The Darkest Files News

Hi folks,

After you met the prosecutors of The Darkest Files already, we want to introduce you to our developer team too! Since we create games with sensitive topics, we all share values that are decidedly humanitarian, against racism, antisemitism, and every other form of hate and discrimination. Even though our studio is based in Berlin, our valued members are from various countries.



The two founders of Paintbucket Games, Jörg and Sebastian, are also our Game Director and Art Director. Without their vast knowledge from their time developing AAA-Games and their passion for history, our post WW2 investigation game wouldn’t be possible. 🕵️‍♀️

Mona is our Lead Game Designer and responsible for the mechanics that make playing The Darkest Files so much fun! Through a process of playtesting and polishing she tackles any problems players might have with understanding the gameplay. She’s in close contact with our narrative designer Luca, who writes all the fantastic dialogues and creates the story.

Our Lead Artist Viv brings together the amazing work of our other artists, who all are to thank for the unique artstyle. Because of her deep knowledge of the studio and of our games, she can always make sure that everyone is on the same track. 🎨



Laura, Fionn, and Pulkit are the 2D artists and animators that bring life into The Darkest Files. Laura animates the characters and draws gripping comic panels, while Pulkit creates thrilling storyboards and animates the cutscenes. Fionn is also responsible for characters and comic panels, as well as for UI and the artworks you see on social media.

Nici is our interface between art and tech. She builds and designs our UI, is in close contact with our programmers, and is also a 3D artist. We also want to mention our working student Dala, who has a good artistic eye and great technical knowledge. She also developed the shader in our game.

Of course we also need some technical support, which is provided by our Lead Programmer Jona and our Programmers Tobi and Cenk. They make it possible to realize the ideas of our designers and meet the needs of players from a technical perspective, for example through accessibility controls.🎮

But what is a game without music and sound? The great Almut, who also designed and composed various earlier games of ours, make the game a blessing for the ears as well. She has also given Esther Katz, our main character, her voice.

Hanna is working on getting the word out about our game through Marketing and connecting with you, our players. She also keeps you updated and informed with posts like this one. 😄

Meike, who recently left our team to work on her own exciting projects, had a big part in creating the 3D objects in the game. Doesn’t matter if interactable or decoration - you will definitely see a lot of her detailed models.

We want to mention more very talented people, who recently worked for us, and who shaped The Darkest Files into what it is now. 🧡 There are our former designers Sam and Hannah, our design interns Suus and Mirian, Lena Falkenhagen, our former producer Arda, programmers Hagen and J-D, and our programmer intern Cedric, as well as our art working student and interns Kimi, Elias, Lucas, and David.

If you want to know more about a team member or their part in our games, join our Discord and chat directly with them!


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

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

Hi folks,

As you know, your feedback is very important to us! And playtesting is a way to get as many opinions as possible, in every area of the game. It allows us to fine-tune mechanics, improve gameplay, and enhance the overall experience. That's why we are conducting playtests regularly, for example this June! 🕵️‍♀️

External playtests, where we involve you, help identify potential pain points and highlight confusing mechanics. With a diverse group of players, we can make note of different playstyles, preferences and issues we may have overlooked otherwise. People from different backgrounds or with different abilities can also help us develop accessibility features, for example by testing with adaptive controllers. 🎮

There are also internal playtests, where our own team plays the game. This way we can identify bugs, balance gameplay elements, and refine core mechanics. We can polish the game with our professional experience to a certain extent, but the true magic lies in external playtests. Your fresh perspective and reactions are really valuable to us and to the development of “The Darkest Files”. 🧡

With a combination of internal and external playtests, we can make sure that we create the best gaming experience we can, with well-balanced mechanics.

Join our Discord server to become a playtester and shape "The Darkest Files" with us. For the first time, testers will play a complete case. Will you manage to defend your case in court and bring the perpetrators to justice? 🔍



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

You are Esther Katz. Together with your colleagues Simon, Paula, and Christoph you are fighting to bring Nazis to justice. But can you trust every one of them? Or does someone have hidden motives? 🕵️‍♀️

Uncover the gripping tale of Esther, a young and ambitious prosecutor, who had to witness World War 2 as a young girl. The war left its mark on Esther, and being a female prosecutor during the 1950s isn't easy either. Still, she continues to pursue justice in a world that seeks to undermine her.

Alongside her is Simon Peters, hardworking and loyal, with a strong sense of justice. But something feels off about him... Where do his loyalties really lie? It may be better to keep a watchful eye on Peters.
Paula Fischer, a curious secretary, may find herself sticking her nose into things she is not supposed to stick it into. Like important case files, for example. Will she share her insights with Esther, or is she working for someone with darker agendas? 📜
And then there's Christoph Wohlmuth, intelligent and pragmatic. Beneath his occasional verbal missteps lies a genuinely kind person who values his friendship with Esther. But sometimes things aren't as they seem… Right?



Embark on a thrilling journey through "The Darkest Files". Challenge your perceptions and find out who is a friend and who is an enemy! Will you catch the real perpetrators, or will mistrust stand in your way? 🔎

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

Hi folks,

if you played the Demo, you know that we chose English as the main language for "The Darkest Files" despite its setting in Germany and having German voice actors. That was actually a conscious decision and here's why! 🕵️‍♀️

Number one, Accessibility: English is one of the most widely spoken languages globally, making the game accessible to a larger audience. By using English as the main language, we can appeal to international players, allowing people from different backgrounds and cultures to engage with the game and create a more inclusive gaming experience. 🧡

Secondly, The Paintbucket Team: Even though our studio is based in Berlin, we have an international team that brings together diverse talents from various countries! English serves as our common language of communication, to make sure that we‘re always on the same page. 📰

But worry not, dear German reader! We will have German subtitles! We understand the importance of fully understanding the dialogues and the story and want to include our German fans who may prefer playing in their native language. 🔍


By embracing English as the primary language, we aim to create a captivating and accessible experience for players worldwide while staying true to our roots!

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