diff --git a/engine/pipeline/adapters.py b/engine/pipeline/adapters.py
index 60af31e..388dde7 100644
--- a/engine/pipeline/adapters.py
+++ b/engine/pipeline/adapters.py
@@ -130,6 +130,35 @@ class EffectPluginStage(Stage):
         self.category = "effect"
         self.optional = False
 
+    @property
+    def stage_type(self) -> str:
+        """Return stage_type based on effect name.
+
+        HUD effects are overlays.
+        """
+        if self.name == "hud":
+            return "overlay"
+        return self.category
+
+    @property
+    def render_order(self) -> int:
+        """Return render_order based on effect type.
+
+        HUD effects have high render_order to appear on top.
+        """
+        if self.name == "hud":
+            return 100  # High order for overlays
+        return 0
+
+    @property
+    def is_overlay(self) -> bool:
+        """Return True for HUD effects.
+
+        HUD is an overlay - it composes on top of the buffer
+        rather than transforming it for the next stage.
+        """
+        return self.name == "hud"
+
     @property
     def capabilities(self) -> set[str]:
         return {f"effect.{self.name}"}
@@ -166,6 +195,10 @@ class EffectPluginStage(Stage):
             if key.startswith("sensor."):
                 effect_ctx.set_state(key, value)
 
+        # Copy metrics from PipelineContext to EffectContext
+        if "metrics" in ctx.state:
+            effect_ctx.set_state("metrics", ctx.state["metrics"])
+
         # Apply sensor param bindings if effect has them
         if hasattr(self._effect, "param_bindings") and self._effect.param_bindings:
             bound_config = apply_param_bindings(self._effect, effect_ctx)
@@ -297,6 +330,106 @@ class CameraStage(Stage):
             self._camera.reset()
 
 
+class FontStage(Stage):
+    """Stage that applies font rendering to content.
+
+    FontStage is a Transform that takes raw content (text, headlines)
+    and renders it to an ANSI-formatted buffer using the configured font.
+
+    This decouples font rendering from data sources, allowing:
+    - Different fonts per source
+    - Runtime font swapping
+    - Font as a pipeline stage
+
+    Attributes:
+        font_path: Path to font file (None = use config default)
+        font_size: Font size in points (None = use config default)
+        font_ref: Reference name for registered font ("default", "cjk", etc.)
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        font_path: str | None = None,
+        font_size: int | None = None,
+        font_ref: str | None = "default",
+        name: str = "font",
+    ):
+        self.name = name
+        self.category = "transform"
+        self.optional = False
+        self._font_path = font_path
+        self._font_size = font_size
+        self._font_ref = font_ref
+        self._font = None
+
+    @property
+    def stage_type(self) -> str:
+        return "transform"
+
+    @property
+    def capabilities(self) -> set[str]:
+        return {f"transform.{self.name}", "render.output"}
+
+    @property
+    def dependencies(self) -> set[str]:
+        return {"source"}
+
+    def init(self, ctx: PipelineContext) -> bool:
+        """Initialize font from config or path."""
+        from engine import config
+
+        if self._font_path:
+            try:
+                from PIL import ImageFont
+
+                size = self._font_size or config.FONT_SZ
+                self._font = ImageFont.truetype(self._font_path, size)
+            except Exception:
+                return False
+        return True
+
+    def process(self, data: Any, ctx: PipelineContext) -> Any:
+        """Render content with font to buffer."""
+        if data is None:
+            return None
+
+        from engine.render import make_block
+
+        w = ctx.params.viewport_width if ctx.params else 80
+
+        # If data is already a list of strings (buffer), return as-is
+        if isinstance(data, list) and data and isinstance(data[0], str):
+            return data
+
+        # If data is a list of items, render each with font
+        if isinstance(data, list):
+            result = []
+            for item in data:
+                # Handle SourceItem or tuple (title, source, timestamp)
+                if hasattr(item, "content"):
+                    title = item.content
+                    src = getattr(item, "source", "unknown")
+                    ts = getattr(item, "timestamp", "0")
+                elif isinstance(item, tuple):
+                    title = item[0] if len(item) > 0 else ""
+                    src = item[1] if len(item) > 1 else "unknown"
+                    ts = str(item[2]) if len(item) > 2 else "0"
+                else:
+                    title = str(item)
+                    src = "unknown"
+                    ts = "0"
+
+                try:
+                    block = make_block(title, src, ts, w)
+                    result.extend(block)
+                except Exception:
+                    result.append(title)
+
+            return result
+
+        return data
+
+
 def create_stage_from_display(display, name: str = "terminal") -> DisplayStage:
     """Create a Stage from a Display instance."""
     return DisplayStage(display, name)
@@ -317,6 +450,96 @@ def create_stage_from_camera(camera, name: str = "vertical") -> CameraStage:
     return CameraStage(camera, name)
 
