diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
index 544379d..164e7d9 100644
--- a/.env.example
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -11,8 +11,3 @@ BETTER_AUTH_URL=http://localhost:3000
 
 # HTTP port the API server listens on
 PORT=3000
-
-# Game clock epoch (decision 0.5.9): the real instant the game clock starts,
-# and the in-game ephemeris date it maps to. Both ISO 8601, UTC.
-GAME_EPOCH_REAL_START=2026-01-01T00:00:00Z
-GAME_EPOCH_EPHEMERIS_DATE=2100-01-01T00:00:00Z
diff --git a/DECISIONS.md b/DECISIONS.md
index 427a9d4..5d12c1f 100644
--- a/DECISIONS.md
+++ b/DECISIONS.md
@@ -63,3 +63,12 @@ Implementation decisions not spelled out in `memory-bank/implementation-plan.md`
 - **Ids:** cargo `standard`, `heavy`, `high-value`, `dangerous`; skills `long-haul`, `heavy-cargo`, `expensive-cargo`, `dangerous-cargo`.
 - **Base pay** (credits per tonne per million km): Standard 10, Heavy 14, High-Value 18, Dangerous 20. **Tier multipliers:** 1, 1.2, 1.25, 1.3. First guesses, to be tuned in Phase 12.
 - **Cargo and skills share one data file** (`src/data/cargo.ts`), since every cargo skill exists to gate a cargo type.
+
+## Step 2.5
+
+- **The game epoch lives in GameConfig, not in env vars.** Step 2.1 puts it in GameConfig, and rule 0.1.5 keeps game numbers in `packages/content`. The `GAME_EPOCH_*` variables added to `.env.example` in Step 1.5 are removed; the placeholder values (real start 2026-01-01, in-game 2100-01-01) are unchanged.
+- **Money values scaled up.** With the Step 2.2–2.4 rates a tutorial run paid ~24 credits. Pay rates and fuel costs are ×10, and prices are set so a Courier (4,000) plus an Earth bay (1,000) takes ~21 runs at ~240 credits each. Freighter 100,000, Bulk Hauler 400,000; leases Moon 800, Mars 20,000, Ceres 40,000, Jupiter 80,000.
+- **Placeholder tutorial payout in the test:** Standard pay × 0.384M km × average mass (midpoint of the contract minimum and Courier capacity, 12.5 t) × tutorial share (0.5).
+- **Starting credits are 0.** The company pays fuel during the tutorial, and the ~21-run target already assumes the player starts with nothing.
+- **Other defaults:** board size 8, tutorial board 40 (more than the ~30 runs that fit in a 60-minute period), first contact 10% at ×2 pay, contract mass 5–400 t, Long Haul cut-offs 100/250/400/600/800M km, ten pilot levels at 2 skill points each (enough to max all four skills), hire cost 2,000, pilot pay 100 per delivery.
+- **Known balance issue for Phase 12:** pay is linear in distance, but every trip pays a fixed overhead, so short Earth–Moon runs earn far less per real hour than long runs (a Freighter on Mars earns roughly 50× a Courier on the Moon).
diff --git a/memory-bank/progress.md b/memory-bank/progress.md
index a9df07a..414ec54 100644
--- a/memory-bank/progress.md
+++ b/memory-bank/progress.md
@@ -14,5 +14,5 @@
 - [x] **Step 2.2 — The five locations.** `src/data/locations.ts`: Earth, Moon, Mars, Ceres Station, Jupiter Cloud Platform. Earth and Moon start discovered; Earth has the highest launch multiplier.
 - [x] **Step 2.3 — The three ship models.** `src/data/ships.ts`: Courier, Freighter, Bulk Hauler, all atmospheric. Speed, capacity and price orderings tested; range rules are checked in Step 3.7.
 - [x] **Step 2.4 — Cargo types and skills.** `src/data/cargo.ts`: Standard, Heavy, High-Value, Dangerous; skills Long Haul, Heavy Cargo, Expensive Cargo, Dangerous Cargo (max level 5). The location test now checks cargo ids against the real data.
-- [ ] Step 2.5 — Default game config
+- [x] **Step 2.5 — Default game config.** `src/data/config.ts`. Courier + Earth bay ≈ 21 tutorial runs with the placeholder average payout. Money values rescaled ×10 so tutorial runs pay meaningful amounts; epoch moved from `.env.example` into GameConfig.
