diff --git a/src/lib/projects.ts b/src/lib/projects.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71e24a1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/projects.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,38 @@
+export const projects = [
+	{
+		name: 'vash esports',
+		subtitle: 'the best way to play osu!',
+		href: 'https://esports.vash.software',
+		external: true
+	},
+	{
+		name: 'catchemall',
+		subtitle: 'catch 1025 pokemon across 53 games',
+		href: '/projects/catch-em-all',
+		external: false
+	},
+	{
+		name: 'animaldex',
+		subtitle: 'add neighborhood pets to the world map',
+		href: '/projects/animaldex',
+		external: false
+	},
+	{
+		name: 'osu! map finder',
+		subtitle: 'find osu! maps for Spotify songs/albums/playlists',
+		href: '/projects/spotify-beatmap-finder',
+		external: false
+	},
+	{
+		name: 'derby lens',
+		subtitle: 'estimate odds for horse betting',
+		href: '/projects/derby',
+		external: false
+	},
+	{
+		name: 'money tracker',
+		subtitle: 'a manual ledger for accounts, bills and utilities',
+		href: '/projects/money-tracker',
+		external: false
+	}
+] as const;
diff --git a/src/routes/+layout.svelte b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
index a7e5867..666e961 100755
--- a/src/routes/+layout.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+layout.svelte
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 	import { page } from '$app/state';
 	import { getSeo } from '$lib/seo';
 	import CopyButton from '$lib/components/CopyButton.svelte';
+	import { projects } from '$lib/projects';
+	import ChevronDown from 'lucide-svelte/icons/chevron-down';
 	import ExternalLink from 'lucide-svelte/icons/external-link';
 	import SiOsu from '~icons/simple-icons/osu';
 	import SiSteam from '~icons/simple-icons/steam';
@@ -171,13 +173,73 @@
 			</a>
 			<nav class="ml-auto hidden items-center gap-6 text-base md:flex" aria-label="Main navigation">
 				{#each navigation as item (item.href)}
-					<a
-						href={resolve(item.href)}
-						aria-current={current(item.href) ? 'page' : undefined}
-						class={current(item.href)
-							? 'text-[var(--site-text)]'
-							: 'text-[var(--site-muted)] hover:text-[var(--site-text)]'}>{item.label}</a
-					>
+					{#if item.href === '/projects'}
+						<div class="group relative">
+							<a
+								href={resolve(item.href)}
+								aria-current={current(item.href) ? 'page' : undefined}
+								aria-haspopup="true"
+								class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 {current(item.href)
+									? 'text-[var(--site-text)]'
+									: 'text-[var(--site-muted)] hover:text-[var(--site-text)]'}"
+								>{item.label}
+								<ChevronDown
+									size={14}
+									aria-hidden="true"
+									class="transition-transform group-focus-within:rotate-180 group-hover:rotate-180"
+								/></a
+							>
+							<div
+								class="invisible absolute top-full left-1/2 z-50 -translate-x-1/2 pt-3 opacity-0 transition-opacity group-focus-within:visible group-focus-within:opacity-100 group-hover:visible group-hover:opacity-100"
+							>
+								<ul
+									class="w-72 rounded-md border border-[var(--site-border)] bg-[var(--site-bg)] py-2 shadow-lg"
+								>
+									{#each projects as project (project.name)}
+										<li>
+											{#if project.external}
+												<a
+													href={project.href}
+													rel="external"
+													class="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 px-4 py-2 hover:bg-[var(--site-surface)] focus-visible:bg-[var(--site-surface)]"
+												>
+													<span class="min-w-0">
+														<span class="block text-[var(--site-text)]">{project.name}</span>
+														<span class="block truncate text-sm text-[var(--site-muted)]"
+															>{project.subtitle}</span