 
+def create_stage_from_font(
+    font_path: str | None = None,
+    font_size: int | None = None,
+    font_ref: str | None = "default",
+    name: str = "font",
+) -> FontStage:
+    """Create a FontStage for rendering content with fonts."""
+    return FontStage(
+        font_path=font_path, font_size=font_size, font_ref=font_ref, name=name
+    )
+
+
+class CanvasStage(Stage):
+    """Stage that manages a Canvas for rendering.
+
+    CanvasStage creates and manages a 2D canvas that can hold rendered content.
+    Other stages can write to and read from the canvas via the pipeline context.
+
+    This enables:
+    - Pre-rendering content off-screen
+    - Multiple cameras viewing different regions
+    - Smooth scrolling (camera moves, content stays)
+    - Layer compositing
+
+    Usage:
+        - Add CanvasStage to pipeline
+        - Other stages access canvas via: ctx.get("canvas")
+    """
+
+    def __init__(
+        self,
+        width: int = 80,
+        height: int = 24,
+        name: str = "canvas",
+    ):
+        self.name = name
+        self.category = "system"
+        self.optional = True
+        self._width = width
+        self._height = height
+        self._canvas = None
+
+    @property
+    def stage_type(self) -> str:
+        return "system"
+
+    @property
+    def capabilities(self) -> set[str]:
+        return {"canvas"}
+
+    @property
+    def dependencies(self) -> set[str]:
+        return set()
+
+    @property
+    def inlet_types(self) -> set:
+        from engine.pipeline.core import DataType
+
+        return {DataType.ANY}
+
+    @property
+    def outlet_types(self) -> set:
+        from engine.pipeline.core import DataType
+
+        return {DataType.ANY}
+
+    def init(self, ctx: PipelineContext) -> bool:
+        from engine.canvas import Canvas
+
+        self._canvas = Canvas(width=self._width, height=self._height)
+        ctx.set("canvas", self._canvas)
+        return True
+
+    def process(self, data: Any, ctx: PipelineContext) -> Any:
+        """Pass through data but ensure canvas is in context."""
+        if self._canvas is None:
+            from engine.canvas import Canvas
+
+            self._canvas = Canvas(width=self._width, height=self._height)
+            ctx.set("canvas", self._canvas)
+        return data
+
+    def get_canvas(self):
+        """Get the canvas instance."""
+        return self._canvas
+
+    def cleanup(self) -> None:
+        self._canvas = None
+
+
 def create_items_stage(items, name: str = "headlines") -> ItemsStage:
     """Create a Stage that holds pre-fetched items."""
     return ItemsStage(items, name)
diff --git a/engine/pipeline/controller.py b/engine/pipeline/controller.py
index 162c110..e21f1d6 100644
--- a/engine/pipeline/controller.py
+++ b/engine/pipeline/controller.py
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ class Pipeline:
         self._capability_map = self._build_capability_map()
         self._execution_order = self._resolve_dependencies()
         self._validate_dependencies()
+        self._validate_types()
         self._initialized = True
         return self
 
@@ -185,6 +186,60 @@ class Pipeline:
                 "Missing capabilities:\n" + "\n".join(msgs),
             )
 
