diff --git a/plugins/arcade/hangman.go b/plugins/arcade/hangman.go
index 508dbbe..534ede2 100644
--- a/plugins/arcade/hangman.go
+++ b/plugins/arcade/hangman.go
@@ -78,10 +78,11 @@ func (h *hangman) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 	case "q", "esc":
 		return h, back
 	case "r":
+		// Only "restart" once dead; during play, r is a normal letter guess
+		// and must fall through to the guessing logic below.
 		if h.dead {
 			return newHangman(h.user, h.ctx), nil
 		}
-		return h, nil
 	case " ", "enter":
 		if h.won {
 			h.deal() // advance to the next word
diff --git a/plugins/arcade/hangman_test.go b/plugins/arcade/hangman_test.go
index d9851a7..e8c6b42 100644
--- a/plugins/arcade/hangman_test.go
+++ b/plugins/arcade/hangman_test.go
@@ -68,6 +68,18 @@ func TestHangmanDeathAfterSixMisses(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// The "r" restart binding must not swallow r as a letter guess during play.
+func TestHangmanLowercaseRIsAGuess(t *testing.T) {
+	h := newTestHangman("ROUTER")
+	for _, r := range "router" {
+		m, _ := h.Update(key(r))
+		h = m.(*hangman)
+	}
+	if !h.won {
+		t.Fatalf("lowercase r should count as a guess and solve ROUTER")
+	}
+}
+
 func TestHangmanLowercaseInputAndAdvance(t *testing.T) {
 	h := newTestHangman("CAT")
 	for _, r := range "cat" { // lowercase should still solve