diff --git a/src/game/agame/background.cpp b/src/game/agame/background.cpp
index b59c984..28f9848 100644
--- a/src/game/agame/background.cpp
+++ b/src/game/agame/background.cpp
@@ -98,7 +98,11 @@ namespace Game::AGame {
         mTransform.y -= mTex->getHeight() * mTransform.adjustedScaleY() / 2.f;
 
         LOG("W: " << mW << " H: " << mH);
-        spawnLevel(1);
+        
+        // Only spawn level entities during normal gameplay, not during replay
+        if (GameManager::getCurrentGameState() != GameStateEnum::REPLAY) {
+            spawnLevel(1);
+        }
     }
 
     void Background::render(Game::Renderer::Renderer* renderer, Game::Renderer::RendererConfig config) {
diff --git a/src/game/gamemanager.cpp b/src/game/gamemanager.cpp
index 98c51f6..6e2357e 100644
--- a/src/game/gamemanager.cpp
+++ b/src/game/gamemanager.cpp
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ namespace Game {
                 // Handle REPLAY state
                 if (mCurrentGameState == GameStateEnum::REPLAY) {
                     if (!playReplayFrame()) {
-                        // No more frames - end replay
+                        // No more frames - end replay and pause
                         stopReplayMode();
-                        mCurrentGameState = GameStateEnum::STOPPED;
-                        LOG("Replay finished");
+                        mCurrentGameState = GameStateEnum::PAUSED;
+                        LOG("Replay finished - pausing");
                     }
                 } else {
                     auto entities = State::GameState::getInstance().getEntitiesSnapshot();
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ namespace Game {
     }
 
     bool GameManager::initReplayMode() {
-        // Read and parse replay.txt
+        // Read and parse replay.txt (supports both 5-column legacy and 6-column new format)
         std::ifstream replayFile("replay.txt");
         if (!replayFile.is_open()) {
             WARN("Failed to open replay.txt for reading");
@@ -120,13 +120,22 @@ namespace Game {
             
             std::istringstream iss(line);
             ReplayFrame frame;
-            int isShip;
+            int isShip = 0;
             
+            // Try to parse 6 columns first (new format with form state)
             if (iss >> frame.x >> frame.y >> frame.rotation >> frame.scaleX >> frame.scaleY >> isShip) {
                 frame.isShipMode = (isShip != 0);
                 mReplayFrames.push_back(frame);
             } else {
-                WARN("Failed to parse replay line: " << line);
+                // Reset stream and try 5-column legacy format
+                iss.clear();
+                iss.seekg(0);
+                if (iss >> frame.x >> frame.y >> frame.rotation >> frame.scaleX >> frame.scaleY) {
+                    frame.isShipMode = false; // Default to ground mode for legacy replays
+                    mReplayFrames.push_back(frame);
+                } else {
+                    WARN("Failed to parse replay line: " << line);
+                }
             }
         }
         
@@ -137,6 +146,7 @@ namespace Game {
 
     bool GameManager::playReplayFrame() {
         if (mReplayFrames.empty() || mCurrentReplayFrame >= mReplayFrames.size()) {
+            LOG("Replay complete: played " << mCurrentReplayFrame << " frames");
             return false; // Replay finished
         }
 
@@ -151,6 +161,11 @@ namespace Game {
             player->getTransform()->scaleX = frame.scaleX;
             player->getTransform()->scaleY = frame.scaleY;
             player->setShipMode(frame.isShipMode);
+            
+            // Log every 100 frames to track progress
+            if (mCurrentReplayFrame % 100 == 0) {
+                LOG("Playing replay frame " << mCurrentReplayFrame << "/" << mReplayFrames.size());
+            }
         }
 
         mCurrentReplayFrame++;
diff --git a/src/main.cpp b/src/main.cpp
index 03e1afa..0c7c38a 100644
--- a/src/main.cpp
+++ b/src/main.cpp
@@ -96,10 +96,20 @@ static void performStartGameTransition() {
     deactivateAndQueueRemoval("Title");
     deactivateAndQueueRemoval("NameBox");
     deactivateAndQueueRemoval("StartButton");
+    deactivateAndQueueRemoval("ReplayButton");
 }
 
 static void performReplayTransition() {
-    // Spawn minimal game entities for replay
+    // Clear all existing entities to start fresh
+    auto allEntities = State::GameState::getInstance().getEntitiesSnapshot();
+    for (auto* entity : allEntities) {
+        if (entity && entity->getName() != "BG" && entity->getName() != "Player" && entity->getName() != "HUD") {
+            entity->setActive(false);
+            State::GameState::getInstance().queueEntityRemoval(entity->getName());
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Spawn minimal game entities for replay (only Background and Player, no HUD)
     State::GameState::getInstance().addEntity(std::make_unique<AGame::Background>("BG", std::make_shared<Game::Renderer::Texture>("../resources/bgtest.png", gSDLRenderer), Object::DEFAULT_TRANSFORM));
 
     auto* player = dynamic_cast<AGame::Player*>(
@@ -117,9 +127,6 @@ static void performReplayTransition() {
         player->setGroundTexture(std::make_shared<Game::Renderer::Texture>("../resources/l3player.png", gSDLRenderer));
     }
 
-    // HUD
-    State::GameState::getInstance().addEntity(std::make_unique<AGame::HUDText>("HUD", std::make_shared<Game::Renderer::Font>("../resources/roboto.ttf", gSDLRenderer, 60, "HUDFont"), Object::Transform{0.f, 0.f, 0.f, 1.f, 1.f}, 320.f, 40.f));
-
     // Initialize and start replay
     if (GameManager::initReplayMode()) {
         GameManager::setCurrentGameState(GameStateEnum::REPLAY);