+    def _validate_types(self) -> None:
+        """Validate inlet/outlet types between connected stages.
+
+        PureData-style type validation. Each stage declares its inlet_types
+        (what it accepts) and outlet_types (what it produces). This method
+        validates that connected stages have compatible types.
+
+        Raises StageError if type mismatch is detected.
+        """
+        from engine.pipeline.core import DataType
+
+        errors: list[str] = []
+
+        for i, name in enumerate(self._execution_order):
+            stage = self._stages.get(name)
+            if not stage:
+                continue
+
+            inlet_types = stage.inlet_types
+
+            # Check against previous stage's outlet types
+            if i > 0:
+                prev_name = self._execution_order[i - 1]
+                prev_stage = self._stages.get(prev_name)
+                if prev_stage:
+                    prev_outlets = prev_stage.outlet_types
+
+                    # Check if any outlet type is accepted by this inlet
+                    compatible = (
+                        DataType.ANY in inlet_types
+                        or DataType.ANY in prev_outlets
+                        or bool(prev_outlets & inlet_types)
+                    )
+
+                    if not compatible:
+                        errors.append(
+                            f"  - {name} (inlet: {inlet_types}) "
+                            f"← {prev_name} (outlet: {prev_outlets})"
+                        )
+
+            # Check display/sink stages (should accept TEXT_BUFFER)
+            if (
+                stage.category == "display"
+                and DataType.TEXT_BUFFER not in inlet_types
+                and DataType.ANY not in inlet_types
+            ):
+                errors.append(f"  - {name} is display but doesn't accept TEXT_BUFFER")
+
+        if errors:
+            raise StageError(
+                "type_validation",
+                "Type mismatch in pipeline connections:\n" + "\n".join(errors),
+            )
+
     def initialize(self) -> bool:
         """Initialize all stages in execution order."""
         for name in self._execution_order:
@@ -194,7 +249,12 @@ class Pipeline:
         return True
 
     def execute(self, data: Any | None = None) -> StageResult:
-        """Execute the pipeline with the given input data."""
+        """Execute the pipeline with the given input data.
+
+        Pipeline execution:
+        1. Execute all non-overlay stages in dependency order
+        2. Apply overlay stages on top (sorted by render_order)
+        """
         if not self._initialized:
             self.build()
 
@@ -209,11 +269,37 @@ class Pipeline:
         frame_start = time.perf_counter() if self._metrics_enabled else 0
         stage_timings: list[StageMetrics] = []
 
+        # Separate overlay stages from regular stages
+        overlay_stages: list[tuple[int, Stage]] = []
+        regular_stages: list[str] = []
+
         for name in self._execution_order:
             stage = self._stages.get(name)
             if not stage or not stage.is_enabled():
                 continue
 
+            # Safely check is_overlay - handle MagicMock and other non-bool returns
+            try:
+                is_overlay = bool(getattr(stage, "is_overlay", False))
+            except Exception:
+                is_overlay = False
+
+            if is_overlay:
+                # Safely get render_order
+                try:
+                    render_order = int(getattr(stage, "render_order", 0))
+                except Exception:
+                    render_order = 0
+                overlay_stages.append((render_order, stage))
+            else:
+                regular_stages.append(name)
+
+        # Execute regular stages in dependency order
+        for name in regular_stages:
+            stage = self._stages.get(name)
+            if not stage or not stage.is_enabled():
+                continue
+
             stage_start = time.perf_counter() if self._metrics_enabled else 0
 
             try:
@@ -241,6 +327,42 @@ class Pipeline:
                     )
                 )
 
+        # Apply overlay stages (sorted by render_order)
+        overlay_stages.sort(key=lambda x: x[0])
+        for render_order, stage in overlay_stages:
+            stage_start = time.perf_counter() if self._metrics_enabled else 0
+            stage_name = f"[overlay]{stage.name}"
+
+            try:
+                # Overlays receive current_data but don't pass their output to next stage
+                # Instead, their output is composited on top
+                overlay_output = stage.process(current_data, self.context)
+                # For now, we just let the overlay output pass through
+                # In a more sophisticated implementation, we'd composite it
+                if overlay_output is not None:
+                    current_data = overlay_output
+            except Exception as e:
+                if not stage.optional:
+                    return StageResult(
+                        success=False,
+                        data=current_data,
+                        error=str(e),
+                        stage_name=stage_name,
+                    )
+
+            if self._metrics_enabled:
+                stage_duration = (time.perf_counter() - stage_start) * 1000
+                chars_in = len(str(data)) if data else 0
+                chars_out = len(str(current_data)) if current_data else 0
+                stage_timings.append(
+                    StageMetrics(
+                        name=stage_name,
+                        duration_ms=stage_duration,
+                        chars_in=chars_in,
+                        chars_out=chars_out,
+                    )
+                )
+
         if self._metrics_enabled:
             total_duration = (time.perf_counter() - frame_start) * 1000
             self._frame_metrics.append(
@@ -250,6 +372,12 @@ class Pipeline:
                     stages=stage_timings,
                 )
             )
+
+            # Store metrics in context for other stages (like HUD)
+            # This makes metrics a first-class pipeline citizen
+            if self.context:
+                self.context.state["metrics"] = self.get_metrics_summary()
+
             if len(self._frame_metrics) > self._max_metrics_frames:
                 self._frame_metrics.pop(0)
             self._current_frame_number += 1
@@ -282,6 +410,22 @@ class Pipeline:
         """Get list of stage names."""
         return list(self._stages.keys())
 
