diff --git a/src/app/components/TauriDesktopFeatures.tsx b/src/app/components/TauriDesktopFeatures.tsx
index 328053ed7..a31966803 100644
--- a/src/app/components/TauriDesktopFeatures.tsx
+++ b/src/app/components/TauriDesktopFeatures.tsx
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { useTauriNetwork } from '../hooks/useTauriNetwork';
 import { useTauriToastActions } from '../hooks/useTauriToastActions';
 import { useTauriFocusAssist } from '../hooks/useTauriFocusAssist';
 import { useTauriDnd } from '../hooks/useTauriDnd';
+import { useTauriOverlay } from '../hooks/useTauriOverlay';
 
 /**
  * Mounts the client-scoped native desktop feature hooks (call/room aware). Each
@@ -25,5 +26,6 @@ export function TauriDesktopFeatures(): null {
   useTauriToastActions(); // P5-41/35 rich toast click → open room, quick reply → send
   useTauriFocusAssist(); // P5-56 Windows Focus Assist → DND suppression atom
   useTauriDnd(); // P6-1 tray "Do Not Disturb" → notification suppression atom
+  useTauriOverlay(); // cinny-desktop #25 in-game voice overlay
   return null;
 }
diff --git a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
index 5c55984d0..1767dc246 100644
--- a/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
+++ b/src/app/features/settings/general/General.tsx
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ import { playCallJoinSound } from '../../../utils/callSounds';
 import { previewRingtone, RINGTONE_OPTIONS } from '../../../utils/ringtones';
 import { DenoiseTester } from './DenoiseTester';
 import { SettingsSelect } from '../../../components/settings-select/SettingsSelect';
+import type { OverlayCorner } from '../../../utils/callOverlay';
 import { isBindableCallKey } from '../../../utils/callKeybind';
 import { StorageUsage } from './StorageUsage';
 import { hapticsSupported } from '../../../utils/haptics';
@@ -1894,6 +1895,8 @@ export function Calls() {
   const [deafenKey, setDeafenKey] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'deafenKey');
   const [deafenHotkey, setDeafenHotkey] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'deafenHotkey');
   const [globalCallHotkeys, setGlobalCallHotkeys] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'globalCallHotkeys');
+  const [callOverlay, setCallOverlay] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'callOverlay');
+  const [callOverlayCorner, setCallOverlayCorner] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'callOverlayCorner');
   const [afkAutoMute, setAfkAutoMute] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'afkAutoMute');
   const [mutedTalkWarning, setMutedTalkWarning] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'mutedTalkWarning');
   const [afkTimeoutMinutes, setAfkTimeoutMinutes] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'afkTimeoutMinutes');
@@ -2345,6 +2348,31 @@ export function Calls() {
               }
             />
           )}
+          {isTauriEnv() && (
+            <SettingTile
+              title="In-game overlay (beta)"
+              description="While you're in a call and another app or game is in front, show a small list of who's in the call and who's talking, plus your own mute, deafen and push-to-talk state. It never takes focus and clicks pass through it. Uses no game hooks. Windows only; games in exclusive fullscreen draw over it, so use borderless or windowed mode."
+              after={<Switch variant="Primary" value={callOverlay} onChange={setCallOverlay} />}
+            />
+          )}
+          {isTauriEnv() && callOverlay && (
+            <SettingTile
+              title="Overlay position"
+              description="Which corner of the screen the overlay sits in."
+              after={
+                <SettingsSelect<OverlayCorner>
+                  value={callOverlayCorner}
+                  onChange={setCallOverlayCorner}
+                  options={[
+                    { value: 'top-left', label: 'Top left' },
+                    { value: 'top-right', label: 'Top right' },
+                    { value: 'bottom-left', label: 'Bottom left' },
+                    { value: 'bottom-right', label: 'Bottom right' },
+                  ]}
+                />
+              }
+            />
+          )}
           {hapticsSupported() && (
             <SettingTile
               title="Haptic feedback"
diff --git a/src/app/hooks/useTauriOverlay.ts b/src/app/hooks/useTauriOverlay.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..06cf756ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/hooks/useTauriOverlay.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,101 @@