 - [ ] Step 2.6 — Single content bundle
diff --git a/packages/content/src/data/cargo.ts b/packages/content/src/data/cargo.ts
index 7142a77..b782339 100644
--- a/packages/content/src/data/cargo.ts
+++ b/packages/content/src/data/cargo.ts
@@ -5,28 +5,28 @@ export const cargoTypes: CargoType[] = [
   {
     id: "standard",
     name: "Standard",
-    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 10,
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 100,
     tierPayMultiplier: 1,
     requiredSkillId: null,
   },
   {
     id: "heavy",
     name: "Heavy",
-    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 14,
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 140,
     tierPayMultiplier: 1.2,
     requiredSkillId: "heavy-cargo",
   },
   {
     id: "high-value",
     name: "High-Value",
-    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 18,
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 180,
     tierPayMultiplier: 1.25,
     requiredSkillId: "expensive-cargo",
   },
   {
     id: "dangerous",
     name: "Dangerous",
-    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 20,
+    basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm: 200,
     tierPayMultiplier: 1.3,
     requiredSkillId: "dangerous-cargo",
   },
diff --git a/packages/content/src/data/config.ts b/packages/content/src/data/config.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..77844b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/content/src/data/config.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+import type { GameConfig } from "../schemas";
+
+/** Default tuning. All numbers are first guesses until balancing in Phase 12. */
+export const gameConfig: GameConfig = {
+  // 1 real minute = 1 game hour.
+  timeCompression: 60,
+  // Placeholders: the design docs do not fix an in-game start date yet.
+  epoch: {
+    realStart: "2026-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+    ephemerisDate: "2100-01-01T00:00:00Z",
+  },
+  startingCredits: 0,
+  tutorialPayoutShare: 0.5,
+  contractBoardSize: 8,
+  // A tutorial run takes about 2 real minutes, so one hour-long period allows ~30.
+  tutorialBoardSize: 40,
+  contractBoardPeriodRealMinutes: 60,
+  firstContactChance: 0.1,
+  firstContactPayoutMultiplier: 2,
+  contractMassTonnes: { min: 5, max: 400 },
+  // Mars at its closest needs no Long Haul; Jupiter at its farthest needs level 5.
+  longHaulCutoffsMillionKm: [100, 250, 400, 600, 800],
+  xpPerDelivery: { base: 10, perMillionKm: 0.2, perCargoTier: 5 },
+  pilotLevelXpThresholds: [100, 250, 450, 700, 1000, 1400, 1900, 2500, 3200, 4000],
+  // Ten levels × 2 points = enough to max all four skills (4 × 5 levels).
+  skillPointsPerLevel: 2,
+  pilotHireCost: 2000,
+  pilotPayPerDelivery: 100,
+};
diff --git a/packages/content/src/data/locations.ts b/packages/content/src/data/locations.ts
index 275d04e..0c040e4 100644
--- a/packages/content/src/data/locations.ts
+++ b/packages/content/src/data/locations.ts
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export const locations: Location[] = [
     body: "earth",
     launchCostMultiplier: 3,
     startsDiscovered: true,
-    bayLeasePrice: 5000,
+    bayLeasePrice: 1000,
     produces: ["standard", "high-value"],
     demands: ["heavy", "dangerous"],
   },
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ export const locations: Location[] = [
     body: "moon",
     launchCostMultiplier: 0.5,
     startsDiscovered: true,
-    bayLeasePrice: 3000,
+    bayLeasePrice: 800,
     produces: ["standard", "heavy"],
     demands: ["standard", "high-value", "dangerous"],
   },
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export const locations: Location[] = [
     body: "mars",
     launchCostMultiplier: 1.5,
     startsDiscovered: false,
-    bayLeasePrice: 8000,
+    bayLeasePrice: 20000,
     produces: ["standard", "high-value"],
     demands: ["heavy", "dangerous"],
   },
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ export const locations: Location[] = [
     body: "ceres",
     launchCostMultiplier: 0.3,
     startsDiscovered: false,
-    bayLeasePrice: 10000,
+    bayLeasePrice: 40000,
     produces: ["heavy"],
     demands: ["standard", "high-value", "dangerous"],
   },
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ export const locations: Location[] = [
     body: "jupiter",
     launchCostMultiplier: 2,
     startsDiscovered: false,
-    bayLeasePrice: 15000,
+    bayLeasePrice: 80000,
     produces: ["dangerous"],
     demands: ["standard", "high-value", "heavy"],
   },
diff --git a/packages/content/src/data/ships.ts b/packages/content/src/data/ships.ts
index 75a50b4..5fb0e53 100644
--- a/packages/content/src/data/ships.ts
+++ b/packages/content/src/data/ships.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ export const shipModels: ShipModel[] = [
     id: "courier",
     name: "Courier",
     archetype: "courier",
-    price: 30000,
+    price: 4000,
     cruiseSpeedKmPerGameHour: 3_000_000,
     cargoCapacityTonnes: 20,
     // Moon only.