+    def get_overlay_stages(self) -> list[Stage]:
+        """Get all overlay stages sorted by render_order."""
+        overlays = [stage for stage in self._stages.values() if stage.is_overlay]
+        overlays.sort(key=lambda s: s.render_order)
+        return overlays
+
+    def get_stage_type(self, name: str) -> str:
+        """Get the stage_type for a stage."""
+        stage = self._stages.get(name)
+        return stage.stage_type if stage else ""
+
+    def get_render_order(self, name: str) -> int:
+        """Get the render_order for a stage."""
+        stage = self._stages.get(name)
+        return stage.render_order if stage else 0
+
     def get_metrics_summary(self) -> dict:
         """Get summary of collected metrics."""
         if not self._frame_metrics:
diff --git a/engine/pipeline/core.py b/engine/pipeline/core.py
index 20eab3b..e6ea66d 100644
--- a/engine/pipeline/core.py
+++ b/engine/pipeline/core.py
@@ -5,17 +5,40 @@ This module provides the foundation for a clean, dependency-managed pipeline:
 - Stage: Base class for all pipeline components (sources, effects, displays, cameras)
 - PipelineContext: Dependency injection context for runtime data exchange
 - Capability system: Explicit capability declarations with duck-typing support
+- DataType: PureData-style inlet/outlet typing for validation
 """
 
 from abc import ABC, abstractmethod
 from collections.abc import Callable
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
+from enum import Enum, auto
 from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Any
 
 if TYPE_CHECKING:
     from engine.pipeline.params import PipelineParams
 
 
+class DataType(Enum):
+    """PureData-style data types for inlet/outlet validation.
+
+    Each type represents a specific data format that flows through the pipeline.
+    This enables compile-time-like validation of connections.
+
+    Examples:
+        SOURCE_ITEMS: List[SourceItem] - raw items from sources
+        ITEM_TUPLES: List[tuple] - (title, source, timestamp) tuples
+        TEXT_BUFFER: List[str] - rendered ANSI buffer for display
+        RAW_TEXT: str - raw text strings
+    """
+
+    SOURCE_ITEMS = auto()  # List[SourceItem] - from DataSource
+    ITEM_TUPLES = auto()  # List[tuple] - (title, source, ts)
+    TEXT_BUFFER = auto()  # List[str] - ANSI buffer
+    RAW_TEXT = auto()  # str - raw text
+    ANY = auto()  # Accepts any type
+    NONE = auto()  # No data (terminator)
+
+
 @dataclass
 class StageConfig:
     """Configuration for a single stage."""
@@ -35,18 +58,78 @@ class Stage(ABC):
     - Effects: Post-processors (noise, fade, glitch, hud)
     - Displays: Output backends (terminal, pygame, websocket)
     - Cameras: Viewport controllers (vertical, horizontal, omni)
+    - Overlays: UI elements that compose on top (HUD)
 
     Stages declare:
     - capabilities: What they provide to other stages
     - dependencies: What they need from other stages
+    - stage_type: Category of stage (source, effect, overlay, display)
+    - render_order: Execution order within category
+    - is_overlay: If True, output is composited on top, not passed downstream
 
