diff --git a/frontend/src/index.css b/frontend/src/index.css
index 66ef541..a3f33f4 100644
--- a/frontend/src/index.css
+++ b/frontend/src/index.css
@@ -392,8 +392,17 @@ button:disabled { opacity: 0.45; cursor: default; transform: none; box-shadow: n
 .turn-buttons button { font-size: 0.78rem; padding: 4px 12px; color: var(--text-dim); }
 .turn-buttons button:hover:not(:disabled) { color: var(--text); }
 
-.input-bar { display: flex; gap: 8px; align-items: stretch; }
+.input-bar { display: flex; gap: 8px; align-items: flex-end; }
 .input-bar input { flex: 1; }
+/* Auto-growing action box: starts at one line, grows to ~4, then scrolls. */
+.input-bar textarea {
+  flex: 1;
+  resize: none;
+  min-height: 0;
+  max-height: calc(6em + 20px); /* ~4 lines (1.5em each) + padding/border */
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  line-height: 1.5;
+}
 
 .mode-select { display: flex; }
 .mode-select button {
diff --git a/frontend/src/pages/Play.jsx b/frontend/src/pages/Play.jsx
index 7bdac83..64c3b0a 100644
--- a/frontend/src/pages/Play.jsx
+++ b/frontend/src/pages/Play.jsx
@@ -612,6 +612,16 @@ export default function Play() {
   const storyEndRef = useRef(null)
   const abortRef = useRef(null)
   const pinnedRef = useRef(true) // autoscroll only while the reader is at the bottom
+  const inputRef = useRef(null)
+
+  // Grow the action box with its content (CSS caps it at ~4 lines, then
+  // scrolls); shrinks back after send() clears the text.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    const el = inputRef.current
+    if (!el) return
+    el.style.height = 'auto'
+    el.style.height = `${el.scrollHeight}px`
+  }, [input])
 
   useEffect(() => {
     api.getAdventure(id)
@@ -863,8 +873,9 @@ export default function Play() {
                 </button>
               ))}
             </div>
-            <input
-              type="text"
+            <textarea
+              ref={inputRef}
+              rows={1}
               value={input}
               disabled={busy}
               placeholder={
@@ -873,7 +884,10 @@ export default function Play() {
                   : 'What happens next?'
               }
               onChange={(e) => setInput(e.target.value)}
-              onKeyDown={(e) => { if (e.key === 'Enter' && !busy) send() }}
+              // Enter sends; Shift+Enter inserts a newline.
+              onKeyDown={(e) => {
+                if (e.key === 'Enter' && !e.shiftKey && !busy) { e.preventDefault(); send() }
+              }}
             />
             {busy ? (
               <button className="danger" onClick={stopGeneration}>■ Stop</button>