Hey there, The Darkest Files is an escapist, power fantasy in which you can bring fascists to court and send them to jail. It tells a tale from the rule of law age, which your grandparents might still remember. It is also 20% off right now on Steam — so get yourself a copy now!

The Darkest Files - as seen on CNN edition.cnn.com/2025/09/08/e...

Our friend just launched his wonderful historical pixel art adventure Casebook 1899: The Leipzig Murders. If you are into historical crime solving - and something tells me us that you are 🕵️ - go and get it now! 🔥

We won! 🥳 Thank you so much for recognizing our efforts to make The Darkest Files accessible to more players. We believe everyone should get the chance to play the games they want and we are grateful for all the feedback we got along the way 🧡 #GamingOhneGrenzen

Was super cool seeing our trailer for @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de up during the Gamescom showcase! Great moment and recognition for @paintbucket.de!

We‘re so proud to share that we were part of this special Gamescom moment: Opening Night Live! Thank you for including us and other games that are more than entertainment and that have the potential to inspire change.

If you are reading this, thank you! We want to invite you to a cozy community meetup. 🧡 Join us at our booth on Thursday at 2 pm and grab some special merch - we’re excited to meet you! 📍 Hall 10.2: Play games about past and current politics, democracy, its challenges, and its importance

#OTD Am 1. August 1944 erhob sich die polnische Heimatarmee in #Warschau – inmitten des von Nazi-Deutschland besetzten Polens – zu einem verzweifelten #Aufstand. Rund 200.000 Menschen starben – vor allem durch systematische Massenmorde an Zivilisten durch die deutschen Besatzer. #NieWieder

Holy heck I just played the demo for The Darkest Files @paintbucket.de and Y’ALL that converted me into a purchase so damn fast and it’s easily one of the best games I’ve played this year store.steampowered.com/app/2251070/...

We're happy to announce that, from today, All Quiet in the Trenches will be available as part of the Games That Remember Steam bundle, alongside the amazing game The Darkest Files by @paintbucket.de store.steampowered.com/bundle/55560...

We're part of Games Forged in Germany! 🥳 Check out all these amazing games by fellow German devs 🧡 Which game are you playing next? ➡️ store.steampowered.com/sale/Games-F...

We're part of Games Forged in Germany! 🥳 Check out all these amazing games by fellow German devs 🧡 Which game are you playing next? ➡️ store.steampowered.com/sale/Games-F...

Ich habe neulich mit @domschott.bsky.social über "The Darkest Files" gesprochen, das Spiel, bei dem wir mit der Kraft der Juristerei Nazis vor Gericht bringen, und wir hatten viel Spaß dabei. Sowohl mit dem Spiel als auch mit dem Podcast. www.gamespodcast.de/2025/07/22/t...

Finished my Geekset review of the historical, post-WWII true crime Courtroom game "The Darkest Files" discovered at #Gamescom2024! ✨ More important than ever. A huge shoutout to @paintbucket.de @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de! #YasePlays #review #indiegame #indiegames @geeksetpodcast.bsky.social

hey there fellow investigators, it's patch time again! 🔎🕵️‍♀️ This is a small update that fixes a couple of bugs. Something bigger is in the making, read the end of the note for more info on what we are cooking. See you in court! 👨‍⚖️ store.steampowered.com/news/app/205...

Happy Birthday Mr Bauer! 🎂

Endlich die aktuelle @cargoverlag.bsky.social im Briefkasten! ☺️ Hab was über @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de geschrieben und wie Ian Bogosts olles Konzept von prozeduralem Erzählen hier tatsächlich gut trifft, wo ein solches Gerichtsdrama ja schon vom Genre her eben ein 'Procedural' ist

Finally, we can reveal that we will be at Gamescom again this year! 🥳 Play The Darkest Files, chat with us devs and grab some merch at the @indiearenabooth.de - we're looking forward to meeting you 🧡

🌶️🧑‍🍳 Feast your eyes - the Indie Arena Booth 2025 lineup trailer is served! 🌶️🍽️ Our Theme? “Watch us cook.” We’re bringing 200+ blazing-hot indie games to gamescom 2025! You will want a taste 😋 🍽️ Full lineup here: indiearenabooth.de #IndieGame #GameDev #IAB25

We're part of Steam Summer Sale with our biggest discount yet! Get The Darkest Files with 20% off now 🧡 And if you want to enjoy the warm weather outside, The Darkest Files also runs on Steam Deck 🕵️‍♀️ ➡️ store.steampowered.com/app/2058730/...

