The Darkest Files News

Hello there investigators,

What a surprise! Or as we should much rather say: Quelle surprise!
You cracked the 30k on Kickstarter and because you did, we decided to confirm already that there will be a French (text) version of The Darkest Files!
C'est merveilleux ! 🙏🧡
We will reveal the next language at 35 000 €! 🕵️‍♂️

There are only 10 days left to back our Kickstarter campaign. If you haven't already, now is the perfect time to show your support and secure some amazing rewards! 🔍

Again, thanks to every one of you, together we can bring more languages to The Darkest Files!


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

I'll be honest, the night before our Kickstarter launched, I barely slept. Going public with our niche game, we wondered if anyone would notice - well they ... you! ... did.

A huge thank you for your support, kind words, and feedback, it really means the world to us! 🧡

Today, I would like to share a peek behind the scenes of developing The Darkest Files for the last two years and show you how we got here.

Welcome to the Chronicles of Crime - Today: Starting a Case!

It all starts with research. The cases in The Darkest Files are based on real crimes of the time. This means going through archives, files, newspapers, and literature on possible cases to a) pick one that works with our game mechanics - not all cases do - and b) make sure that once we pick it, we get the facts right. While we do sometimes change characters or events for the game, we want to make sure that we know when we are doing so.

While working on The Darkest Files, we went through dozens of potential cases to pick the ones that would work for us. We would have liked to do more, but to quote your in-game co-prosecutor, Mr Peters: "There are so many of them and so few of us."


Historical inspiration and an early draft of the reconstruction board that you will be using in the game to draft your theory of the crime and how it ended up looking in the game

After researching a historical case, the game designers arrange the events to make them playable: they decide which witness unveils which clue, what files need to be found and how, and who sends the investigators off course.



A storyboard artist and designer takes over and creates storyboards and mock-ups of key scenes helping us to better imagine how things will feel in the game.

From bio and description, the character artists create the NPC, skeleton, and poses. So many poses!



Just as for characters and scenes, the 2D artists draw sketches of the environments. The 3D artists model the environments creating walkable, interactive spaces.
Once built, our brilliant technical artist uses her shader wizardry to turn everything into an explorable graphic novel. And here you go:



SteamDeck:

The Darkest Files is fully playable on Steam Deck

You can play The Darkest Files on your Steam Deck and enjoy the full experience! Sitting on the couch while investigating case files, interrogating witnesses at your own pace, or just relaxing on the bed while you review evidence and build your case. Bring Fritz Bauer's quest for justice with you wherever you go and experience this powerful historical story in a comfortable setting. Check it out on your Steam Deck today!



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

Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🧡

We are beyond excited to announce that thanks to your incredible support, we have reached our Kickstarter goal for The Darkest Files – in less than 5 hours! 🥳

This would not have been possible without each and every one of your contributions, whether big or small. You have made a significant impact on our game. 🧡

But we are not done here – with your continuous support, we will reach even more of our stretch goals.
If you haven't yet, please head over to Kickstarter, pledge and save yourself some nice goodies and discounts.

The Darkest Files is finally live on Kickstarter!
If you're interested in our historical true-crime investigation game where you work with the famous Attorney General Fritz Bauer to solve historical crimes, please head over and get it now - it would mean the world to us!

Surprise! 🎉 Our brand-new demo for "The Darkest Files" is here – and you can play it right now! Get a glimpse into the first act and investigate what happened to Mrs Naumann’s husband.

But that's not all – experience new features, including improved gameplay mechanics and translated subtitles for our German fans!

We're also getting closer to launching our Kickstarter campaign on March 19th! Follow us here now, and don't miss your chance to gain access to exclusive Early Bird Tiers. 🐦

🐦 Save 27% by pre-ordering the game now!
There is a general discount of 27% compared to the regular launch price if you make sure to pre-order during our Kickstarter campaign.

On top of that you can get the:

🔍 Early Bird Tier: Investigator
Get a special 20% discount on our Digital Artwork Pack, featuring exclusive PSD files that provide a behind-the-scenes look at our artists' work. Plus, take home a stunning set of print-ready files for your own custom creations!

🕵️‍♂️ Early Bird Tier: Prosecutor
Enjoy a 20% discount on our Digital Deluxe Pack, which includes our digital illustrated art book, along with the captivating soundtrack of The Darkest Files. Perfect for hardcore true-crime buffs who appreciate great music! All Investigator rewards come on top!

👨‍⚖️ Early Bird Tier: Attorney General
Get an incredible 25% off and keep playing! This is for you if you can't wait and want to know more. You get instant access to the entire first act of the game, which will allow you to bring the murderer of Hans Naumann to justice - well, if you manage that.
You will also receive an EXCLUSIVE Discord role and your name will be added to an in-game petition.

All tiers secure you a place in our game credits and some more goodies, which are yet to be revealed 🤫 Join us on Kickstarter and be among the first to get these rewards 🧡



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