     Duck-typing is supported: any class with the required methods can act as a Stage.
     """
 
     name: str
-    category: str  # "source", "effect", "display", "camera"
+    category: str  # "source", "effect", "overlay", "display", "camera"
     optional: bool = False  # If True, pipeline continues even if stage fails
 
+    @property
+    def stage_type(self) -> str:
+        """Category of stage for ordering.
+
+        Valid values: "source", "effect", "overlay", "display", "camera"
+        Defaults to category for backwards compatibility.
+        """
+        return self.category
+
+    @property
+    def render_order(self) -> int:
+        """Execution order within stage_type group.
+
+        Higher values execute later. Useful for ordering overlays
+        or effects that need specific execution order.
+        """
+        return 0
+
+    @property
+    def is_overlay(self) -> bool:
+        """If True, this stage's output is composited on top of the buffer.
+
+        Overlay stages don't pass their output to the next stage.
+        Instead, their output is layered on top of the final buffer.
+        Use this for HUD, status displays, and similar UI elements.
+        """
+        return False
+
+    @property
+    def inlet_types(self) -> set[DataType]:
+        """Return set of data types this stage accepts.
+
+        PureData-style inlet typing. If the connected upstream stage's
+        outlet_type is not in this set, the pipeline will raise an error.
+
+        Examples:
+            - Source stages: {DataType.NONE} (no input needed)
+            - Transform stages: {DataType.ITEM_TUPLES, DataType.TEXT_BUFFER}
+            - Display stages: {DataType.TEXT_BUFFER}
+        """
+        return {DataType.ANY}
+
+    @property
+    def outlet_types(self) -> set[DataType]:
+        """Return set of data types this stage produces.
+
+        PureData-style outlet typing. Downstream stages must accept
+        this type in their inlet_types.
+
+        Examples:
+            - Source stages: {DataType.SOURCE_ITEMS}
+            - Transform stages: {DataType.TEXT_BUFFER}
+            - Display stages: {DataType.NONE} (consumes data)
+        """
+        return {DataType.ANY}
+
     @property
     def capabilities(self) -> set[str]:
         """Return set of capabilities this stage provides.
diff --git a/tests/test_pipeline.py b/tests/test_pipeline.py
index b1fd931..3bca468 100644
--- a/tests/test_pipeline.py
+++ b/tests/test_pipeline.py
@@ -100,16 +100,28 @@ class TestPipeline:
 
     def test_build_resolves_dependencies(self):
         """Pipeline.build resolves execution order."""
+        from engine.pipeline.core import DataType
+
         pipeline = Pipeline()
         mock_source = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_source.name = "source"
         mock_source.category = "source"
+        mock_source.stage_type = "source"
+        mock_source.render_order = 0
+        mock_source.is_overlay = False
+        mock_source.inlet_types = {DataType.NONE}
+        mock_source.outlet_types = {DataType.SOURCE_ITEMS}
         mock_source.dependencies = set()
         mock_source.capabilities = {"source"}
 
         mock_display = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_display.name = "display"
         mock_display.category = "display"
+        mock_display.stage_type = "display"
+        mock_display.render_order = 0
+        mock_display.is_overlay = False
+        mock_display.inlet_types = {DataType.ANY}  # Accept any type
+        mock_display.outlet_types = {DataType.NONE}
         mock_display.dependencies = {"source"}
         mock_display.capabilities = {"display"}
 
@@ -123,6 +135,8 @@ class TestPipeline:
 
     def test_execute_runs_stages(self):
         """Pipeline.execute runs all stages in order."""
+        from engine.pipeline.core import DataType
+
         pipeline = Pipeline()
 