We're happy to be part of @laurakbuzz.bsky.social's Access-Ability Summer Showcase again! It's so great to see the different ways we can make games more accessible 🧡 ⏰ Get 10% off The Darkest Files on Steam now and check out the other amazing games on sale! #accessibility #indiedev #indiegame

Berlin bekommt ein House of Games! 🏠🎮🙌 Im 2. Teil geht es um @saftladen.bsky.social Berlins WG of Games seit 2015, es gibt einen ersten Blick auf unser Game für die bpb über den Deutschen Herbst und Darkest Files!👀 @gameverband.bsky.social @medienboard.bsky.social www.rbb-online.de/abendschau/v...

🏛️ Germany, 1956: The war is over, but justice remains unfinished. Former high up Nazis walk free while victims rest in unmarked graves. Uncover buried evidence, face reluctant witnesses, and pursue the truth. Do you have the courage to bring those "ordinary men" to trial? ⚖️ #PitchYaGame

🏛️ Germany, 1956: The war is over, but justice remains unfinished. Former high up Nazis walk free while victims rest in unmarked graves. Uncover buried evidence, face reluctant witnesses, and pursue the truth. Do you have the courage to bring those "ordinary men" to trial? ⚖️ #PitchYaGame

🔍 The Darkest Files v1.0.7 is now live! This patch fixes plenty of smaller issues and a few bigger ones. Stay tuned for some exciting updates we're cooking up and hope to share soon! Happy investigating! 🕵️ store.steampowered.com/news/app/205...

wer erleben möchte, wie der auf neu ernannte Spieler des Jahres die Fälle in The Darkest Files löst, jetzt auf Twitch!

"The whole game looks like it was pulled straight from a post-war political cartoon, and I am here for it. It’s stylish without being flashy, which suits the subject matter just right." 8/10 Thank you for the review Albert! thatvideogameblog.com/the-darkest-...

Real cases, hidden clues, witnesses! Can you find out who is lying? 🔎 Step in the shoes of prosecutor Esther Katz and bring the perpetrators to court. 10% on Steam and GOG only today! 🧡 #screenshotsaturday #indiegame #indiedev

Auf der #HistoCON durfte ich mit Anna Seifert über The Darkest Files und den kurzen Weg von der Entrechtung Einzelner zur Entrechtung Aller sprechen. Vielen Dank für das spannende Gespräch und den schönen Text, der dabei entstanden ist. @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de www.faz.net/aktuell/gese...

Schöner Beitrag auf NANO zu Fritz Bauer, The Darkest Files und moderner Erinnerungskultur. Bitte alle fleißig klicken, damit das ZDF sieht, dass ihre guten Beiträge online auch ohne Click-Bait-Titel ein Publikum finden. www.3sat.de/wissen/nano/...

If you haven‘t yet experienced The Darkest Files, it is still available on Steam with a 10% discount as part of the #LudoNarraCon Sale 🧡

Today marks 80 years since Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender and the end of fascism in Europe. At #histoCON we had young people from around the world engage with history through our games. Seeing a new generation confront Germany's darkest chapter and learn about resistance gives us hope.

Radio Eins kürt Darkest Files zum Videospiel der Woche - Sehr schöner Beitrag in dem Paintbucket Community Managerin Hanna erzählt ob es eigentlich belastend ist solche Games zu machen. @hannascheck.bsky.social @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de www.radioeins.de/programm/sen...

Need help with marketing your upcoming game? Our new work for hire arm, @lostandfound.media, can help with exactly that! Two happy clients so far and can't wait to work with many more. Been a fun new challenge for us.

