diff --git a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go
index 2ae255d..5cdbbee 100644
--- a/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go
+++ b/cmd/grounds/commands/cluster/up.go
@@ -10,16 +10,29 @@ import (
 )
 
 func newUp() *cobra.Command {
-	return &cobra.Command{
-		Use:   "up",
-		Short: "Resume the paused workspace",
+	var profile string
+	cmd := &cobra.Command{
+		Use:   "up [--profile=minigame|platform]",
+		Short: "Spawn or resume the workspace",
+		Long: `Create the workspace if it doesn't exist, or resume it from a paused state.
+
+Profiles:
+  minigame  — namespace-scoped sandbox (default). Cheap, fast, isolated by RBAC.
+  platform  — full per-developer vCluster with the Grounds platform chart
+              installed inside. Heavier (one-time ~90s spawn) but lets you
+              run platform plugins / agones / mc-router locally.
+
+Profile is locked once a workspace exists. To switch, ` + "`grounds cluster delete`" + ` and re-up.`,
 		RunE: func(cmd *cobra.Command, _ []string) error {
+			if profile != "" && profile != "minigame" && profile != "platform" {
+				return fmt.Errorf("invalid --profile %q: must be \"minigame\" or \"platform\"", profile)
+			}
 			ctx := context.Background()
 			c, _, err := buildClient(ctx, cmd)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
-			s, err := c.ClusterUp(ctx)
+			s, err := c.ClusterUp(ctx, profile)
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
@@ -28,4 +41,6 @@ func newUp() *cobra.Command {
 			return nil
 		},
 	}
+	cmd.Flags().StringVar(&profile, "profile", "", "workspace profile: minigame (default) or platform (vCluster)")
+	return cmd
 }
diff --git a/internal/api/cluster.go b/internal/api/cluster.go
index d0e989b..f14960c 100644
--- a/internal/api/cluster.go
+++ b/internal/api/cluster.go
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"net/http"
+	"net/url"
 	"time"
 )
 
@@ -32,9 +33,17 @@ func (c *Client) GetCluster(ctx context.Context) (*ClusterStatus, error) {
 	return out, nil
 }
 
-func (c *Client) ClusterUp(ctx context.Context) (*ClusterStatus, error) {
+// ClusterUp spawns or resumes the workspace. `profile` may be empty
+// (forge picks the default), "minigame", or "platform". Forge enforces
+// the immutable-profile rule: switching profiles on an existing
+// workspace requires `grounds cluster delete` first.
+func (c *Client) ClusterUp(ctx context.Context, profile string) (*ClusterStatus, error) {
+	path := "/v1/cluster/up"
+	if profile != "" {
+		path += "?profile=" + url.QueryEscape(profile)
+	}
 	out := &ClusterStatus{}
-	if err := c.doRequest(ctx, http.MethodPost, "/v1/cluster/up", nil, out); err != nil {
+	if err := c.doRequest(ctx, http.MethodPost, path, nil, out); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 	return out, nil