diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 8978bf5..2035e58 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -606,17 +606,26 @@ jobs:
             fi
             tail -F "${{ github.workspace }}/emulator_run$N.txt" &
             TAIL_PID=$!
+            # Every adb call here is bounded. Against a wedged device adb blocks
+            # indefinitely, so an unbounded call makes these loops never iterate:
+            # the budgets below would not apply and the step would sit silent
+            # until the job timeout, with no diagnostics.
             for _ in $(seq 1 36); do
-              kill -0 "$EMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || { echo "ERROR: emulator process exited early (run $N)"; exit 1; }
-              adb get-state >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
+              kill -0 "$EMU_PID" 2>/dev/null || { echo "ERROR: emulator process exited early (run $N)"; tail -40 "${{ github.workspace }}/emulator_run$N.txt"; exit 1; }
+              timeout 10 adb get-state >/dev/null 2>&1 && break
               sleep 5
             done
-            adb get-state >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "ERROR: no device after 180s (run $N)"; exit 1; }
+            timeout 10 adb get-state >/dev/null 2>&1 || { echo "ERROR: no device after 180s (run $N)"; tail -40 "${{ github.workspace }}/emulator_run$N.txt"; exit 1; }
             for _ in $(seq 1 48); do
-              [ "$(adb shell getprop sys.boot_completed 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r')" = "1" ] && break
+              [ "$(timeout 15 adb shell getprop sys.boot_completed 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r')" = "1" ] && break
               sleep 10
             done
-            [ "$(adb shell getprop sys.boot_completed 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r')" = "1" ] || { echo "===== boot timeout (run $N) ====="; exit 1; }
+            if [ "$(timeout 15 adb shell getprop sys.boot_completed 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r')" != "1" ]; then
+              echo "===== boot timeout (run $N): the emulator never finished booting ====="
+              echo "----- last 60 lines of the emulator log -----"
+              tail -60 "${{ github.workspace }}/emulator_run$N.txt" || true
+              exit 1
+            fi
             kill "$TAIL_PID" 2>/dev/null || true
             T_RESUME=$(date +%s)
 
@@ -639,22 +648,45 @@ jobs:
               echo "RUN $N entry screenshot: $(stat -c %s "${{ github.workspace }}/screenshots/run$N-entry.png" 2>/dev/null || echo 0) bytes"
             fi
 
-            echo "RUN $N app pid after boot/restore (pre am-start): $(adb shell pidof "$PKG" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r' || echo none)"
-            # Start (or re-foreground, after a restored snapshot) the app; the
-            # TITLE screen needs one tap to start a round — auto-play only
-            # pilots during PLAYING.
-            adb shell am start -n "$PKG/android.app.NativeActivity" || true
-            for _ in $(seq 1 30); do
-              adb shell dumpsys window 2>/dev/null | grep -qi "ocus.*vulkanspaceinvaders" && break
-              sleep 1
-            done
+            if [ "$N" = "1" ]; then
+              # The only launch in the whole job. The TITLE screen needs one tap
+              # to start a round -- auto-play only pilots during PLAYING.
+              adb shell am start -n "$PKG/android.app.NativeActivity" || true
+              for _ in $(seq 1 30); do
+                timeout 15 adb shell dumpsys window 2>/dev/null | grep -qi "ocus.*vulkanspaceinvaders" && break
+                sleep 1
+              done
+              # pidof races a launch: a single query can come back empty while
+              # the process is still starting, which would then suppress the
+              # taps below and leave the game sitting on the TITLE screen.
+              for _ in $(seq 1 15); do
+                APP_PID="$(timeout 15 adb shell pidof "$PKG" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r')"
+                [ -n "$APP_PID" ] && break
+                sleep 1
+              done
+              echo "RUN $N app pid after launch: ${APP_PID:-none}"
+            else
+              # Deliberately NOT relaunched. The question this job asks is
+              # whether the snapshot brings the app back by itself, so starting
+              # it here would answer it for the emulator.
+              APP_PID="$(timeout 15 adb shell pidof "$PKG" 2>/dev/null | tr -d '\r')"
+              if [ -n "$APP_PID" ]; then
+                echo "RUN $N app survived restore: YES (pid $APP_PID)"
+              else
+                echo "RUN $N app survived restore: NO (process gone; left as-is)"
+              fi
+            fi
             sleep 3
             T_FIRST_TAP=$(date +%s)
-            for _ in 1 2 3 4; do
-              adb shell input tap 540 1500 || true
-              sleep 2
-            done
-            sleep 5
+            # Only drive the game while it is actually running; tapping a home
+            # screen would just launch something at random.
+            if [ -n "${APP_PID:-}" ]; then
+              for _ in 1 2 3 4; do
+                adb shell input tap 540 1500 || true
+                sleep 2
+              done
+              sleep 5
+            fi
             # Diagnostics and the liveness probe run BEFORE the exit screenshot,
             # so that screenshot is the last thing captured and sits ~1s from the
             # freeze. (It used to come first, leaving 15-20s of auto-play between