diff --git a/.includes/bottle.sh b/.includes/bottle.sh
index c57a171..7482036 100644
--- a/.includes/bottle.sh
+++ b/.includes/bottle.sh
@@ -69,6 +69,77 @@ winetricks() {
     fi
 }
 
+install_winespeak() {
+    local installerName="winespeak.exe"
+    local installerPath="${cache}/${installerName}"
+    local installerSha256="187d4db69f3af7c1bca1c100a04489b76732048be7c38449781da360ed7b2d66"
+    local wrapperPath="${WINEPREFIX}/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/espeak-ng-sapi/EspeakSAPI.dll"
+    local wrapperSha256="8009750dad82ca6665871814033dcee6844bb424f033130c109f47e188c5364b"
+    local cscriptPath="${WINEPREFIX}/drive_c/windows/syswow64/cscript.exe"
+    local verifyScriptPath="${WINEPREFIX}/drive_c/windows/temp/verify_winespeak.vbs"
+    local actualSha256
+    local registryOutput
+    local voiceOutput
+    local defaultToken='HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\TokenEnums\eSpeak-NG\English (America)'
+
+    if [[ -z "${wineSpeakInstaller:-}" ]]; then
+        echo "WineSpeak download URL is not configured."
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    download "$wineSpeakInstaller"
+    actualSha256="$(sha256sum "$installerPath" | awk '{print $1}')"
+    if [[ "$actualSha256" != "$installerSha256" ]]; then
+        echo "WineSpeak installer failed its SHA-256 check."
+        rm -f "$installerPath"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    if ! wine "$installerPath" /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-; then
+        echo "WineSpeak installer failed."
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    if [[ ! -f "$wrapperPath" ]]; then
+        echo "WineSpeak did not install its 32-bit SAPI wrapper."
+        return 1
+    fi
+    actualSha256="$(sha256sum "$wrapperPath" | awk '{print $1}')"
+    if [[ "$actualSha256" != "$wrapperSha256" ]]; then
+        echo "WineSpeak installed an unexpected 32-bit SAPI wrapper."
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    registryOutput="$(wine reg query 'HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Speech\Voices' /v DefaultTokenId 2>/dev/null)"
+    if ! grep -Fq "$defaultToken" <<< "$registryOutput"; then
+        echo "WineSpeak did not become the default SAPI voice."
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    if [[ ! -f "$cscriptPath" ]]; then
+        echo "Wine's 32-bit cscript.exe was not found."
+        return 1
+    fi
+    mkdir -p "${verifyScriptPath%/*}"
+    cat > "$verifyScriptPath" <<'EOF'
+dim speechobject
+set speechobject=createobject("sapi.spvoice")
+wscript.echo speechobject.voice.getdescription
+EOF
+    if ! voiceOutput="$(wine "$cscriptPath" //nologo 'c:\windows\temp\verify_winespeak.vbs' 2>&1)"; then
+        echo "WineSpeak's 32-bit SAPI voice could not be created."
+        echo "$voiceOutput"
+        return 1
+    fi
+    if ! grep -Fq "English (America)" <<< "$voiceOutput"; then
+        echo "WineSpeak's 32-bit SAPI verification returned an unexpected voice."
+        echo "$voiceOutput"
+        return 1
+    fi
+
+    echo "WineSpeak English (America) is the default SAPI voice."
+}
+
 install_rhvoice() {
     if [[ -d "${WINEPREFIX}/drive_c/Program Files/Olga Yakovleva/" ]]; then
         return
diff --git a/.includes/ipfs.sh b/.includes/ipfs.sh
index 6b9b90e..f70e4eb 100644
--- a/.includes/ipfs.sh
+++ b/.includes/ipfs.sh
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ declare -Ag ipfs=(
     [nvdaControllerClient32]="${ipfsGateway}/ipfs/QmTrRrT4QFKSkZ8ivfUawA6iJ6adEyyogccE3nLDTfSK8u?filename=nvdaControllerClient32.dll"
     [nvdaControllerClient64]="${ipfsGateway}/ipfs/QmaYE7RFDtwHCiXCVLcuA3esfFx6E7koidtvrck9AwPuuN?filename=nvdaControllerClient64.dll"
     [nvda2speechd]="${ipfsGateway}/ipfs/QmPxhoNsoFoJC7bCfioBBCcK8tEoSoYpm342z6u7KjFsVz?filename=nvda2speechd"
+    [winespeak]="https://stormgames.wolfe.casa/downloads/winespeak.exe"
 
