Let me start by saying this: The Darkest Files is not an easy game to recommend to everyone, but it’s one I’m really glad I played. It’s not entertaining in the traditional sense. There are no boss fights, no collectibles, no flashy action sequences. Instead, it gives you something harder to sit with—something heavier—and it does it with a kind of quiet conviction that I really respect.
You play as Esther Katz, a young state prosecutor in 1950s Germany, working to investigate and prosecute Nazi war crimes. That premise alone sets the tone, but what really caught me off guard was how personal and haunting the experience becomes. It’s not about running down bad guys or solving some abstract mystery. It’s about uncovering the truth in a world that would rather bury it.
Prepare for a journey
The gameplay is slow and methodical. You read through case files, interview witnesses, cross-reference testimony, and try to piece together what really happened. It feels like work—intentionally so. There were moments where I found myself staring at a document or replaying a flashback scene just to make sure I hadn’t missed something crucial. The game trusts you to pay attention. There are no glowing waypoints or highlighted clues. You have to dig.
What really elevates it are the flashbacks. As you investigate, you “relive” key moments from different points of view. These scenes are stylized and controlled, almost like theater. The visuals don’t aim for realism, which was a smart choice—it makes the horror more bearable, but also more surreal, like stepping into a memory that’s faded and broken. Some of those sequences hit hard, especially when you realize how mundane evil can look. It’s chilling.
I also appreciated that the game doesn’t hold your hand emotionally. It doesn’t play up the drama with over-the-top music or try to manipulate you with shock value. It simply presents what happened—through documents, testimonies, and quiet, devastating moments—and lets it speak for itself. That restraint made it feel more powerful, not less.
That said, it’s not perfect. There were a few times when the dialogue felt a bit stiff, and the pacing occasionally dragged, especially when I got stuck trying to trigger the next part of a case. There’s a kind of rhythm to the investigation that, once you fall into it, works really well—but it takes a bit of patience to get there.
A throw-back to text-based games
It’s also worth noting that The Darkest Files is very text-heavy. You’ll spend a lot of time reading, thinking, listening. If you’re looking for action or fast-paced gameplay, this probably isn’t your thing. But if you’re someone who appreciates historical fiction, courtroom dramas, or narrative-driven games that actually challenge you to think and reflect, I’d say give it a shot.
By the time I finished, I felt like I had just stepped out of a documentary I didn’t know I needed to see. It left me feeling angry, sad, and strangely hopeful—because the game’s real message isn’t just about remembering the past. It’s about the importance of telling the truth, even when no one wants to hear it.
I don’t know if I’ll replay it any time soon, but I’ll definitely remember it. And honestly, I think that’s the point.
