diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 641992f..cf1672f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,6 +37,8 @@ set(SAFECROWD_SRC_DIR "${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/src")
 add_library(ecs_engine STATIC
     src/engine/Entity.h
     src/engine/EntityRegistry.h
+    src/engine/ComponentRegistry.h
+    src/engine/EcsCore.h
     src/engine/IComponentStorage.h
     src/engine/EngineConfig.h
     src/engine/EngineRuntime.h
@@ -81,6 +83,7 @@ if (BUILD_TESTING)
         tests/TestSupport.h
         tests/EngineRegistryTests.cpp
         tests/FrameClockTests.cpp
+        tests/EcsCoreTests.cpp
         tests/EngineRuntimeTests.cpp
         tests/PackedComponentStorageTests.cpp
         tests/SafeCrowdDomainTests.cpp
diff --git a/src/engine/ComponentRegistry.h b/src/engine/ComponentRegistry.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3f01aae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/ComponentRegistry.h
@@ -0,0 +1,104 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <cstddef>
+#include <memory>
+#include <stdexcept>
+#include <typeindex>
+#include <unordered_map>
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "engine/Entity.h"
+#include "engine/EntityRegistry.h"
+#include "engine/IComponentStorage.h"
+#include "engine/PackedComponentStorage.h"
+
+namespace safecrowd::engine {
+
+using ComponentType = std::size_t;
+
+class ComponentRegistry {
+public:
+    template <typename T>
+    void registerType() {
+        const std::type_index key{typeid(T)};
+
+        if (const auto it = typeToId_.find(key); it != typeToId_.end()) {
+            return;  // idempotent
+        }
+
+        if (nextId_ >= kMaxComponentTypes) {
+            throw std::overflow_error("Component type limit exceeded.");
+        }
+
+        const ComponentType id = nextId_++;
+        typeToId_.emplace(key, id);
+
+        if (storages_.size() < (id + 1U)) {
+            storages_.resize(id + 1U);
+        }
+
+        storages_[id] = std::make_unique<PackedComponentStorage<T>>();
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    [[nodiscard]] ComponentType componentType() const {
+        const std::type_index key{typeid(T)};
+        const auto it = typeToId_.find(key);
+        if (it == typeToId_.end()) {
+            throw std::logic_error("Component type not registered. Call registerType<T>() during initialization.");
+        }
+        return it->second;
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    [[nodiscard]] PackedComponentStorage<T>& storage() {
+        const ComponentType id = componentType<T>();
+
+        if (id >= storages_.size() || storages_[id] == nullptr) {
+            // Storage may be cleared during shutdown; recreate lazily while type ids remain valid.
+            if (id >= storages_.size()) {
+                storages_.resize(id + 1U);
+            }
+            storages_[id] = std::make_unique<PackedComponentStorage<T>>();
+        }
+
+        return *static_cast<PackedComponentStorage<T>*>(storages_[id].get());
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    [[nodiscard]] const PackedComponentStorage<T>& storage() const {
+        const ComponentType id = componentType<T>();
+
+        if (id >= storages_.size() || storages_[id] == nullptr) {
+            // Lazily creating storages inside a const method is not possible without breaking const-correctness.
+            // For const access, assume shutdown clears storages by resetting the pointers but keeps them recreated on non-const access.
+            // Call the non-const storage() when you need access across shutdown.
+            throw std::logic_error("Component storage is not available (did it get cleared by shutdown?).");
+        }
+
+        return *static_cast<const PackedComponentStorage<T>*>(storages_[id].get());
+    }
+
+    void entityDestroyed(Entity entity) {
+        for (auto& storage : storages_) {
+            if (storage != nullptr) {
+                storage->entityDestroyed(entity);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    // Clears stored component data to release memory, while preserving type IDs.
+    void shutdown() noexcept {
+        for (auto& storage : storages_) {
+            storage.reset();
+        }
+    }
+
+private:
+    std::unordered_map<std::type_index, ComponentType> typeToId_;
+    ComponentType nextId_{0};
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<IComponentStorage>> storages_;
+};
+
+}  // namespace safecrowd::engine
+
diff --git a/src/engine/EcsCore.h b/src/engine/EcsCore.h
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..579bfa9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/engine/EcsCore.h
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <cstddef>
+#include <stdexcept>
+
+#include "engine/ComponentRegistry.h"
+#include "engine/Entity.h"
+#include "engine/EntityRegistry.h"
+
+namespace safecrowd::engine {
+
+class EcsCore {
+public:
+    explicit EcsCore(std::size_t maxEntityCount = 4096)
+        : entityRegistry_(maxEntityCount),
+          maxEntityCount_(maxEntityCount) {}
+
+    ~EcsCore() {
+        // Destructors must not throw.
+        try {
+            shutdown();
+        } catch (...) {
+        }
+    }
+
+    void shutdown() {
+        componentRegistry_.shutdown();
+        entityRegistry_ = EntityRegistry(maxEntityCount_);
+    }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] Entity createEntity() {
+        return entityRegistry_.allocate();
+    }
+
+    void destroyEntity(Entity entity) {
+        // Important order: call storage cleanup with the original generation,
+        // then release the entity handle (which increments generation).
+        componentRegistry_.entityDestroyed(entity);
+        entityRegistry_.release(entity);
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void registerType() {
+        componentRegistry_.registerType<T>();
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    [[nodiscard]] ComponentType componentType() const {
+        // ComponentRegistry::componentType<T>() throws if not registered.
+        return componentRegistry_.componentType<T>();
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void addComponent(Entity entity, const T& component) {
+        // Must be explicitly registered; do not auto-register.
+        const ComponentType id = componentRegistry_.componentType<T>();
+
+        auto& storage = componentRegistry_.storage<T>();
+        storage.insert(entity, component);
+
+        auto signature = entityRegistry_.signatureOf(entity);
+        signature.set(id);
+        entityRegistry_.setSignature(entity, signature);
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void addComponent(Entity entity, T&& component) {
+        const ComponentType id = componentRegistry_.componentType<T>();
+
+        auto& storage = componentRegistry_.storage<T>();
+        storage.insert(entity, std::move(component));
+
+        auto signature = entityRegistry_.signatureOf(entity);
+        signature.set(id);
+        entityRegistry_.setSignature(entity, signature);
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    void removeComponent(Entity entity) {
+        const ComponentType id = componentRegistry_.componentType<T>();
+
+        auto& storage = componentRegistry_.storage<T>();
+        storage.remove(entity);
+
+        auto signature = entityRegistry_.signatureOf(entity);
+        signature.reset(id);
+        entityRegistry_.setSignature(entity, signature);
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    [[nodiscard]] bool containsComponent(Entity entity) {
+        // Must be explicitly registered; throws when called with an unregistered type.
+        (void)componentRegistry_.componentType<T>();
+
+        auto& storage = componentRegistry_.storage<T>();
+        return storage.contains(entity);
+    }
+
+    template <typename T>
+    [[nodiscard]] T& getComponent(Entity entity) {
+        (void)componentRegistry_.componentType<T>();
+        return componentRegistry_.storage<T>().get(entity);
+    }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] bool isAlive(Entity entity) const noexcept {
+        return entityRegistry_.isAlive(entity);
+    }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] Signature signatureOf(Entity entity) const {
+        return entityRegistry_.signatureOf(entity);
+    }
+
+private:
+    EntityRegistry entityRegistry_;
+    ComponentRegistry componentRegistry_;
+    std::size_t maxEntityCount_{4096};
+};
+
+}  // namespace safecrowd::engine
+
diff --git a/src/engine/EngineRuntime.cpp b/src/engine/EngineRuntime.cpp
index 1dfc923..f844e2e 100644
--- a/src/engine/EngineRuntime.cpp
+++ b/src/engine/EngineRuntime.cpp
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ void EngineRuntime::pause() {
 }
 
