diff --git a/src/mediaPreload.ts b/src/mediaPreload.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a95ab7a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/mediaPreload.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import type { MediaConfig } from './mediaConfig';
+import { preloadAudioAssets } from './mediaSounds';
+import { ARTIFACTS_BASE_URL } from './puzzle2Config';
+
+const preloadedUrls = new Set<string>();
+
+function preloadOnce(url: string, load: () => void): void {
+  if (preloadedUrls.has(url)) return;
+  preloadedUrls.add(url);
+  load();
+}
+
+export function preloadImage(url: string): void {
+  preloadOnce(url, () => {
+    const img = new Image();
+    img.src = url;
+  });
+}
+
+export function preloadVideo(url: string): void {
+  preloadOnce(url, () => {
+    const video = document.createElement('video');
+    video.preload = 'auto';
+    video.src = url;
+    video.load();
+  });
+}
+
+/** Warm cache for config-driven audio, images, and video. */
+export function preloadMediaAssets(config: MediaConfig): void {
+  preloadAudioAssets(config);
+  preloadImage(config.mapImageUrl);
+  preloadImage(config.tedCelebrateImageUrl);
+  preloadVideo(config.unlockVideoUrl);
+}
+
+export function preloadArtifactImages(entries: readonly { file: string }[]): void {
+  for (const entry of entries) {
+    preloadImage(`${ARTIFACTS_BASE_URL}/${encodeURIComponent(entry.file)}`);
+  }
+}
+
+/** Fetch artifact manifest and preload all puzzle-2 thumbnails. */
+export async function preloadArtifactManifest(): Promise<void> {
+  try {
+    const res = await fetch(`${ARTIFACTS_BASE_URL}/manifest.json`);
+    if (!res.ok) return;
+    const data = (await res.json()) as { file: string }[];
+    preloadArtifactImages(data);
+  } catch {
+    /* manifest unavailable until setup script runs */
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/useArtifactManifest.ts b/src/useArtifactManifest.ts
index fe0ae70..9108f45 100644
--- a/src/useArtifactManifest.ts
+++ b/src/useArtifactManifest.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
+import { preloadArtifactImages } from './mediaPreload';
 import { ARTIFACTS_BASE_URL } from './puzzle2Config';
 
 export interface ArtifactEntry {
@@ -19,6 +20,7 @@ export function useArtifactManifest(): ArtifactEntry[] | null {
       .then((res) => (res.ok ? res.json() : null))
       .then((data: ArtifactEntry[] | null) => {
         if (cancelled || !data) return;
+        preloadArtifactImages(data);
         setManifest(data);
       })
       .catch(() => {
diff --git a/src/useMediaConfig.ts b/src/useMediaConfig.ts
index 6abf766..d603032 100644
--- a/src/useMediaConfig.ts
+++ b/src/useMediaConfig.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { DEFAULT_MEDIA_CONFIG, mergeMediaConfig, type MediaConfig } from './mediaConfig';
-import { preloadAudioAssets } from './mediaSounds';
+import { preloadArtifactManifest, preloadMediaAssets } from './mediaPreload';
 
 export function useMediaConfig(): MediaConfig {
   const [config, setConfig] = useState<MediaConfig>(DEFAULT_MEDIA_CONFIG);
@@ -24,7 +24,8 @@ export function useMediaConfig(): MediaConfig {
   }, []);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    preloadAudioAssets(config);
+    preloadMediaAssets(config);
+    void preloadArtifactManifest();
   }, [config]);
 
   return config;