   ├── grid.go          # Toroidal grid implementation
+│   ├── game.go          # Game state management
+│   ├── turn.go          # Turn execution phases
+│   ├── replay.go        # Replay recording
+│   └── *_test.go        # Test files
+├── cmd/
+│   ├── acb-local/       # CLI match runner
+│   ├── acb-mapgen/      # Map generator
+│   ├── acb-worker/      # Match execution worker
+│   └── acb-indexer/     # Index builder for static files
+├── web/                 # Cloudflare Pages SPA
+│   ├── src/
+│   │   ├── pages/       # Page components
+│   │   ├── replay-viewer.ts  # Canvas replay renderer
+│   │   └── app.ts       # SPA entry point
+│   └── public/          # Static assets
+├── worker-api/          # Cloudflare Worker API
+│   └── src/
+│       ├── index.ts     # Router + cron dispatcher
+│       ├── jobs.ts      # Job coordination
+│       ├── bots.ts      # Bot management
+│       └── glicko2.ts   # Rating system
+├── bots/                # Strategy bot implementations
+│   ├── random/          # Python - RandomBot
+│   ├── gatherer/        # Go - GathererBot
+│   ├── rusher/          # Rust - RusherBot
+│   ├── guardian/        # PHP - GuardianBot
+│   ├── swarm/           # TypeScript - SwarmBot
+│   └── hunter/          # Java - HunterBot
+└── docs/plan/           # Implementation plan
+```
+
+## Strategy Bots
+
+| Bot | Language | Strategy |
+|-----|----------|----------|
+| RandomBot | Python | Random valid moves (baseline) |
+| GathererBot | Go | Energy collection, avoid combat |
+| RusherBot | Rust | Rush enemy cores aggressively |
+| GuardianBot | PHP | Defend cores, cautious expansion |
+| SwarmBot | TypeScript | Formation cohesion, group advance |
+| HunterBot | Java | Target isolated enemies |
+
+## Deployment
+
+See [DEPLOYMENT.md](DEPLOYMENT.md) for detailed deployment instructions.
+
+### Quick Deploy
+
+```bash
+# Start all strategy bots
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.bots.yml up -d
+
+# Start match workers
+docker-compose -f docker-compose.workers.yml up -d
+```
+
+## Testing
+
+```bash
+# Go engine tests
+go test ./engine/... -v
+
+# Worker API tests
+cd worker-api && npm test
+
+# Index builder tests
+cd cmd/acb-indexer && npm test
+```
+
+## Architecture
+
+The platform uses a split architecture:
+
+- **Cloudflare (free tier)**: Static site, API endpoints, D1 database, R2 storage
+- **Rackspace Spot**: Match workers, bot containers, index builder
+
+See [docs/plan/plan.md](docs/plan/plan.md) for the full implementation plan.
+
+## License
+
+MIT