+import { useEffect, useMemo, useRef, useState } from 'react';
+import { useAtomValue } from 'jotai';
+import { callEmbedAtom } from '../state/callEmbed';
+import { useCallControlState } from '../plugins/call';
+import type { LotusCallParticipant } from '../plugins/call/CallEmbed';
+import { useSetting } from '../state/hooks/settings';
+import { settingsAtom } from '../state/settings';
+import { useMatrixClient } from './useMatrixClient';
+import { useCallJoined } from './useCallEmbed';
+import { invokeTauri, isTauri } from './useTauri';
+import { getMemberName } from '../utils/room';
+import {
+  buildOverlaySnapshot,
+  inactiveOverlay,
+  OverlaySnapshot,
+  overlaySnapshotKey,
+} from '../utils/callOverlay';
+
+/** At most this often (ms) while speaking flips; the last state always lands. */
+const SEND_INTERVAL_MS = 100;
+
+/**
+ * [cinny-desktop #25] Feeds the desktop app's in-game voice overlay: while a
+ * call is joined and Settings → Calls → In-game overlay is on, sends who's in
+ * the call, who's speaking and your own mute / deafen / PTT state to the native
+ * `set_overlay_state` command. The desktop decides when to show it (Lotus not
+ * focused). No-op in the browser.
+ */
+export function useTauriOverlay(): void {
+  const mx = useMatrixClient();
+  const callEmbed = useAtomValue(callEmbedAtom);
+  const joined = useCallJoined(callEmbed);
+  const { microphone, sound } = useCallControlState(callEmbed?.control);
+  const [enabled] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'callOverlay');
+  const [corner] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'callOverlayCorner');
+  const [pttMode] = useSetting(settingsAtom, 'pttMode');
+
+  // Live per-participant state from the fork's io.lotus.call_state, only
+  // tracked while the overlay could show.
+  const [participants, setParticipants] = useState<readonly LotusCallParticipant[]>([]);
+  const tracking = isTauri() && enabled && joined && callEmbed !== undefined;
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!tracking || !callEmbed) {
+      setParticipants([]);
+      return undefined;
+    }
+    const sync = (): void => setParticipants(callEmbed.getLotusParticipants() ?? []);
+    sync();
+    return callEmbed.onLotusCallState(sync);
+  }, [tracking, callEmbed]);
+
+  const snapshot: OverlaySnapshot = useMemo(() => {
+    if (!tracking || !callEmbed) return inactiveOverlay(corner);
+    const { room } = callEmbed;
+    return buildOverlaySnapshot({
+      enabled,
+      joined,
+      corner,
+      myUserId: mx.getUserId(),
+      participants,
+      nameOf: (userId) => getMemberName(room, userId),
+      muted: !microphone,
+      deafened: !sound,
+      pttMode,
+    });
+  }, [tracking, callEmbed, enabled, joined, corner, mx, participants, microphone, sound, pttMode]);
+
+  // Coalesced send: skip unchanged snapshots, send at most every
+  // SEND_INTERVAL_MS, and always deliver the latest one.
+  const key = overlaySnapshotKey(snapshot);
+  const latest = useRef(snapshot);
+  latest.current = snapshot;
+  const sentKey = useRef<string | null>(null);
+  const lastSentAt = useRef(0);
+  const timer = useRef<ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined>(undefined);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!isTauri() || key === sentKey.current) return;
+    const send = (): void => {
+      timer.current = undefined;
+      const s = latest.current;
+      sentKey.current = overlaySnapshotKey(s);
+      lastSentAt.current = Date.now();
+      invokeTauri('set_overlay_state', { state: s });
+    };
+    if (timer.current !== undefined) return;
+    const wait = SEND_INTERVAL_MS - (Date.now() - lastSentAt.current);
+    if (wait <= 0) send();
+    else timer.current = setTimeout(send, wait);
+  }, [key]);
+
+  // Hide the overlay when this unmounts (logout, client teardown).
+  useEffect(
+    () => () => {
+      if (timer.current !== undefined) clearTimeout(timer.current);
+      if (isTauri()) {
+        invokeTauri('set_overlay_state', { state: inactiveOverlay(latest.current.corner) });
+      }
+    },
+    [],
+  );
+}
diff --git a/src/app/state/settings.ts b/src/app/state/settings.ts
index b512d5725..944b657ef 100644
--- a/src/app/state/settings.ts
+++ b/src/app/state/settings.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import { atom } from 'jotai';
 import { isSupportedTargetLang } from '../utils/translation/langUtils';
+import type { OverlayCorner } from '../utils/callOverlay';
 
