The Darkest Files puts players in the role of Esther Katz, a prosecutor in 1956 Germany, as she investigates historical crimes and confronts a society reluctant to face its past. The game features immersive investigative gameplay and cell-shaded visuals inspired by 1950s pulp comics.
Main Characters and Setting
Players follow Esther Katz, a young prosecutor who joins Fritz Bauer’s special unit of “Nazi hunters.” The narrative takes place in post-war Germany, focusing on efforts to bring former Nazis to justice amidst societal resistance.
Gameplay and Visuals
The Darkest Files features a combination of document analysis, interrogations, and courtroom prosecution. Players collect evidence, interrogate witnesses and suspects, and reconstruct events to build cases against perpetrators. The game uses a distinctive cell-shaded 3D art style with comic panel elements reflecting the era’s aesthetic.
Confirmed Features
- Investigate two detailed cases based on real Nazi-era crimes
- Conduct interrogations to break through silence and uncover truths
- Use Esther’s “mind’s eye” to perceive multiple versions of testimonies
- Reconstruct events from fragmented evidence and statements
- Prosecute suspects in court, testing investigative thoroughness
- Multiple possible endings based on player decisions
- Explore Esther’s personal story and relationships
- Stylized cell-shaded graphics and comic panels
- Full English voice acting
Release Info
The Darkest Files is set to release on March 25, 2025.
Paintbucket Games delivers a historically grounded investigative experience that challenges players to confront uncomfortable truths and shape the outcome of justice in a pivotal era.