     # Games (alphabetical order)
     [BG 15 Puzzle]="${ipfsGateway}/ipfs/QmQiocMpMXoxejDftKKvmrR5xxpj1qcWcgkhBBwTcyijXg?filename=FPB32Setup10a.exe"
diff --git a/audiogame-manager.sh b/audiogame-manager.sh
index 569f262..42f26bb 100755
--- a/audiogame-manager.sh
+++ b/audiogame-manager.sh
@@ -285,11 +285,14 @@ check_wine32() {
 # Ensure wine64 bottle exists with all dependencies (wine32 no longer needed!)
 ensure_wine_bottles() {
     local wine64Bottle="$HOME/.local/wine64"
+    local setupMarker="${wine64Bottle}/.agm-winespeak-setup-pending"
 
     # Create wine64 bottle if missing - now includes SAPI support via WINETRICKS_FORCE=1
-    if [[ ! -d "$wine64Bottle" ]] || [[ ! -f "$wine64Bottle/system.reg" ]]; then
+    if [[ ! -d "$wine64Bottle" ]] || [[ ! -f "$wine64Bottle/system.reg" ]] || [[ -f "$setupMarker" ]]; then
         {
             echo "# Creating wine64 bottle for modern games..."
+            mkdir -p "$wine64Bottle"
+            touch "$setupMarker"
             
             # Set up environment for wine64
             export WINEPREFIX="$wine64Bottle"
@@ -329,19 +332,12 @@ ensure_wine_bottles() {
             # Restore win10 after speechsdk (speechsdk sets winxp)
             winetricks -q win10
 
-            # Initialize SAPI and set Microsoft Mike as default voice
-            echo "# Setting Microsoft Mike as default voice..."
-            mkdir -p "${WINEPREFIX}/drive_c/windows/temp"
-            cat << "EOF" > "${WINEPREFIX}/drive_c/windows/temp/init_sapi.vbs"
-dim speechobject
-set speechobject=createobject("sapi.spvoice")
-speechobject.speak ""
-EOF
-            wine cscript "c:\\windows\\temp\\init_sapi.vbs"
-
-            wine reg add "HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Speech\\Voices" /v "DefaultTokenId" /t REG_SZ /d "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Speech\\Voices\\Tokens\\MSMike" /f
-            wine reg add "HKCU\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Speech\\Voices" /v "DefaultTTSRate" /t REG_DWORD /d "7" /f
-            echo "Set Microsoft Mike as default voice for wine64"
+            # Install and verify the default 32-bit SAPI voice.
+            echo "# Installing WineSpeak English (America)..."
+            if ! install_winespeak; then
+                echo "# WineSpeak installation or SAPI verification failed."
+                return 1
+            fi
 
             # Setup nvda2speechd for accessibility if needed
             if ! ss -ltnp | grep 3457 | grep -q 'cthulhu'; then
@@ -353,6 +349,7 @@ EOF
                 fi
             fi
             
+            rm -f "$setupMarker"
             echo "# Wine64 bottle creation complete."
         } > >(agm_progressbox "Wine Bottle Setup" "Creating unified wine64 bottle with SAPI support (this may take several minutes)...")
     fi
@@ -945,13 +942,14 @@ source "${scriptDir}/.includes/update.sh"
 export nvdaControllerClient32Dll="${ipfs[nvdaControllerClient32]}"
 export nvdaControllerClient64Dll="${ipfs[nvdaControllerClient64]}"
 export nvda2speechdBinary="${ipfs[nvda2speechd]}"
+export wineSpeakInstaller="${ipfs[winespeak]}"
 
