The Darkest Files Steam Charts & Stats

Heart-gripping game, the subject of Nazi war)crimes is brought with the right heaviness through very gripping cases that don't hold your hand in the higher difficulties but this makes it all even more engaging if you ask me. There are only two cases at the moment but they are good for over 10 hours of very, very good gameplay.

An absolutely excellelent detective game based on real cases in post-war Germany. It's like "Scene Investigators" mixed with "LA Noire" mixed with "Her Story" put through a pulpy detective comic. I'll be honest that this game is nowhere near as challenging as Scene Investigators and Her Story, but the fact that the cases are based on real life relieves the game of any fault of being too simple. You DO have to compare a bunch of documents, and make some educated guesses as to motives and the truth of what exactly occured - I very much apprecaite that the game leaves about 10% up to your gut. So if you don't pay attention, I could imagine it being much more difficult. There are a few bugs - mostly of the game freezing for me - but a quick reload did the trick. So, performance is not perfect, but the most I ever had to backtrack was about 5 minutes worth of work. Hopefully some of the smaller bugs will be ironed out in upcoming patches. More than anything, I dearly hope we get more cases out of this series - there's certainly enough to pull from, and the game's style both makes the horrors bearable, while not shying away from them. Bravo.

After playing the demo during a Steam Next Fest, this was a must-have for me! The art style and gameplay were executed so well, and I was very impressed with a fully voiced cast to boot. The 12-ish hour gameplay didn't overstay its welcome for me, though I would gladly play another case if the devs decide! Thank you to Paint Bucket Games for highlighting the efforts of the real life Fritz Bauer.

One of the best detective games I ever played. Hats off to the developers! Really hope more cases will come available soon.

Fantastic art style and storytelling. A bit too obvious, even on the hardest difficulty. Often the hardest part of the game is just finding that little interact-able object.

This is a soul-crushing game about sticky notes + highlighting, interrupting people, and reckoning with the violence of Nazi Germany. I loved it.

The Darkest Files is a gripping courtroom sim in which you investigate Nazi war crimes. My only issue is there are only two cases.

I can't say that I have a lot of experience with these detective or courtroom games, but after playing "The Darkest Files" I really need to try them out more often. This is a really good game with solid voice acting and fantastic visual direction. The game has a pretty slick noir feeling that complements the story and mechanics well. Game play was also a ton of fun. I found the blueprint mechanic pretty ingenious and it was helpful being able to recreate crime scenes based off the various testimonies. The court scenes were especially satisfying and suspenseful as well. I also have to appreciate the historical angle. This isn't just a game that exists in a vacuum and the context and importance of the cases being portrayed is particularly well handled. We allow history to repeat itself by forgetting the truth of the past. My thanks to the developers for their efforts in faithfully preserving a dark chapter in the human story that all too many people these days seem keen to forget. I would highly recommend this game.

Phenomenal game. Very introspective and educational. The tone was enticing. The score was purposeful. The game made me feel like my actions mattered. I played on the hardest difficulty, and the game play was challenging, but incredible rewarding. I got very involved in reviewing every document for each of my cases. I greatly enjoyed cross examining evidence with testimony. If you enjoy Cold Cases and True Crime, this game succeeds in creating this drama while also delivering a succinct point. Aside from a couple hiccups that could use some polishing, I think my biggest criticism is that there wasn't more. The game felt very short, and the overall discussion the game wanted to have was very apparent; I wished I could have lived in it more. See more cases and see more people who were involved. I had hoped all the linear events were going to climax as one big final trial where I had to review previous evidence from a much bigger case. Where the big lesson our protagonist had to learn would be cemented and realized. Although, I can see that feeling mute with the overall themes. I would definitely play another game like this from this team. I hope to see another entry into this kind of gameplay. Incredibly well done!

The game mixes investigation, dialogue choices, evidence analysis, and courtroom storytelling. You gather testimonies, review old documents, and reconstruct events from WWII atrocities. These are not fantasy crimes—they’re based on real historical cases, including war crimes committed at concentration camps and mass executions. It’s important to note that while these crimes are based on true events, the names of those involved were changed. The only exception is Fritz Bauer, who investigated cases of post-war crimes in Germany. The player takes control of a young prosecutor, Esther Katz. She joins Bauer’s group in solving cases that are left unnoticed by the people of Germany. They smartly point out in the beginning that most of the judges and officers didn’t get involved in solving these cases because they were also with the Nazi party at the time. Now, it’s up to Bauer’s group to bring justice and give a sense of peace to the victims. With a good chunk of investigation games, players will look over a couple of documents. Like a lot of great detective games, The Darkest Files goes all the way through this aspect. Not only are players looking into pages of notes, but they are also interviewing people and going through court cases. The amount of detail here is astounding, and players could easily get lost in the amount of information present. The art style for [b]The Darkest Files[/b] matches the gameplay as it’s very noir-inspired. When the player walks into the building for the first time, it feels like they’ve been transported into some of the best film noirs from the 1930s. It’s dripping with atmosphere, and gamers can feel the long hours at work in the building just by looking at it. The shadows in this game are phenomenal and stylized in the best way. The game does not shy away from its dark subject matter and treats the material with sobering seriousness. You learn not only about the crimes of the Nazi regime but also about the legal and moral struggles of post-war Germany. Interviews and evidence analysis are engaging, encouraging players to think critically and weigh inconsistencies. While atmospheric, the gameplay can feel linear. You often know what conclusion the game wants you to reach. The game isn’t for casual entertainment—it’s grim, challenging, and morally weighty. It aims to provoke reflection rather than excitement. If you're looking for a detective story with action, this isn’t it. But if you're interested in historical justice and exploring how societies confront their darkest moments, it’s compelling. [b]The Darkest Files[/b] is a powerful blend of history, narrative, and investigation. It’s not perfect in its execution, but its importance and integrity make it stand out. It’s less a game in the traditional sense and more of an interactive memorial, asking you to think deeply about accountability and remembrance. [h1]7/10[/h1] DISASTER | BAD | MEDIOCRE | OKAY | [b][u]GOOD[/u][/b] | GREAT |AMAZING| MASTERPIECE [quote] Reviewed on: Win11 Home 64-bit, Intel i5-11600K, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB TUF, 32GB DDR4-3600 RAM, 2 x Kingston NV1 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, Internet Broadband 1000/1000 Mbit[/quote] [quote] If you like this review, then please consider giving it a thumbs up. I've also reviewed other games that you might find interesting. If so please follow [u][url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/27418263/] Top of the Chart.[/url][/u]