diff --git a/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.module.scss b/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.module.scss
index 21c160d..382feae 100644
--- a/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.module.scss
+++ b/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.module.scss
@@ -55,6 +55,28 @@
   font-size: 0.85rem;
 }
 
+.simulateButton {
+  margin: 0 0 $space-4;
+  padding: $space-1 $space-3;
+  border: 1px dashed $color-text-muted;
+  border-radius: $radius;
+  background: none;
+  color: $color-text-muted;
+  font-size: 0.85rem;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition: border-color 0.15s ease, color 0.15s ease;
+
+  &:hover:not(:disabled) {
+    border-color: $color-primary;
+    color: $color-primary;
+  }
+
+  &:disabled {
+    opacity: 0.6;
+    cursor: not-allowed;
+  }
+}
+
 .error {
   color: $color-danger;
 }
@@ -130,8 +152,7 @@
   z-index: 1;
 }
 
-.stepMarker::after {
-  content: '';
+.stepConnector {
   position: absolute;
   top: 15px;
   bottom: -$space-3;
@@ -139,9 +160,17 @@
   width: 2px;
   background: $color-border;
   transform: translateX(-50%);
+  overflow: hidden;
 }
 
-.step:last-child .stepMarker::after {
+.stepConnectorFill {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0;
+  background: $color-success;
+  transform-origin: top;
+}
+
+.step:last-child .stepConnector {
   display: none;
 }
 
@@ -158,12 +187,8 @@
 
 .step[data-status='done'] {
   .stepDot {
-    border-color: $color-primary;
-    background: $color-primary;
-  }
-
-  .stepMarker::after {
-    background: $color-primary;
+    border-color: $color-success;
+    background: $color-success;
   }
 
   .stepLabel {
diff --git a/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.tsx b/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.tsx
index 2addf9d..806d2eb 100644
--- a/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/orders/OrderStatusView.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,27 @@
 import { Link, useRouter } from '@tanstack/react-router'
+import { motion, useReducedMotion } from 'framer-motion'
 import { useState } from 'react'
 
 import type { OrderStatus } from '#/db/schema.ts'
 import type { OrderItemStatusView } from '#/domain/ordering.ts'
 import { formatEtaMessage } from '#/lib/format.ts'
-import { cancelOrderItem, markOrderItemPickedUp } from '#/server/orders.ts'
+import {
+  advanceOrderItemStep,
+  cancelOrderItem,
+  getOrderStatus,
+  markOrderItemPickedUp,
+} from '#/server/orders.ts'
 
 import styles from './OrderStatusView.module.scss'
 
+const sleep = (ms: number) => new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, ms))
+
+// Compresses a step's real-world estimated duration into something worth
+// watching in a dev session, while keeping slower steps visibly slower than
+// quick ones rather than flattening every step to the same delay.
+const simulatedStepDelayMs = (estimatedDurationSeconds: number) =>
+  Math.min(Math.max(estimatedDurationSeconds * 50, 10_000), 30_000)
+
 const cancelBlockedReason = (item: OrderItemStatusView) => {
   if (item.cancellable || item.status === 'cancelled' || item.status === 'picked_up') {
     return null
@@ -51,6 +65,20 @@ const InfoIcon = () => (
   </svg>
 )
 
+const StepConnector = ({ filled }: { filled: boolean }) => {
+  const reduceMotion = useReducedMotion()
+  return (
+    <span className={styles.stepConnector}>
+      <motion.span
+        className={styles.stepConnectorFill}
+        initial={false}
+        animate={{ scaleY: filled ? 1 : 0 }}
+        transition={reduceMotion ? { duration: 0 } : { duration: 0.6, ease: 'easeInOut' }}
+      />
+    </span>
+  )
+}
+
 export type OrderStatusResult = {
   id: number
   status: OrderStatus
@@ -72,6 +100,7 @@ export const OrderStatusView = ({
   const router = useRouter()
   const [pendingItemId, setPendingItemId] = useState<number | null>(null)
   const [error, setError] = useState<string | null>(null)
+  const [simulating, setSimulating] = useState(false)
 
   const runAction = async (orderItemId: number, action: () => Promise<void>) => {
     setPendingItemId(orderItemId)
@@ -86,6 +115,61 @@ export const OrderStatusView = ({
     }
   }
 
+  // Plays the part of a Machine actually working each Preparation Step, one
+  // item at a time, so the timeline advances the same way it would from real
+  // hardware — just compressed in time. Polls fresh status itself rather than
+  // trusting the `status` prop, since several items advance concurrently and
+  // each one's steps move independently of the others.
+  const simulateOrderItem = async (orderItemId: number) => {
+    for (;;) {
+      const fresh = await getOrderStatus({
+        data: { orderId: status.id, guestAccessToken },
+      })
+      const item = fresh.items.find((row) => row.id === orderItemId)
+      if (
+        !item ||
+        item.status === 'ready' ||
+        item.status === 'picked_up' ||
+        item.status === 'cancelled'
+      ) {
+        return
+      }
+
+      const currentStep = item.steps.find((step) => step.status !== 'done')
+      if (!currentStep) return
+
+      if (currentStep.status !== 'in_progress') {
+        // Queued behind another item on the same Machine Tag — wait for it
+        // to be assigned rather than failing the whole simulation.
+        await sleep(400)
+        continue
+      }
+
+      await sleep(simulatedStepDelayMs(currentStep.estimatedDurationSeconds))
+      await advanceOrderItemStep({ data: { orderItemId } })
+      await router.invalidate()
+    }
+  }
+
+  const runKitchenSimulation = async () => {
+    setSimulating(true)
+    setError(null)
+    try {
+      const itemIds = status.items
+        .filter((item) => item.status === 'placed' || item.status === 'paid')
+        .map((item) => item.id)
+      await Promise.all(itemIds.map((orderItemId) => simulateOrderItem(orderItemId)))
+    } catch (err) {
+      setError(err instanceof Error ? err.message : 'Something went wrong.')
+    } finally {
+      setSimulating(false)
+    }
+  }
+
+  const hasItemsToSimulate = status.items.some(
+    (item) => item.status === 'placed' || item.status === 'paid',
+  )
+
   return (
     <section className={styles.page}>
       <Link
@@ -112,6 +196,16 @@ export const OrderStatusView = ({
           })}
         </p>
       </div>
+      {import.meta.env.DEV && hasItemsToSimulate && (
+        <button
+          type="button"
+          className={styles.simulateButton}
+          disabled={simulating}
+          onClick={() => void runKitchenSimulation()}
+        >
+          {simulating ? 'Simulating kitchen…' : 'Simulate kitchen (dev)'}
+        </button>
+      )}
       {error && <p className={styles.error}>{error}</p>}
       <ul className={styles.items}>
         {status.items.map((item) => {
@@ -137,6 +231,7 @@ export const OrderStatusView = ({
                   >
                     <span className={styles.stepMarker} aria-hidden="true">
                       <span className={styles.stepDot} />
+                      <StepConnector filled={step.status === 'done'} />
                     </span>
                     <span className={styles.stepContent}>
                       <span className={styles.stepLabel}>{step.name}</span>