PCGame

The Darkest Files

Historical detective game about prosecuting Nazi-era crimes in postwar Germany

Paintbucket Games · Released Mar 25, 2025

AdventureIndieSimulation

Reviews
Overwhelmingly Positive
96% of 699
Recent reviews
Very Positive
94% of 18 in 30 days
Players
5
daily peak, Nov 7, 2026
Steam Deck
Verified
Last update on Steam
4 days ago
Nov 3, 2026
Minimum PC
GeForce GTX 960
8 GB RAM · 5 GB disk
Full requirements

Metacritic: 80/100 (critic reviews)

What is The Darkest Files?

In this first-person investigative adventure, you play Esther Katz, a prosecutor on Fritz Bauer's team in 1956 Germany. Across two cases, you interview witnesses, compare conflicting accounts, reconstruct events from evidence, and bring charges to court. Your findings can lead to different endings.

For you if...

  • +you enjoy weighing uncertain testimony before making accusations
  • +you value a serious story about historical accountability

Not for you if...

  • −you want fast-paced action instead of procedural investigations
  • −you prefer lighthearted mysteries to Nazi-era subject matter

What players say

96% of 699 reviews are positive · 94% of 18 in the last 30 days

Players praise the writing, voice acting, visual style, and handling of the historical subject matter. Common complaints include the short length and repetitive clue searches; some players report crashes or bugs that force them to reload.

How many players finish The Darkest Files?

34% of Steam players have unlocked «The Darkest Files», the achievement for finishing the main story.

Share of everyone who owns the game on Steam, including those who barely played it. Updated weekly.

Screenshots and trailer

The Darkest Files screenshot 1

The Darkest Files system requirements

Minimum: GeForce GTX 960, 8 GB RAM, 5 GB of disk space.

As published by the developer.

Can my PC run The Darkest Files?

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Minimum

OS
Windows 10
Processor
x64
Graphics
Dedicated graphics card - Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 or equivalent (Onboard/integrated graphics not supported)
Memory
8 GB RAM
Storage
5 GB available space
DirectX
Version 11

Does The Darkest Files have co-op or multiplayer?

No: single-player only, no multiplayer modes declared.

Does The Darkest Files run on Steam Deck?

Verified Yes, Verified by Valve: it works on Steam Deck out of the box.

  • All functionality is accessible with the default controller configuration
  • Shows Steam Deck controller icons
  • In-game text is legible on Steam Deck
  • Default graphics settings perform well on Steam Deck

PC version details

DRM
None declared on Steam
Controller
Full controller support
Platforms
Windows, macOS
Achievements
46
Steam features
Cloud saves, Family Sharing, Trading cards
Languages
Full audio: English. Text only: German, French.

Does The Darkest Files use AI-generated content?

No AI-generated content is disclosed on the game's Steam page.

Self-reported by the developer under Steam rules: it covers AI content that ships in the game, not tools used to make it. Steam page checked on Oct 25, 2026. How to filter AI games on Steam

Tags

Recent updates

4 DLC available.

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