The Darkest Files

When Paintbucket Games' award-winning title, Through the Darkest of Times, released in 2020, it explored the atrocities of Nazi Germany from the perspective of a resistance group leader, placing you in active danger as you oppose the fascist regime.

- By Alyssa Rochelle Payne

Now, in the first-person courtroom game The Darkest Files, the pursuit of survival has transformed into the pursuit of justice, as we're taken to the year 1956, after the war; former Nazis are hiding in plain sight, and most citizens refuse to face the horrors of the past, yet some are dedicated to revealing hidden truths and holding those accountable for the crimes committed.

Our protagonist, Esther Katz, has taken a job as a prosecutor, joining Fritz Bauer's new special unit. You might recognise Bauer as the real-life individual who initiated the Auschwitz Trials, and while his portrayal in The Darkest Files is modelled after his look and legacy, Esther and her colleagues are fictional. Their in-game experiences do well at conveying the public sentiment Bauer would've been faced with at that time — insults, death threats, and bricks aplenty.

As Esther, you'll investigate two incidents: The Insurgent and The Looter. They're based on true events with names changed for the game, and you get the opportunity to read the real-life file at the end if you wish. Both consist of heavy subject matter and disturbing actions, but Paintbucket handles the tough details thoughtfully. Additionally, the level of thoroughness in the documents, conversations, and testimonies will leave you feeling like you received an immersive, compelling history lesson. The first of the two cases serves as your tutorial for investigation mechanics and preparing arguments for court. I'll note that there is, technically, a third matter that has narrative importance, but you're not doing the hands-on investigating, as it's your colleague Simon Peters who's the main prosecutor on it.