diff --git a/BUILD_FROM_SOURCE.md b/BUILD_FROM_SOURCE.md
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+# Building McRogueFace from Source
+
+This document describes how to build McRogueFace from a fresh clone.
+
+## Build Options
+
+There are two ways to build McRogueFace:
+
+1. **Quick Build** (recommended): Use pre-built dependency libraries from a `build_deps` archive
+2. **Full Build**: Compile all dependencies from submodules
+
+## Prerequisites
+
+### System Dependencies
+
+Install these packages before building:
+
+```bash
+# Debian/Ubuntu
+sudo apt install \
+    build-essential \
+    cmake \
+    git \
+    zlib1g-dev \
+    libx11-dev \
+    libxrandr-dev \
+    libxcursor-dev \
+    libfreetype-dev \
+    libudev-dev \
+    libvorbis-dev \
+    libflac-dev \
+    libgl-dev \
+    libopenal-dev
+```
+
+**Note:** SDL is NOT required - McRogueFace uses libtcod-headless which has no SDL dependency.
+
+---
+
+## Option 1: Quick Build (Using Pre-built Dependencies)
+
+If you have a `build_deps.tar.gz` or `build_deps.zip` archive:
+
+```bash
+# Clone McRogueFace (no submodules needed)
+git clone <repository-url> McRogueFace
+cd McRogueFace
+
+# Extract pre-built dependencies
+tar -xzf /path/to/build_deps.tar.gz
+# Or for zip: unzip /path/to/build_deps.zip
+
+# Build McRogueFace
+mkdir -p build && cd build
+cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+make -j$(nproc)
+
+# Run
+./mcrogueface
+```
+
+The `build_deps` archive contains:
+- `__lib/` - Pre-built shared libraries (Python, SFML, libtcod-headless)
+- `deps/` - Header symlinks for compilation
+
+**Total build time: ~30 seconds**
+
+---
+
+## Option 2: Full Build (Compiling All Dependencies)
+
+### 1. Clone with Submodules
+
+```bash
+git clone --recursive <repository-url> McRogueFace
+cd McRogueFace
+```
+
+If submodules weren't cloned:
+```bash
+git submodule update --init --recursive
+```
+
+**Note:** imgui/imgui-sfml submodules may fail - this is fine, they're not used.
+
+### 2. Create Dependency Symlinks
+
+```bash
+cd deps
+ln -sf ../modules/cpython cpython
+ln -sf ../modules/libtcod-headless/src/libtcod libtcod
+ln -sf ../modules/cpython/Include Python
+ln -sf ../modules/SFML/include/SFML SFML
+cd ..
+```
+
+### 3. Build libtcod-headless
+
+libtcod-headless is our SDL-free fork with vendored dependencies:
+
+```bash
+cd modules/libtcod-headless
+mkdir build && cd build
+
+cmake .. \
+    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON
+
+make -j$(nproc)
+cd ../../..
+```
+
+That's it! No special flags needed - libtcod-headless defaults to:
+- `LIBTCOD_SDL3=disable` (no SDL dependency)
+- Vendored lodepng, utf8proc, stb
+
+### 4. Build Python 3.12
+
+```bash
+cd modules/cpython
+./configure --enable-shared
+make -j$(nproc)
+cd ../..
+```
+
+### 5. Build SFML 2.6
+
+```bash
+cd modules/SFML
+mkdir build && cd build
+
+cmake .. \
+    -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release \
+    -DBUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON
+
+make -j$(nproc)
+cd ../../..
+```
+
+### 6. Copy Libraries
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p __lib
+
+# Python
+cp modules/cpython/libpython3.12.so* __lib/
+
+# SFML
+cp modules/SFML/build/lib/libsfml-*.so* __lib/
+
+# libtcod-headless
+cp modules/libtcod-headless/build/bin/libtcod.so* __lib/
+
+# Python standard library
+cp -r modules/cpython/Lib __lib/Python
+```
+
+### 7. Build McRogueFace
+
+```bash
+mkdir -p build && cd build
+cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+make -j$(nproc)
+```
+
+### 8. Run
+
+```bash
+./mcrogueface
+```
+
+---
+
+## Submodule Versions
+
+| Submodule | Version | Notes |
+|-----------|---------|-------|
+| SFML | 2.6.1 | Graphics, audio, windowing |
+| cpython | 3.12.2 | Embedded Python interpreter |
+| libtcod-headless | 2.2.1 | SDL-free fork for FOV, pathfinding |
+
+---
+
+## Creating a build_deps Archive
+
+To create a `build_deps` archive for distribution:
+
+```bash
+cd McRogueFace
+
+# Create archive directory
+mkdir -p build_deps_staging
+
+# Copy libraries
+cp -r __lib build_deps_staging/
+
+# Copy/create deps symlinks as actual directories with only needed headers
+mkdir -p build_deps_staging/deps
+cp -rL deps/libtcod build_deps_staging/deps/  # Follow symlink
+cp -rL deps/Python build_deps_staging/deps/
+cp -rL deps/SFML build_deps_staging/deps/
+cp -r deps/platform build_deps_staging/deps/
+
+# Create archives
+cd build_deps_staging
+tar -czf ../build_deps.tar.gz __lib deps
+zip -r ../build_deps.zip __lib deps
+cd ..
