Through the Darkest of Times
Dark times mean fear and risks. The risk to be caught by patrolling National Socialists, looking for people who publicly stand against their point of view. The risk of being beaten up or even killed by the German military because we‘re opposing the regime. The risk of losing everything, including our loved ones. This is how we live. This is how we try to survive. Through the darkest of times. You are the leader of a small resistance group in 1933’s Berlin, of ordinary people, from Jews to Catholics and Communists to Patriots who simply can’t stand aside. Your goal is to deal with small blows to the regime – dropping leaflets to spread awareness about what the Nazis are really up to among the people, painting messages on walls, sabotaging, gathering information and recruiting more followers. And all of that while staying undercover – if the regime’s forces learn about your group, the life of each member is in grave danger.
Game Discussion
Steam User 27
Every American needs to play this game RIGHT NOW. It's a fantastic history lesson in the rise of fascism, and it's a history lesson that every single American needs to relearn. It's actually heartbreaking, even though it's only text. Seeing the historical "stories" play out is actually horrifying.
Gameplay itself is a resource management game, and it works. Works pretty well, even if a bit simplistic. It's just a vehicle to the story, and the story is very well written. I know I haven't played much of it right now, but it's hard to play it and literally see the same things play out in current day America.
Steam User 9
I can't recommend this game for its gameplay as it appears unbalanced to me due to the fact that my agents get heat on them too often > requiring they go into hiding (costing me money) > requiring me to replenish more funds to prepare for going into hiding the future > detracting from accomplishing my goals because I have to divert attention to donations tasks (and hiding tasks) which takes it away from pursuing criteria to accomplish the unique objectives during each chapter. There's no method available to rapidly pursue unique objectives because the prerequisite tasks and criteria will require you to rely on a jack of all trades team and the fact that everyone won't be available at a moment's notice means you have delays, and then the fact that everyone gets too much heat on them after riskier tasks means you have to go into hiding for a week causing even more delays. This game started to feel like a grind from the second chapter but since I got a feeling that there were only a couple more chapters after I held still held on instead of dropping the game.
I can only recommend this game for the story telling which puts you in the lens of Germans that lived in Berlin that opposed Nazis and what their experiences were like, which is never a perspective I had thought of until now.
Steam User 12
Through the Darkest of Times is a harrowing and poignant strategy-adventure game developed by Paintbucket Games. Set in Nazi Germany, the game places you in the role of a resistance group leader trying to survive and fight back against Hitler’s regime between 1933 and 1945. Rather than relying on combat or action mechanics, the game uses turn-based strategy and narrative choices to reflect the moral weight and dangers of defiance in one of history’s darkest periods.
You manage a small cell of resistance fighters, each with their own traits, backgrounds, and skills. Your weekly tasks include spreading anti-Nazi leaflets, gathering information, stealing supplies, or helping persecuted individuals escape. Missions involve balancing risk, morale, and resources, often forcing difficult decisions where failure can mean death or imprisonment for your team.
The game is divided into four chapters, each corresponding to a major phase of the Third Reich. As history advances, the stakes get higher and options narrower. You're not here to change the course of history—you’re trying to retain your humanity and make a difference where possible.
The hand-drawn, expressionist visual style complements the somber tone perfectly. Stark color palettes, minimal animations, and powerful facial expressions capture the fear, sorrow, and fleeting hope of the era. The soundtrack is subtle but haunting, reinforcing the game’s atmosphere without overwhelming the message.
This is where Through the Darkest of Times truly shines. It blends real historical events with fictional characters, often confronting you with uncomfortable choices. Do you risk your life to distribute flyers, or stay safe for the sake of your family? Do you steal from Nazi collaborators to fund the resistance? Many actions have unintended consequences, and success is often bittersweet.
The game doesn’t pull punches—it’s educational, emotionally weighty, and often grim. But that’s the point. It’s a reminder of what resistance meant under totalitarianism.
Through the Darkest of Times isn’t for everyone, but it’s an essential experience for those interested in history, resistance, and moral decision-making. It doesn’t glorify war or rebellion—it honors the quiet, often tragic bravery of ordinary people who chose to fight back, even when they knew they couldn’t win.
7/10
DISASTER | BAD | MEDIOCRE | OKAY | GOOD | GREAT |AMAZING| MASTERPIECE
Reviewed on: Win11 Home 64-bit, Intel i5-11600K, GeForce RTX 3060 Ti 8GB TUF, 32GB DDR4-3600 RAM, 2 x Kingston NV1 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD, Internet Broadband 1000/1000 Mbit
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Steam User 6
A superbly crafted game that serves as storyteller, teacher, and concerned friend.
The steady drip-drip-drip of Nazi horrors through newspaper headlines pierces me with cold reality again and again.
Steam User 6
This game is not only a great resistance simulator but a lesson in history to boot. You live the Nazi era as it evolves, with real historical events.
The game itself is immersive. You have to keep a balance between funds, members, moral and hazards. Choose your partners (5 at any time) and your actions. Some resistance acts need a series of actions beforehand, ie you need to blow up something but first need to acquire the explosive device, or need to distribute leaflets but first need to get paper clandestinely. You are also faced with certain situations from time to time, ie coming across 3 SA men beating a Jew, and you have to decide how to act and what to say. Actions change as history progresses.
Got it on sale and it was a great investment.
Steam User 11
The redommendation is not for the gameplay - it's quite shallow, boring and somewhat frustrating.
The story, however, is more important than ever, seeing how history seems to repeat itself...
Steam User 5
The storytelling of Through The Darkest of Times is it's strongest asset. It makes the war feel fresh and real and dangerous in a way history books and TV shows never have for me, and it wraps this in an engaging resource management framework. Perhaps most importantly, in a game where we can't change the outcome of the story or the major events that unfold, it asks us "what is the reason for playing if we can't ever 'win'?"; and it gives us an answer in the stories of those who fought for what they believed in during the war.
Although the strategic gameplay lacks enough depth to stay fresh for the duration of it's narrative, TTDoT still offers an engaging and emotional experience for those who play it.