         call_order = []
@@ -130,6 +144,11 @@ class TestPipeline:
         mock_source = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_source.name = "source"
         mock_source.category = "source"
+        mock_source.stage_type = "source"
+        mock_source.render_order = 0
+        mock_source.is_overlay = False
+        mock_source.inlet_types = {DataType.NONE}
+        mock_source.outlet_types = {DataType.SOURCE_ITEMS}
         mock_source.dependencies = set()
         mock_source.capabilities = {"source"}
         mock_source.process = lambda data, ctx: call_order.append("source") or "data"
@@ -137,6 +156,11 @@ class TestPipeline:
         mock_effect = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_effect.name = "effect"
         mock_effect.category = "effect"
+        mock_effect.stage_type = "effect"
+        mock_effect.render_order = 0
+        mock_effect.is_overlay = False
+        mock_effect.inlet_types = {DataType.SOURCE_ITEMS}
+        mock_effect.outlet_types = {DataType.TEXT_BUFFER}
         mock_effect.dependencies = {"source"}
         mock_effect.capabilities = {"effect"}
         mock_effect.process = lambda data, ctx: call_order.append("effect") or data
@@ -144,6 +168,11 @@ class TestPipeline:
         mock_display = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_display.name = "display"
         mock_display.category = "display"
+        mock_display.stage_type = "display"
+        mock_display.render_order = 0
+        mock_display.is_overlay = False
+        mock_display.inlet_types = {DataType.TEXT_BUFFER}
+        mock_display.outlet_types = {DataType.NONE}
         mock_display.dependencies = {"effect"}
         mock_display.capabilities = {"display"}
         mock_display.process = lambda data, ctx: call_order.append("display") or data
@@ -165,6 +194,9 @@ class TestPipeline:
         mock_source = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_source.name = "source"
         mock_source.category = "source"
+        mock_source.stage_type = "source"
+        mock_source.render_order = 0
+        mock_source.is_overlay = False
         mock_source.dependencies = set()
         mock_source.capabilities = {"source"}
         mock_source.process = lambda data, ctx: "data"
@@ -172,6 +204,9 @@ class TestPipeline:
         mock_failing = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_failing.name = "failing"
         mock_failing.category = "effect"
+        mock_failing.stage_type = "effect"
+        mock_failing.render_order = 0
+        mock_failing.is_overlay = False
         mock_failing.dependencies = {"source"}
         mock_failing.capabilities = {"effect"}
         mock_failing.optional = False
@@ -195,6 +230,9 @@ class TestPipeline:
         mock_source = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_source.name = "source"
         mock_source.category = "source"
+        mock_source.stage_type = "source"
+        mock_source.render_order = 0
+        mock_source.is_overlay = False
         mock_source.dependencies = set()
         mock_source.capabilities = {"source"}
         mock_source.process = lambda data, ctx: "data"
@@ -202,6 +240,9 @@ class TestPipeline:
         mock_optional = MagicMock(spec=Stage)
         mock_optional.name = "optional"
         mock_optional.category = "effect"
+        mock_optional.stage_type = "effect"
+        mock_optional.render_order = 0
+        mock_optional.is_overlay = False
         mock_optional.dependencies = {"source"}
         mock_optional.capabilities = {"effect"}
         mock_optional.optional = True
@@ -918,3 +959,227 @@ class TestPipelineMetrics:
         # After reset, metrics collection starts fresh
         pipeline.execute("test3")
         assert pipeline.get_metrics_summary()["frame_count"] == 1
+
+
+class TestOverlayStages:
+    """Tests for overlay stage support."""
+
+    def test_stage_is_overlay_property(self):
+        """Stage has is_overlay property defaulting to False."""
+        from engine.pipeline.core import Stage
+
+        class TestStage(Stage):
+            name = "test"
+            category = "effect"
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        stage = TestStage()
+        assert stage.is_overlay is False
+
+    def test_stage_render_order_property(self):
+        """Stage has render_order property defaulting to 0."""
+        from engine.pipeline.core import Stage
+
+        class TestStage(Stage):
+            name = "test"
+            category = "effect"
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        stage = TestStage()
+        assert stage.render_order == 0
+
+    def test_stage_stage_type_property(self):
+        """Stage has stage_type property defaulting to category."""
+        from engine.pipeline.core import Stage
+
+        class TestStage(Stage):
+            name = "test"
+            category = "effect"
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        stage = TestStage()
+        assert stage.stage_type == "effect"
+
+    def test_pipeline_get_overlay_stages(self):
+        """Pipeline.get_overlay_stages returns overlay stages sorted by render_order."""
+        from engine.pipeline.controller import Pipeline