+														>
+													</span><ExternalLink
+														size={14}
+														aria-hidden="true"
+														class="shrink-0 text-[var(--site-muted)]"
+													/>
+												</a>
+											{:else}
+												<a
+													href={resolve(project.href)}
+													aria-current={current(project.href) ? 'page' : undefined}
+													class="block px-4 py-2 hover:bg-[var(--site-surface)] focus-visible:bg-[var(--site-surface)]"
+												>
+													<span class="block text-[var(--site-text)]">{project.name}</span>
+													<span class="block truncate text-sm text-[var(--site-muted)]"
+														>{project.subtitle}</span
+													>
+												</a>
+											{/if}
+										</li>
+									{/each}
+								</ul>
+							</div>
+						</div>
+					{:else}
+						<a
+							href={resolve(item.href)}
+							aria-current={current(item.href) ? 'page' : undefined}
+							class={current(item.href)
+								? 'text-[var(--site-text)]'
+								: 'text-[var(--site-muted)] hover:text-[var(--site-text)]'}>{item.label}</a
+						>
+					{/if}
 				{/each}
 			</nav>
 			<div class="ml-auto hidden items-center gap-5 text-base md:ml-4 md:flex">
@@ -222,6 +284,29 @@
 						<a href={resolve(item.href)} onclick={() => (menuOpen = false)} class="w-full py-2"
 							>{item.label}</a
 						>
+						{#if item.href === '/projects'}
+							<ul class="mb-2 flex w-full flex-col text-[var(--site-muted)]">
+								{#each projects as project (project.name)}
+									<li>
+										{#if project.external}
+											<a
+												href={project.href}
+												rel="external"
+												onclick={() => (menuOpen = false)}
+												class="inline-flex items-center gap-1 py-1.5 hover:text-[var(--site-text)]"
+												>{project.name} <ExternalLink size={12} aria-hidden="true" /></a
+											>
+										{:else}
+											<a
+												href={resolve(project.href)}
+												onclick={() => (menuOpen = false)}
+												class="block py-1.5 hover:text-[var(--site-text)]">{project.name}</a
+											>
+										{/if}
+									</li>
+								{/each}
+							</ul>
+						{/if}
 					{/each}
 					<div
 						class="mt-3 flex w-full items-center justify-center gap-5 border-t border-[var(--site-border)] pt-4"
diff --git a/src/routes/+page.svelte b/src/routes/+page.svelte
index f3b5bb8..724efcb 100755
--- a/src/routes/+page.svelte
+++ b/src/routes/+page.svelte
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 	import { resolve } from '$app/paths';
 	import portrait from '$lib/assets/stan.jpg?url';
 	import ProgressBar from '$lib/components/ProgressBar.svelte';
+	import { projects } from '$lib/projects';
 	import ArrowRight from 'lucide-svelte/icons/arrow-right';
 	import ExternalLink from 'lucide-svelte/icons/external-link';
 	import Mail from 'lucide-svelte/icons/mail';
@@ -9,38 +10,6 @@
 
 	let { data }: PageProps = $props();
 
-	const projects = [
-		{
-			name: 'vash esports',
-			subtitle: 'the best way to play osu!',
-			href: 'https://esports.vash.software',
-			external: true
-		},
-		{
-			name: 'catchemall',
-			subtitle: 'catch 1025 pokemon across 53 games',
-			href: '/projects/catch-em-all',
-			external: false
-		},
-		{
-			name: 'animaldex',
-			subtitle: 'add neighborhood pets to the world map',
-			href: '/projects/animaldex',
-			external: false
-		},
-		{
-			name: 'osu! map finder',
-			subtitle: 'find osu! maps for Spotify songs/albums/playlists',
-			href: '/projects/spotify-beatmap-finder',
-			external: false
-		},
-		{
-			name: 'derby lens',
-			subtitle: 'estimate odds for horse betting',
-			href: '/projects/derby',
-			external: false
-		}
-	] as const;
 	const experience = [
 		{ when: '2026–now', role: 'associate software engineer', place: 'Cargill' },
 		{