diff --git a/src/mudlib/commands/play.py b/src/mudlib/commands/play.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..df5cfbd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mudlib/commands/play.py
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+"""Play interactive fiction games."""
+
+import pathlib
+
+from mudlib.commands import CommandDefinition, register
+from mudlib.if_session import IFSession
+from mudlib.player import Player
+
+# Story files directory
+_stories_dir = pathlib.Path(__file__).resolve().parents[3] / "content" / "stories"
+
+# Map of game name -> file extension for lookup
+_STORY_EXTENSIONS = (".z3", ".z5", ".z8", ".zblorb")
+
+
+def _find_story(name: str) -> pathlib.Path | None:
+    """Find a story file by name in content/stories/."""
+    for ext in _STORY_EXTENSIONS:
+        path = _stories_dir / f"{name}{ext}"
+        if path.exists():
+            return path
+    return None
+
+
+async def cmd_play(player: Player, args: str) -> None:
+    """Start playing an interactive fiction game."""
+    game_name = args.strip().lower()
+    if not game_name:
+        await player.send("play what? (try: play zork1)\r\n")
+        return
+
+    story_path = _find_story(game_name)
+    if not story_path:
+        await player.send(f"no story found for '{game_name}'.\r\n")
+        return
+
+    # Create and start IF session
+    session = IFSession(player, str(story_path), game_name)
+    try:
+        intro = await session.start()
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        await player.send("error: dfrotz not found. cannot play IF games.\r\n")
+        return
+    except OSError as e:
+        await player.send(f"error starting game: {e}\r\n")
+        return
+
+    player.if_session = session
+    player.mode_stack.append("if")
+
+    if intro:
+        await player.send(intro + "\r\n")
+
+
+register(
+    CommandDefinition(
+        "play", cmd_play, mode="normal", help="play an interactive fiction game"
+    )
+)
diff --git a/src/mudlib/server.py b/src/mudlib/server.py
index a62cdcd..ffa197d 100644
--- a/src/mudlib/server.py
+++ b/src/mudlib/server.py
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import mudlib.commands.fly
 import mudlib.commands.help
 import mudlib.commands.look
 import mudlib.commands.movement
+import mudlib.commands.play
 import mudlib.commands.quit
 import mudlib.commands.reload
 import mudlib.commands.spawn
diff --git a/tests/test_play_command.py b/tests/test_play_command.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7d122e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_play_command.py
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+"""Tests for the play command."""
+
+from unittest.mock import AsyncMock, MagicMock, Mock, patch
+
+import pytest
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def mock_writer():
+    writer = MagicMock()
+    writer.write = MagicMock()
+    writer.drain = AsyncMock()
+    return writer
+
+
+@pytest.fixture
+def player(mock_writer):
+    from mudlib.player import Player
+
+    return Player(name="tester", x=5, y=5, writer=mock_writer)
+
+
+def test_play_command_registered():
+    """Verify play command is registered."""
+    import mudlib.commands.play  # noqa: F401
+    from mudlib import commands
+
+    assert "play" in commands._registry
+    cmd = commands._registry["play"]
+    assert cmd.name == "play"
+    assert cmd.mode == "normal"
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_play_no_args(player):
+    """Playing with no args sends usage message."""
+    from mudlib.commands.play import cmd_play
+
+    await cmd_play(player, "")
+    player.writer.write.assert_called()
+    output = player.writer.write.call_args[0][0]
+    assert "play what?" in output.lower()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_play_unknown_story(player):
+    """Playing unknown story sends error message."""
+    from mudlib.commands.play import cmd_play
+
+    await cmd_play(player, "nosuchgame")
+    player.writer.write.assert_called()
+    output = player.writer.write.call_args[0][0]
+    assert "no story found" in output.lower()
+    assert "nosuchgame" in output.lower()
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_play_enters_if_mode(player):
+    """Playing a valid story enters IF mode and creates session."""
+    from mudlib.commands.play import cmd_play
+
+    # Mock IFSession
+    mock_session = Mock()
+    mock_session.start = AsyncMock(return_value="Welcome to Zork!")
+
+    with patch("mudlib.commands.play.IFSession") as MockIFSession:
+        MockIFSession.return_value = mock_session
+
+        # Ensure story file exists check passes
+        with patch("mudlib.commands.play._find_story") as mock_find:
+            mock_find.return_value = "/fake/path/zork1.z3"
+
+            await cmd_play(player, "zork1")
+
+    # Verify session was created and started
+    mock_session.start.assert_called_once()
+
+    # Verify mode was pushed
+    assert "if" in player.mode_stack
+
+    # Verify session was attached to player
+    assert player.if_session is mock_session
+
+    # Verify intro was sent
+    player.writer.write.assert_called()
+    output = player.writer.write.call_args[0][0]
+    assert "Welcome to Zork!" in output
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_play_handles_dfrotz_missing(player):
+    """Playing when dfrotz is missing sends error."""
+    from mudlib.commands.play import cmd_play
+
+    # Mock IFSession to raise FileNotFoundError on start
+    mock_session = Mock()
+    mock_session.start = AsyncMock(side_effect=FileNotFoundError())
+
+    with patch("mudlib.commands.play.IFSession") as MockIFSession:
+        MockIFSession.return_value = mock_session
+
+        with patch("mudlib.commands.play._find_story") as mock_find:
+            mock_find.return_value = "/fake/path/zork1.z3"
+
+            await cmd_play(player, "zork1")
+
+    # Verify error message was sent
+    player.writer.write.assert_called()
+    output = player.writer.write.call_args[0][0]
+    assert "dfrotz not found" in output.lower()
+
+    # Verify mode was NOT pushed
+    assert "if" not in player.mode_stack
+
+    # Verify session was NOT attached
+    assert player.if_session is None