Through the Darkest of Times

Through the Darkest of Times is an interesting strategy game set in the times of Third Reich. We play as a leader of resistance movement opposing the Nazis’ reign, inspired by groups such as Schulze-Boysen-Harnack or the one gathered around Herbert Baum. It has been developed by Berlin team of Paintbucket Games, which was established by former employees of YAGER studio, who worked on Spec Ops: The Line, Dead Island 2 and Drakensang Online among other titles.

Plot

The protagonist of Through the Darkest of Times is a fictional character and not a historical figure like a member of the famous White Rose. We play through four periods, the first one starting right after Hitler’s rise to power (1933), another when the Third Reich was at its greatest power (1933) and the third and the fourth taking place at the beginning (1940-1941) and the end of the war (1944-1945) respectively. It should be noted that our action can affect events and change history.

Game mechanics

Through the Darkest of Times is a turn-based strategy game in which we must weaken the rule of Third Reich and finally bring it to the end. Each of the four periods is a separate chapter, showing the history of Germans fighting against Nazis from the start of their rule in 1933 to its end in 1945. As the leader, we recruit new members and assign them tasks, as well as make very difficult decisions. It is also important to maintain the morale of the group and avoid drawing the attention of the Gestapo. Many elements of the game – including personalities, skills, and beliefs of our followers – are randomly generated, meaning that each game might take a slightly different turn.

Game modes

Through the Darkest of Times offers now multiplayer options, focusing solely on the single-player experience.

Technical aspects

Visuals of Through the Darkest of Times utilize an unusual style that somewhat contrasts with the game’s grim themes. Instead of focusing on realism, creators decided to make an original design for characters resembling animated movies like Persepolis.

Last updated on 13 August 2020