Do you like history, true crime, and strong narratives? Then our investigation and courtroom game #TheDarkestFiles is the perfect fit for you! 🔎 10% off on Steam now! store.steampowered.com/app/2058730/... #screenshotsaturday #truecrime #indiedev #madewithunity

The Darkest Files is currently on Sale on Steam! Thanks to @fellowtraveller.games for including us in the #LudoNarraCon Sale alongside so many awesome titles! Go check them out 🧡

We've teamed up with Active Fungus to present "The Investigating History Bundle - Detective RPGs made in Germany!" With this Steam bundle, you discover Germany's eventful past by solving criminal cases and get a 15% discount! store.steampowered.com/bundle/53353...

»Ultimately (...) The Darkest Files offers a haunting reflection of contemporary politics as well. The first case is about a family father who gets kidnapped illegally by the authorities, who then don’t want to admit that they did something wrong. Sounds familiar?”« premortem.games/2025/04/29/t...

Cartoon by @billbramhall.bsky.social.

Fritz Bauer was a German judge who was imprisoned by the fascists in 1933 for defending the rule of law. Something that they hate everywhere and at all times. After their irrevocable and catastrophic downfall he returned and brought them to justice. The wheels of justice turn slowly – but they turn.

Our true crime investigation and courtroom game The Darkest Files is now officially verified for #Steamdeck! 🥳 Check out our post here 🧡: store.steampowered.com/news/app/205... #screenshotsaturday #Indiedev #indiegame

Our true crime investigation and courtroom game The Darkest Files is now officially verified for #Steamdeck! 🥳 Check out our post here 🧡: store.steampowered.com/news/app/205... #screenshotsaturday #Indiedev #indiegame

Aspekte ist jetzt online und es ist ein wirklich guter Beitrag zu The Darkest Files in einer insgesamt sehr guten Sendung - leider hat es das saublöde "Nazi-Games" bis in den gesprochenen Sendungs-Titel geschafft - trotzdem sehenswert (und nicht nur für TDF): www.zdf.de/play/reporta...

Völlig verpasst, dass mein neuster Gastauftritt bei @indiefresse.org schon seit Wochen online ist. Hupsi. @monoxyd.bsky.social und @alexbronsky.bsky.social reden mit mir über @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de und #AssassinsCreedShadows.

Frisch heute veröffentlicht: Auch bei @okcoolband.bsky.social ging es nochmal zusammen mit @domschott.bsky.social um @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de. In Zeiten umkämpfter Erinnerungskultur, bröckelnder Rechtsstaatlichkeit und autoritären Flirts ein umso wichtigeres Spiel. 👩‍⚖️🎮

Wegen sowas liebe ich meinen Job - im großen Interview für @gamestar.bsky.social mit @freejsf.paintbucket.de erfahre ich mehr über die Entwicklung von @darkestfiles.paintbucket.de und wie sich der Game Director zu heutigen politischen Strömungen positioniert: www.gamestar.de/artikel/the-...

"The Darkest Files has some great workarounds to improve your experience playing through it. [...] this is definitely a title that can be tailored to suit players’ needs and abilities." Thank you, GameGrin, for this review on accessibility! 🧡 #screenshotsaturday #indiegame #accessibility

"stunning comic-like visuals, spot-on voice acting and a narrative that gets players interested in brutal historical events. Play as Esther Katz and interrogate witnesses, relieve memories and build case files to submit to court. Be sure to check out The Darkest Files!" 8/10 Thank you so much! 🧡

ooooh nice surprise! The Darkest Files has a metacritic score of 81! \o/ No user score yet - if you feel like rating the game it would make us very happy! 🧡 www.metacritic.com/game/the-dar...

Seek justice during the second world war as prosecutor Esther Katz. Will you expose the Nazi regime and bring The Darkest Files to light? Join @scree.bsky.social and find out in our review: www.qualbert.com/reviews/the-... #Indiegame #IndieDev @paintbucket.de