To Investigate

• Test with smaller subset font
• Try alternative fonts (Noto Color Emoji, DejaVu Sans)
• Check pygame/SDL error logs for font loading
• Verify font.render() returns surfaces for unicode chars
• Test specific failing characters: ❤️ 🎉 🙏 … — 014 026

References

• Similar projects (Secret Files, Pearl Diver) use same font without issues
• May need additional emoji font alongside NotoSansJP