@@ -18,13 +18,13 @@ export const shipModels: ShipModel[] = [
     hullRating: 1,
     landingClass: "atmospheric",
     overheadGameHours: 2,
-    fuelCostPerMillionKm: 20,
+    fuelCostPerMillionKm: 200,
   },
   {
     id: "freighter",
     name: "Freighter",
     archetype: "freighter",
-    price: 150000,
+    price: 100000,
     cruiseSpeedKmPerGameHour: 2_000_000,
     cargoCapacityTonnes: 100,
     // Mars and Ceres at any distance; Jupiter only near its closest (decision 0.5.25).
@@ -32,13 +32,13 @@ export const shipModels: ShipModel[] = [
     hullRating: 2,
     landingClass: "atmospheric",
     overheadGameHours: 4,
-    fuelCostPerMillionKm: 40,
+    fuelCostPerMillionKm: 400,
   },
   {
     id: "bulk-hauler",
     name: "Bulk Hauler",
     archetype: "bulk-hauler",
-    price: 600000,
+    price: 400000,
     cruiseSpeedKmPerGameHour: 1_200_000,
     cargoCapacityTonnes: 400,
     // Jupiter at its farthest.
@@ -46,6 +46,6 @@ export const shipModels: ShipModel[] = [
     hullRating: 3,
     landingClass: "atmospheric",
     overheadGameHours: 8,
-    fuelCostPerMillionKm: 80,
+    fuelCostPerMillionKm: 800,
   },
 ];
diff --git a/packages/content/src/index.ts b/packages/content/src/index.ts
index 3d0b1c1..4f0f98b 100644
--- a/packages/content/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/content/src/index.ts
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ export * from "./schemas";
 export * from "./data/locations";
 export * from "./data/ships";
 export * from "./data/cargo";
+export * from "./data/config";
diff --git a/packages/content/test/config.test.ts b/packages/content/test/config.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93942dd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/content/test/config.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import {
+  cargoTypes,
+  gameConfig,
+  gameConfigSchema,
+  locations,
+  shipModels,
+  skills,
+} from "../src/index";
+
+// Placeholder average tutorial payout until Phase 12 uses real sim numbers:
+// Standard cargo over ~0.384M km (Earth–Moon), at the average mass a Courier
+// can carry from the configured range, times the tutorial share.
+const EARTH_MOON_MILLION_KM = 0.384;
+
+describe("game config", () => {
+  it("passes the schema", () => {
+    expect(() => gameConfigSchema.parse(gameConfig)).not.toThrow();
+  });
+
+  it("uses 1 real minute = 1 game hour", () => {
+    expect(gameConfig.timeCompression).toBe(60);
+  });
+
+  it("has one Long Haul cut-off per Long Haul level", () => {
+    const longHaul = skills.find((s) => s.id === "long-haul")!;
+    expect(gameConfig.longHaulCutoffsMillionKm).toHaveLength(longHaul.maxLevel);
+  });
+
+  it("makes a Courier plus an Earth bay affordable after 15–25 tutorial runs", () => {
+    const courier = shipModels.find((s) => s.id === "courier")!;
+    const earth = locations.find((l) => l.id === "earth")!;
+    const standard = cargoTypes.find((c) => c.id === "standard")!;
+
+    const averageMass = (gameConfig.contractMassTonnes.min + courier.cargoCapacityTonnes) / 2;
+    const averageTutorialPayout =
+      standard.basePayPerTonnePerMillionKm *
+      averageMass *
+      EARTH_MOON_MILLION_KM *
+      gameConfig.tutorialPayoutShare;
+
+    const runs = (courier.price + earth.bayLeasePrice) / averageTutorialPayout;
+    expect(runs).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(15);
+    expect(runs).toBeLessThanOrEqual(25);
+  });
+});