 const STORAGE_KEY = 'settings';
 export type DateFormat =
@@ -287,6 +288,12 @@ export interface Settings {
   // (a game) has focus, via a non-consuming key poll. Device-local.
   globalCallHotkeys: boolean;
 
+  // [cinny-desktop #25] Desktop (Windows) only: the in-game voice overlay, a
+  // small always-on-top list of who's in the call and who's talking, shown
+  // while Lotus isn't focused. Off by default while in beta. Device-local.
+  callOverlay: boolean;
+  callOverlayCorner: OverlayCorner;
+
   pauseAnimations: boolean;
 
   composerToolbarButtons: ComposerToolbarSettings;
@@ -413,6 +420,9 @@ const defaultSettings: Settings = {
 
   globalCallHotkeys: true,
 
+  callOverlay: false,
+  callOverlayCorner: 'top-left',
+
   pauseAnimations: false,
 
   composerToolbarButtons: DEFAULT_COMPOSER_TOOLBAR,
diff --git a/src/app/utils/callOverlay.test.ts b/src/app/utils/callOverlay.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..912d97668
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/utils/callOverlay.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,124 @@
+import { test } from 'node:test';
+import assert from 'node:assert/strict';
+import { buildOverlaySnapshot, inactiveOverlay, OverlayInput } from './callOverlay';
+
+const names: Record<string, string> = { '@me:x': 'Me', '@a:x': 'Alice', '@b:x': 'Bob' };
+
+const base = (over: Partial<OverlayInput> = {}): OverlayInput => ({
+  enabled: true,
+  joined: true,
+  corner: 'top-left',
+  myUserId: '@me:x',
+  participants: [
+    { userId: '@me:x', speaking: false, audioEnabled: true },
+    { userId: '@a:x', speaking: true, audioEnabled: true },
+    { userId: '@b:x', speaking: false, audioEnabled: false },
+  ],
+  nameOf: (id) => names[id] ?? id,
+  muted: false,
+  deafened: false,
+  pttMode: false,
+  ...over,
+});
+
+test('inactive when the setting is off or there is no joined call', () => {
+  assert.deepEqual(buildOverlaySnapshot(base({ enabled: false })), inactiveOverlay('top-left'));
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    buildOverlaySnapshot(base({ joined: false, corner: 'bottom-right' })),
+    inactiveOverlay('bottom-right'),
+  );
+});
+
+test('everyone is listed, you first, speakers and muted people marked', () => {
+  const s = buildOverlaySnapshot(base());
+  assert.equal(s.active, true);
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    s.people.map((p) => [p.name, p.speaking, p.muted, p.isSelf]),
+    [
+      ['Me', false, false, true],
+      ['Alice', true, false, false],
+      ['Bob', false, true, false],
+    ],
+  );
+});
+
+test('you are listed first even when the fork reports you later', () => {
+  const s = buildOverlaySnapshot(
+    base({
+      participants: [
+        { userId: '@a:x', speaking: false, audioEnabled: true },
+        { userId: '@me:x', speaking: true, audioEnabled: true },
+      ],
+    }),
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    s.people.map((p) => p.userId),
+    ['@me:x', '@a:x'],
+  );
+  assert.equal(s.people[0].speaking, true);
+});
+
+test('several devices of one person become one row', () => {
+  const s = buildOverlaySnapshot(
+    base({
+      participants: [
+        { userId: '@a:x', speaking: false, audioEnabled: false },
+        { userId: '@a:x', speaking: true, audioEnabled: true },
+        { userId: '@b:x', speaking: false, audioEnabled: false },
+        { userId: '@b:x', speaking: false, audioEnabled: false },
+      ],
+    }),
+  );
+  const alice = s.people.find((p) => p.userId === '@a:x');
+  const bob = s.people.find((p) => p.userId === '@b:x');
+  assert.equal(s.people.filter((p) => p.userId === '@a:x').length, 1);
+  assert.deepEqual([alice?.speaking, alice?.muted], [true, false]);
+  assert.deepEqual([bob?.speaking, bob?.muted], [false, true]);
+});
+
+test('your own mute and deafen state', () => {
+  const muted = buildOverlaySnapshot(base({ muted: true }));
+  assert.equal(muted.muted, true);
+  assert.equal(muted.people[0].muted, true);
+
+  const deaf = buildOverlaySnapshot(
+    base({
+      deafened: true,
+      participants: [{ userId: '@me:x', speaking: true, audioEnabled: true }],
+    }),
+  );
+  assert.equal(deaf.deafened, true);
+  assert.equal(deaf.people[0].muted, true);
+  assert.equal(deaf.people[0].speaking, false);
+});
+
+test('push-to-talk: not shown as muted while the key is up', () => {
+  const s = buildOverlaySnapshot(base({ pttMode: true, muted: true }));
+  assert.equal(s.ptt, true);
+  assert.equal(s.muted, false);
+  assert.equal(s.people[0].muted, false);
+});
+
+test('you are still listed before the fork reports you', () => {
+  const s = buildOverlaySnapshot(base({ participants: [] }));
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    s.people.map((p) => [p.name, p.isSelf]),
+    [['Me', true]],
+  );
