The Darkest Files News

Hi folks,

at Paintbucket Games, we believe that everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy the games we create, regardless of ability. We want The Darkest Files to be inclusive and welcoming to all players, and we recognize that some players may have difficulties holding down buttons. That's why we've implemented several accessibility features into our game.

The Darkest Files now features mouse-only gameplay, which allows players to play the game just by clicking, making it accessible to a wider range of players, including those who use adaptive controllers.
In addition to mouse-only gameplay, we've also made it easy for players to switch seamlessly between input devices, such as the keyboard, mouse, or controller. This means that players can use the input device that best suits their needs and abilities, without having to worry about complicated setups or configurations.

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We have also made a TikTok video on the topic.

We hope that these features will help to create a more diverse and engaging gaming community, where players of all abilities can come together and enjoy The Darkest Files! 🧡
What do you think of the accessibility features? Please let us know your thoughts and ideas, since we are excited to continue exploring ways to make our game more accessible to players of all abilities. 🕵️‍♀️
A big thank you goes to those, who supported us on this way by sharing their stories and taking the time to educate us!

Btw: You can also find us on Twitter, Instagram & Co.!
Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok | YouTube | Join our Discord!

One of the most significant challenges in developing an investigation game is striking the perfect balance in difficulty. Some players crave a tough, mind-bending challenge to solve the case, while others prefer a smooth experience, focusing on the story without getting stuck on an insurmountable obstacle.
To address this, we've introduced multiple difficulty levels and the option to customize individual settings, allowing players to tailor the challenge to their preferences. Does time pressure ruin the fun for you? Adjust the challenge timers or disable them completely. Are you a completionist who needs to find every hidden clue? Enable a display that reveals the number of clues discovered and those remaining.



For players who want to immerse themselves in the story, the game eases the investigative process by providing certain evidence automatically and limiting the options in the interruption challenge to just three documents. Those who tried the demo have experienced this approach.
Conversely, if you seek a more challenging investigation, be prepared to work hard to uncover evidence. In the interruption challenge, you won't receive any pre-selection, meaning you'll need to identify the correct document from all available options. Additionally, you must pinpoint the relevant section within the document to successfully overcome the challenge. Our newly implemented text marking feature comes in handy here. And, if desired, you can also experience all this under time pressure. Players familiar with the demo will be pleasantly surprised by the increased difficulty in solving a case.



Overall, our diverse difficulty settings should be able to cater to a range of playstyles, ensuring an enjoyable and immersive experience for all true crime enthusiasts.
What do you think about this approach? Are you more interested in experiencing the story or are you looking for a challenge in detective games?

A lot of you have asked to be able to mark important passages in the documents so that they can be found again.
We heard you.
Clear the stage for the new labelling and marking system!

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Hi folks,

in The Darkest Files you not only investigate crimes, as prosecutor Esther Katz you also bring them to court and do your best to achieve a fair and resilient verdict.
This can become a real challenge, because in 1956 Germany there are still many former Nazis working in the judiciary and the police who try to protect their former comrades by sabotaging your work. Don’t expect much applause from the press or the public either, because it is the time before Fritz Bauer initiated the Auschwitz trial, when the majority of Germans were still in favour of letting these crimes stand.
But you are not doing it for fame and glory, you are doing it because it is the right thing to do.



By the way, you can still download the demo during Mystery Fest!
If you've played it to the end yet, you've seen Esther and her childhood friend. Of course, we also needed a concept for these characters, which I won't withhold!


These were the ideas that our artist and animator Laura has visualized in a quick concept!
After a round of feedback with the other artists and designers, we decided to go with these designs:


Thank you for reading! Feel free to let us know what you think of the demo! :)

Btw: You can also find us on Twitter, Instagram & Co.!
Twitter | Instagram | Tiktok | YouTube | Our Forum

Follow Creative Director Jörg Friedrich how he plays through the demo of The Darkest Files.

The Darkest Files Mystery Fest Demo will be live until February 27th – check it out now!