+
+# Cleanup
+rm -rf build_deps_staging
+```
+
+The resulting archive can be distributed alongside releases for users who want to build McRogueFace without compiling dependencies.
+
+**Archive contents:**
+```
+build_deps.tar.gz
+├── __lib/
+│   ├── libpython3.12.so*
+│   ├── libsfml-*.so*
+│   ├── libtcod.so*
+│   └── Python/           # Python standard library
+└── deps/
+    ├── libtcod/          # libtcod headers
+    ├── Python/           # Python headers
+    ├── SFML/             # SFML headers
+    └── platform/         # Platform-specific configs
+```
+
+---
+
+## Verify the Build
+
+```bash
+cd build
+
+# Check version
+./mcrogueface --version
+
+# Test headless mode
+./mcrogueface --headless -c "import mcrfpy; print('Success')"
+
+# Verify no SDL dependencies
+ldd mcrogueface | grep -i sdl  # Should output nothing
+```
+
+---
+
+## Troubleshooting
+
+### OpenAL not found
+```bash
+sudo apt install libopenal-dev
+```
+
+### FreeType not found
+```bash
+sudo apt install libfreetype-dev
+```
+
+### X11/Xrandr not found
+```bash
+sudo apt install libx11-dev libxrandr-dev
+```
+
+### Python standard library missing
+Ensure `__lib/Python` contains the standard library:
+```bash
+ls __lib/Python/os.py  # Should exist
+```
+
+### libtcod symbols not found
+Ensure libtcod.so is in `__lib/` with correct version:
+```bash
+ls -la __lib/libtcod.so*
+# Should show libtcod.so -> libtcod.so.2 -> libtcod.so.2.2.1
+```
+
+---
+
+## Build Times (approximate)
+
+On a typical 4-core system:
+
+| Component | Time |
+|-----------|------|
+| libtcod-headless | ~30 seconds |
+| Python 3.12 | ~3-5 minutes |
+| SFML 2.6 | ~1 minute |
+| McRogueFace | ~30 seconds |
+| **Full build total** | **~5-7 minutes** |
+| **Quick build (pre-built deps)** | **~30 seconds** |
+
+---
+
+## Runtime Dependencies
+
+The built executable requires these system libraries:
+- `libz.so.1` (zlib)
+- `libopenal.so.1` (OpenAL)
+- `libX11.so.6`, `libXrandr.so.2` (X11)
+- `libfreetype.so.6` (FreeType)
+- `libGL.so.1` (OpenGL)
+
+All other dependencies (Python, SFML, libtcod) are bundled in `lib/`.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 9d74e5a..e999d9d 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -35,6 +35,43 @@ cd build
 ./mcrogueface
 ```
 
+## Building from Source
+
+For most users, pre-built releases are available. If you need to build from source:
+
+### Quick Build (with pre-built dependencies)
+
+Download `build_deps.tar.gz` from the releases page, then:
+
+```bash
+git clone <repository-url> McRogueFace
+cd McRogueFace
+tar -xzf /path/to/build_deps.tar.gz
+mkdir build && cd build
+cmake .. -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release
+make -j$(nproc)
+```
+
+### Full Build (compiling all dependencies)
+
+```bash
+git clone --recursive <repository-url> McRogueFace
+cd McRogueFace
+# See BUILD_FROM_SOURCE.md for complete instructions
+```
+
+**[BUILD_FROM_SOURCE.md](BUILD_FROM_SOURCE.md)** - Complete build guide including:
+- System dependency installation
+- Compiling SFML, Python, and libtcod-headless from source
+- Creating `build_deps` archives for distribution
+- Troubleshooting common build issues
+
+### System Requirements
+
+- **Linux**: Debian/Ubuntu tested; other distros should work
+- **Windows**: Supported (see build guide for details)
+- **macOS**: Untested
+
 ## Example: Creating a Simple Scene
 
 ```python