The Darkest Files (historical investigation game) announced for Nintendo Switch

Painbucket Games have announced their latest game: The Darkest Files, a historical investigation game set in the immediate post-World War II period. If that title reminds you of the studio’s previous game, Through the Darkest of Times, that’s because The Darkest Files is a spiritiual successor! It will be released sometime in 2023 in Europe and North America.

Here’s the announcement trailer for the game:

In The Darkest Files, you will get to play as Esther Katz, a young prosecutor from West Germany (in the 1950s). Your missions consists in investigating crimes committed by former Nazi officials. To bring them to justice, you will need to collect evidence, question witnesses, and more.

Here’s some more details, the list of key features, and some screenshots for the game:

In “The Darkest Files,” players take on the role of Esther Katz, a young prosecutor living in West Germany in the 1950s. She is part of the team around the Frankfurt Attorney General Fritz Bauer. As Esther, players investigate crimes committed by former Nazi officials, collect evidence, question witnesses and ultimately bring the perpetrators to justice. The game leads players on a gripping, emotional journey through the crimes and dark times of the Nazi era.

Historical background:

With a team of young prosecutors without ties to the old regime, Frankfurt Attorney General Fritz Bauer founded a taskforce to investigate Nazi-era crimes and to prosecute the perpetrators. He became known, among other things, for being instrumental in the search for Adolf Eichmann, one of the central organizers of the Holocaust, and for prosecuting the Frankfurt Auschwitz trials in the 1960s.

• Players search investigative files from the Nazi era for clues, and interrogate relatives, witnesses, and suspects to find out the truth.
• Players draw conclusions, evaluate evidence, and reconstruct the crime in real time.
• Players interview witnesses and suspects, diving into the statements in immersive-mode to better understand the actions of the perpetrators and uncover any clues and contradictions.
• Then, players discuss their findings with their team of investigative experts in order to build an air-tight case.
• Players must determine and press the correct charges and have the criminals arrested.
• Finally, they need to convince the judiciary to reveal the truth and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Darkest Files (Switch – eShop) does not have a release date yet, but is slated for a 2023 release in Europe and North America.

Source: Paintbucket Games PR