diff --git a/.codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/references/core-map.md b/.codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/references/core-map.md
index fbf8fae..c95da65 100644
--- a/.codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/references/core-map.md
+++ b/.codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/references/core-map.md
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # Linux Game Manager Core Map
 
-Last refreshed: 2026-04-12
+Last refreshed: 2026-04-14
 
 ## Top-Level Structure
 
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ Last refreshed: 2026-04-12
 
 - Installers: 42 (`.install/*.sh`)
 - Launcher definitions: 42 (`.launch/*.game`)
-- Launcher runnable entries: 30 (`.launch/*.sh`, both symlinks and files)
+- Launcher runnable entries: 31 (`.launch/*.sh`, both symlinks and files)
 - Update scripts: 5 (`.update/*.sh`)
 
 Regenerate this snapshot with:
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ python3 .codex/skills/linux-game-manager-dev/scripts/audit_game_catalog.py
 1. **Install flow**
 - `game_installer` builds menu from `.install/*.sh`.
 - Selected installer is sourced in the current shell.
-- Shared downloads try `curl` first, fall back to `wget` when available, and reject obvious HTML error pages for unknown file types.
+- Shared downloads try `curl` first, fall back to `wget` when available, validate archive payloads before install, and reject obvious HTML error pages for unknown file types.
+- `download_named()` shares the same cache validation path as `download()`, so resolved asset URLs must still produce a valid payload for their file extension.
 - If `.launch/<game>.game` exists and `.launch/<game>.sh` does not, the manager creates a symlink using the repository root, even if the installer changed directories.
 
 2. **Launch flow**
diff --git a/linux-game-manager.sh b/linux-game-manager.sh
index 4c0c76c..af6e374 100755
--- a/linux-game-manager.sh
+++ b/linux-game-manager.sh
@@ -556,44 +556,56 @@ download() {
            ui_msgbox "Linux Game Manager" "Linux Game Manager" "Could not download \"$i\"...\n\ndownload exit codes: ${downloadAttemptExitCodes}\nError details: ${downloadErrorLog}"
            exit 1
        fi; } | ui_progressbox "Linux Game Manager" "Downloading \"$dest\" from \"$i\""
-       local downloadError=0
-       case "${dest##*.}" in
-           "pk3"|"zip")
-               unzip -tq "${cache}/${dest}"  | ui_progressbox "Linux Game Manager" "Validating ${dest##*.} file"
-                   downloadError=$?
-           ;;
-           "7z")
-               7z t "${cache}/${dest}" | ui_progressbox "Linux Game Manager" "Validating 7z file"
-                   downloadError=$?
-           ;;
-           "exe")
-               # Check if it's a valid Windows executable by looking at the MZ header
-               if ! hexdump -n 2 -v -e '/1 "%02X"' "${cache}/${dest}" | grep -q "4D5A"; then
-                   downloadError=0
-               fi
-           ;;
-           "wad")
-               if [[ "$(file -b --mime-type "${cache}/${dest}")" == "application/octet-stream" ]]; then
-                   downloadError=0
-               fi
-           ;;
-           *)
-               # Add HTML check for other file types
-               if file -b "${cache}/${dest}" | grep -q "HTML document" ; then
-                   downloadError=1
-               else
-                   downloadError=0
-               fi
-           ;;
-       esac
-       if [[ $downloadError -ne 0 ]]; then
-           rm -fv "${cache}/${dest}"
-                   alert "Linux Game Manager" "Linux Game Manager" "Error downloading \"${dest}\". Installation cannot continue."
-                   exit 1
-       fi
+       validate_downloaded_cache_file "${dest}"
    done
 }
 
+validate_downloaded_cache_file() {
+    local dest="$1"
+    local downloadError=0
+    case "${dest##*.}" in
+        "pk3"|"zip")
+            if ! (
+                set -o pipefail
+                unzip -tq "${cache}/${dest}" | ui_progressbox "Linux Game Manager" "Validating ${dest##*.} file"
+            ); then
+                downloadError=1
+            fi
+        ;;
+        "7z")
+            if ! (
+                set -o pipefail
+                7z t "${cache}/${dest}" | ui_progressbox "Linux Game Manager" "Validating 7z file"
+            ); then
+                downloadError=1
+            fi
+        ;;
+        "exe")
+            # Check if it's a valid Windows executable by looking at the MZ header
+            if ! hexdump -n 2 -v -e '/1 "%02X"' "${cache}/${dest}" | grep -q "4D5A"; then
+                downloadError=0
+            fi
+        ;;
+        "wad")
+            if [[ "$(file -b --mime-type "${cache}/${dest}")" == "application/octet-stream" ]]; then
+                downloadError=0
+            fi
+        ;;
+        *)
+            if file -b "${cache}/${dest}" | grep -q "HTML document" ; then
+                downloadError=1
+            else
+                downloadError=0
+            fi
+        ;;
+    esac
+    if [[ ${downloadError} -ne 0 ]]; then
+        rm -fv "${cache}/${dest}"
+        alert "Linux Game Manager" "Linux Game Manager" "Error downloading \"${dest}\". Installation cannot continue."
+        exit 1
+    fi
+}
+
 download_named() {
     # Only needed if url breaks the name, e.g. downloads/?filename=1234
     # Required arguments: filename url
@@ -614,6 +626,7 @@ download_named() {
         ui_msgbox "Linux Game Manager" "Linux Game Manager" "Could not download \"$dest\"...\n\ndownload exit codes: ${downloadAttemptExitCodes}\nError details: ${downloadErrorLog}"
         exit 1
     fi
+    validate_downloaded_cache_file "${dest}"
 }
 
 get_installer() {