 void EngineRuntime::stop() {
+    world_.shutdown();
     frameClock_.reset();
     stats_ = {};
     stats_.state = EngineState::Stopped;
diff --git a/src/engine/EngineSystem.h b/src/engine/EngineSystem.h
index 943b151..9efac7e 100644
--- a/src/engine/EngineSystem.h
+++ b/src/engine/EngineSystem.h
@@ -1,10 +1,26 @@
 #pragma once
 
+#include "engine/EcsCore.h"
 #include "engine/EngineStepContext.h"
 
 namespace safecrowd::engine {
 
 class EngineWorld {
+public:
+    [[nodiscard]] EcsCore& ecsCore() noexcept {
+        return ecsCore_;
+    }
+
+    [[nodiscard]] const EcsCore& ecsCore() const noexcept {
+        return ecsCore_;
+    }
+
+    void shutdown() {
+        ecsCore_.shutdown();
+    }
+
+private:
+    EcsCore ecsCore_{};
 };
 
 class EngineSystem {
diff --git a/tests/EcsCoreTests.cpp b/tests/EcsCoreTests.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..411a94d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/EcsCoreTests.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+#include "TestSupport.h"
+
+#include <exception>
+
+#include "engine/EngineRuntime.h"
+#include "engine/EcsCore.h"
+
+namespace {
+
+struct Position {
+    int x{0};
+};
+
+}  // namespace
+
+SC_TEST(EcsCoreThrowsOnAddingUnregisteredComponentType) {
+    safecrowd::engine::EcsCore core;
+    const auto entity = core.createEntity();
+
+    bool threw = false;
+    try {
+        core.addComponent<Position>(entity, Position{1});
+    } catch (const std::logic_error&) {
+        threw = true;
+    } catch (const std::exception&) {
+        threw = true;
+    }
+
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(threw);
+}
+
+SC_TEST(EcsCoreUpdatesEntitySignatureOnAddRemove) {
+    safecrowd::engine::EcsCore core;
+    core.registerType<Position>();
+
+    const auto entity = core.createEntity();
+    auto sig0 = core.signatureOf(entity);
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(sig0.none());
+
+    core.addComponent<Position>(entity, Position{5});
+    auto sig1 = core.signatureOf(entity);
+    SC_EXPECT_EQ(sig1.count(), 1U);
+
+    core.removeComponent<Position>(entity);
+    auto sig2 = core.signatureOf(entity);
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(sig2.none());
+}
+
+SC_TEST(EcsCoreDestroysComponentsOnDestroyEntity) {
+    safecrowd::engine::EcsCore core;
+    core.registerType<Position>();
+
+    const auto entity = core.createEntity();
+    core.addComponent<Position>(entity, Position{42});
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(core.containsComponent<Position>(entity));
+
+    core.destroyEntity(entity);
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(!core.isAlive(entity));
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(!core.containsComponent<Position>(entity));
+}
+
+SC_TEST(EngineRuntimeStopShutsDownEcsCore) {
+    safecrowd::engine::EngineRuntime runtime;
+    auto& ecs = runtime.world().ecsCore();
+
+    ecs.registerType<Position>();
+    const auto entity = ecs.createEntity();
+    ecs.addComponent<Position>(entity, Position{7});
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(ecs.containsComponent<Position>(entity));
+
+    runtime.stop();
+
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(!ecs.isAlive(entity));
+    SC_EXPECT_TRUE(!ecs.containsComponent<Position>(entity));
+}
+