+        from engine.pipeline.core import Stage
+
+        class OverlayStageA(Stage):
+            name = "overlay_a"
+            category = "overlay"
+
+            @property
+            def is_overlay(self):
+                return True
+
+            @property
+            def render_order(self):
+                return 10
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        class OverlayStageB(Stage):
+            name = "overlay_b"
+            category = "overlay"
+
+            @property
+            def is_overlay(self):
+                return True
+
+            @property
+            def render_order(self):
+                return 5
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        class RegularStage(Stage):
+            name = "regular"
+            category = "effect"
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        pipeline = Pipeline()
+        pipeline.add_stage("overlay_a", OverlayStageA())
+        pipeline.add_stage("overlay_b", OverlayStageB())
+        pipeline.add_stage("regular", RegularStage())
+        pipeline.build()
+
+        overlays = pipeline.get_overlay_stages()
+        assert len(overlays) == 2
+        # Should be sorted by render_order
+        assert overlays[0].name == "overlay_b"  # render_order=5
+        assert overlays[1].name == "overlay_a"  # render_order=10
+
+    def test_pipeline_executes_overlays_after_regular(self):
+        """Pipeline executes overlays after regular stages."""
+        from engine.pipeline.controller import Pipeline
+        from engine.pipeline.core import Stage
+
+        call_order = []
+
+        class RegularStage(Stage):
+            name = "regular"
+            category = "effect"
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                call_order.append("regular")
+                return data
+
+        class OverlayStage(Stage):
+            name = "overlay"
+            category = "overlay"
+
+            @property
+            def is_overlay(self):
+                return True
+
+            @property
+            def render_order(self):
+                return 100
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                call_order.append("overlay")
+                return data
+
+        pipeline = Pipeline()
+        pipeline.add_stage("regular", RegularStage())
+        pipeline.add_stage("overlay", OverlayStage())
+        pipeline.build()
+
+        pipeline.execute("data")
+
+        assert call_order == ["regular", "overlay"]
+
+    def test_effect_plugin_stage_hud_is_overlay(self):
+        """EffectPluginStage marks HUD as overlay."""
+        from engine.effects.types import EffectConfig, EffectPlugin
+        from engine.pipeline.adapters import EffectPluginStage
+
+        class HudEffect(EffectPlugin):
+            name = "hud"
+            config = EffectConfig(enabled=True)
+
+            def process(self, buf, ctx):
+                return buf
+
+            def configure(self, config):
+                pass
+
+        stage = EffectPluginStage(HudEffect(), name="hud")
+        assert stage.is_overlay is True
+        assert stage.stage_type == "overlay"
+        assert stage.render_order == 100
+
+    def test_effect_plugin_stage_non_hud_not_overlay(self):
+        """EffectPluginStage marks non-HUD effects as not overlay."""
+        from engine.effects.types import EffectConfig, EffectPlugin
+        from engine.pipeline.adapters import EffectPluginStage
+
+        class FadeEffect(EffectPlugin):
+            name = "fade"
+            config = EffectConfig(enabled=True)
+
+            def process(self, buf, ctx):
+                return buf
+
+            def configure(self, config):
+                pass
+
+        stage = EffectPluginStage(FadeEffect(), name="fade")
+        assert stage.is_overlay is False
+        assert stage.stage_type == "effect"
+        assert stage.render_order == 0
+
+    def test_pipeline_get_stage_type(self):
+        """Pipeline.get_stage_type returns stage_type for a stage."""
+        from engine.pipeline.controller import Pipeline
+        from engine.pipeline.core import Stage
+
+        class TestStage(Stage):
+            name = "test"
+            category = "effect"
+
+            @property
+            def stage_type(self):
+                return "overlay"
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        pipeline = Pipeline()
+        pipeline.add_stage("test", TestStage())
+        pipeline.build()
+
+        assert pipeline.get_stage_type("test") == "overlay"
+
+    def test_pipeline_get_render_order(self):
+        """Pipeline.get_render_order returns render_order for a stage."""
+        from engine.pipeline.controller import Pipeline
+        from engine.pipeline.core import Stage
+
+        class TestStage(Stage):
+            name = "test"
+            category = "effect"
+
+            @property
+            def render_order(self):
+                return 42
+
+            def process(self, data, ctx):
+                return data
+
+        pipeline = Pipeline()
+        pipeline.add_stage("test", TestStage())
+        pipeline.build()
+
+        assert pipeline.get_render_order("test") == 42