 # Check minimum requirements
 check_requirements || exit 1
 # Wine32 no longer needed - all games use wine64 with SAPI support via WINETRICKS_FORCE=1
 # check_wine32  # Disabled - wine32 eliminated 2025-12-06
 # Ensure wine bottles exist with dependencies
-ensure_wine_bottles
+ensure_wine_bottles || exit 1
 # Check for updates
 update
 # Get latest news if available
diff --git a/speech/install_espeak_ng.sh b/speech/install_espeak_ng.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..70d995f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/speech/install_espeak_ng.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+export WINEPREFIX="${WINEPREFIX:-${HOME}/.local/wine64}"
+export WINEDEBUG="${WINEDEBUG:--all}"
+
+installerUrl="https://stormgames.wolfe.casa/downloads/winespeak.exe"
+installerName="winespeak.exe"
+installerSha256="187d4db69f3af7c1bca1c100a04489b76732048be7c38449781da360ed7b2d66"
+cacheDir="${XDG_CACHE_HOME:-${HOME}/.cache}/audiogame-manager"
+installerPath="${cacheDir}/${installerName}"
+partialPath="${installerPath}.part"
+wrapperPath="${WINEPREFIX}/drive_c/Program Files (x86)/espeak-ng-sapi/EspeakSAPI.dll"
+wrapperSha256="8009750dad82ca6665871814033dcee6844bb424f033130c109f47e188c5364b"
+voiceToken="HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Speech\\Voices\\TokenEnums\\eSpeak-NG\\English (America)"
+
+fail() {
+    printf 'Error: %s\n' "$*" >&2
+    exit 1
+}
+
+require_command() {
+    command -v "$1" > /dev/null 2>&1 || fail "Required command not found: $1"
+}
+
+verify_sha256() {
+    local file="$1"
+    local expected="$2"
+    local actual
+
+    actual="$(sha256sum "$file" | awk '{print $1}')"
+    [[ "$actual" == "$expected" ]]
+}
+
+download_installer() {
+    mkdir -p "$cacheDir"
+
+    if [[ -s "$installerPath" ]] && verify_sha256 "$installerPath" "$installerSha256"; then
+        printf 'Using cached WineSpeak installer.\n'
+        return
+    fi
+
+    rm -f "$installerPath" "$partialPath"
+    printf 'Downloading WineSpeak...\n'
+    if ! curl -L4 --fail --retry 3 --output "$partialPath" "$installerUrl"; then
+        rm -f "$partialPath"
+        fail 'Could not download WineSpeak.'
+    fi
+
+    if ! verify_sha256 "$partialPath" "$installerSha256"; then
+        rm -f "$partialPath"
+        fail 'The downloaded WineSpeak installer failed its SHA-256 check.'
+    fi
+
+    mv "$partialPath" "$installerPath"
+}
+
+install_winespeak() {
+    local registryOutput
+
+    download_installer
+
+    printf 'Installing WineSpeak into %s...\n' "$WINEPREFIX"
+    if ! wine "$installerPath" /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-; then
+        fail 'WineSpeak installation failed.'
+    fi
+
+    if [[ ! -f "$wrapperPath" ]]; then
+        fail 'WineSpeak did not install its 32-bit SAPI wrapper.'
+    fi
+    if ! verify_sha256 "$wrapperPath" "$wrapperSha256"; then
+        fail 'WineSpeak installed an unexpected 32-bit SAPI wrapper.'
+    fi
+
+    printf 'Setting English (America) as the default SAPI voice...\n'
+    if ! wine reg add 'HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Speech\Voices' \
+        /v DefaultTokenId /t REG_SZ /d "$voiceToken" /f > /dev/null; then
+        fail 'Could not set the default SAPI voice.'
+    fi
+
+    registryOutput="$(wine reg query 'HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Speech\Voices' /v DefaultTokenId 2>/dev/null)"
+    if ! grep -Fq "$voiceToken" <<< "$registryOutput"; then
+        fail 'Could not verify the default SAPI voice.'
+    fi
+
+    printf 'WineSpeak is installed and English (America) is the default SAPI voice.\n'
+}
+
+for commandName in curl wine sha256sum awk grep; do
+    require_command "$commandName"
+done
+
+install_winespeak