Through the Darkest of Times to be published by HandyGames
The years between January 1933 and May 1945 were the darkest period in history for the people of Germany, of Europe, and maybe for all of mankind. With the rise of Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist Party, a regime of fear and terror gained power in Germany. Quickly, they started to harass, imprison and even murder anyone who stood against them and minorities who did not fit into their disturbed view of the world.
While there were millions cheering for the Nazis, there were also some who felt the need to resist this monstrosity. Can you imagine how dangerous, how frightening this stance must have been? Facing a whole nation on your own? Standing against a government that formed the laws as it saw fit, answering to no-one, bound by no moral compass? Judges, prosecutors, police – all under the rule of the Party.
This is the mood of Through the Darkest of Times from Paintbucket Games. The player becomes the leader of a small resistance group in 1933’s Berlin that wants to oppose The Third Reich. It’s not a natural thing for them. They are not trained resistance fighters. They are ordinary people from various backgrounds who don’t want to see their country run by monsters.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzUa9TTm21s&feature=youtu.be
The group aims to deliver small blows to the regime: dropping broadsheets to let people know what the Nazis are really up to, painting messages on walls, sabotaging, gathering information and recruiting more followers, all while staying covert. Because once the regime’s forces learn about your group, the life of each member is in grave danger.
Can you lead your group Through the Darkest of Times?
The new publishing deal allows Paintbucket Games to increase the scope of Through the Darkest of Times. “The cooperation with HandyGames allowed us to add more depth to the game: more resistance-stories, more content, more endings. And we have a partner who will make sure the game reaches many players all over the world.” says Jörg Friedich, Founder of Paintbucket Games.
“We think it’s crucial to have a game like Through the Darkest of Times made in Germany. It’s not about teaching a lesson about the Third Reich like a serious game – it puts the player in the dire situation of these dark days. We are proud to publish such an important game.” adds Markus Kassulke, CEO HandyGames.
Through the Darkest of Times is developed by Berlin-based studio Paintbucket Games and will be published by HandyGames, a THQ Nordic family-member. The game will be released for PC and Mac in 2019.
About Through the Darkest of Times
Through the Darkest of Times is a strategy game that lets you play as the leader of a resistance group in Third Reich Berlin. It covers the entire time from Hitler’s seizure of power in 1933 through to Germany’s unconditional surrender 1945. You plan the actions of your group while at the same time balancing the morale of your members, securing the resources needed for your actions and avoiding capture by the Gestapo (Germany’s Secret Service Police during the Third Reich). Big political events follow the actual historical timeline to influence your options and help shape what happens to your group. Your members are fictional and procedurally generated on each playthrough, featuring different personalities, abilities and views. As leader of the group, it’s your job to fight the regime by winning hearts and minds of the people, holding your group together and leading them through the darkest of times.
http://throughthedarkestoftimes.com/
About Paintbucket Games
Paintbucket Games is a Berlin-based Indie Game Studio founded by two ex-AAA developers who met at YAGER while making Spec Ops: The Line. They also worked on Dead Island 2, Dreadnought, Albion Online, Drakensang, Yager (the game), Desperados 2 and others. Joerg Friedrich works on design and coding, while Sebastian Schulz works on art and design. Each of them has been making games for more than 13 years, and the pair has worked together for over a decade.