+});
+
+test('non-user ids from the fork are ignored', () => {
+  const s = buildOverlaySnapshot(
+    base({
+      myUserId: null,
+      participants: [
+        { userId: 'screen:1', speaking: true, audioEnabled: true },
+        { userId: '@a:x', speaking: false, audioEnabled: true },
+      ],
+    }),
+  );
+  assert.deepEqual(
+    s.people.map((p) => p.userId),
+    ['@a:x'],
+  );
+});
diff --git a/src/app/utils/callOverlay.ts b/src/app/utils/callOverlay.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6ed5e047a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/app/utils/callOverlay.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+/**
+ * [cinny-desktop #25] In-game voice overlay: the call snapshot the desktop app
+ * draws in its always-on-top overlay window. Pure, so it can be tested without
+ * a call; `useTauriOverlay` feeds it live state and sends the result to the
+ * native `set_overlay_state` command.
+ */
+
+export type OverlayCorner = 'top-left' | 'top-right' | 'bottom-left' | 'bottom-right';
+
+export const OVERLAY_CORNERS: readonly OverlayCorner[] = [
+  'top-left',
+  'top-right',
+  'bottom-left',
+  'bottom-right',
+];
+
+export type OverlayPerson = {
+  userId: string;
+  name: string;
+  speaking: boolean;
+  muted: boolean;
+  isSelf: boolean;
+};
+
+/** Mirrors `OverlayState` in cinny-desktop `src-tauri/src/native/overlay.rs`. */
+export type OverlaySnapshot = {
+  active: boolean;
+  corner: OverlayCorner;
+  muted: boolean;
+  deafened: boolean;
+  ptt: boolean;
+  people: OverlayPerson[];
+};
+
+/** The subset of an `io.lotus.call_state` participant the overlay needs. */
+export type OverlayParticipant = {
+  userId: string;
+  speaking: boolean;
+  audioEnabled: boolean;
+};
+
+export type OverlayInput = {
+  /** Settings → Calls → In-game overlay. */
+  enabled: boolean;
+  /** In a joined call. */
+  joined: boolean;
+  corner: OverlayCorner;
+  myUserId: string | null;
+  /** Per device, in the fork's order (stable while people stay). */
+  participants: readonly OverlayParticipant[];
+  nameOf: (userId: string) => string;
+  /** Own mic is off (`microphone === false`). */
+  muted: boolean;
+  /** Own call audio is off (`sound === false`). */
+  deafened: boolean;
+  pttMode: boolean;
+};
+
+export const inactiveOverlay = (corner: OverlayCorner): OverlaySnapshot => ({
+  active: false,
+  corner,
+  muted: false,
+  deafened: false,
+  ptt: false,
+  people: [],
+});
+
+/**
+ * Build the snapshot: everyone in the call (you first, then everyone else in
+ * call order), one row per person even with several devices (speaking if any
+ * device is, muted only if every device is), and your own mute / deafen / PTT
+ * state for the header.
+ *
+ * In push-to-talk mode the mic is "off" whenever the key isn't held, so you
+ * are not shown as Muted then: the header says PTT, and your row lights up
+ * while you transmit.
+ */
+export function buildOverlaySnapshot(input: OverlayInput): OverlaySnapshot {
+  const { corner } = input;
+  if (!input.enabled || !input.joined) return inactiveOverlay(corner);
+
+  const byUser = new Map<string, { speaking: boolean; muted: boolean }>();
+  input.participants.forEach((p) => {
+    if (!p.userId.startsWith('@')) return;
+    const prev = byUser.get(p.userId);
+    byUser.set(p.userId, {
+      speaking: (prev?.speaking ?? false) || p.speaking,
+      muted: (prev?.muted ?? true) && !p.audioEnabled,
+    });
+  });
+
+  const selfMuted = input.pttMode ? false : input.muted;
+  const people: OverlayPerson[] = [];
+  const me = input.myUserId;
+  if (me) {
+    const mine = byUser.get(me);
+    people.push({
+      userId: me,
+      name: input.nameOf(me),
+      speaking: (mine?.speaking ?? false) && !selfMuted && !input.deafened,
+      muted: selfMuted || input.deafened,
+      isSelf: true,
+    });
+  }
+  byUser.forEach((state, userId) => {
+    if (userId === me) return;
+    people.push({ userId, name: input.nameOf(userId), ...state, isSelf: false });
+  });
+
+  return {
+    active: true,
+    corner,
+    muted: selfMuted,
+    deafened: input.deafened,
+    ptt: input.pttMode,
+    people,
+  };
+}
+
+/** Key for skipping sends when nothing visible changed. */
+export const overlaySnapshotKey = (s: OverlaySnapshot): string => JSON.stringify(s);
diff --git a/src/app/utils/settingsSync.ts b/src/app/utils/settingsSync.ts
index 205b24887..6a703d1fd 100644
--- a/src/app/utils/settingsSync.ts
+++ b/src/app/utils/settingsSync.ts
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@ export type SyncedSettingsContent = {
 export const DEVICE_LOCAL_KEYS: ReadonlySet<keyof Settings> = new Set<keyof Settings>([
   'settingsSync',
   'globalCallHotkeys',
+  'callOverlay',
+  'callOverlayCorner',
   'pageZoom',
   'mediaAutoLoad',
   'pauseAnimations',