The Light in the Darkness
Release date: Jan 26, 2024
Developers: Voices of the Forgotten
Publishers: Arcade Distillery
Genres: Adventure, Indie
Categories: Single-player, Steam Achievements, Full controller support
Supported languages: English, French, Arabic

The Light in the Darkness is a captivating role-playing game that takes players on an emotional journey through the dark times of the Nazi occupation of France during World War II. In this game, players take on the role of a Polish Jewish family living in Paris, experiencing the hardships and challenges they face as they try to survive in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile towards them. Gameplay in The Light in the Darkness revolves around making choices and exploring the environment. Players will interact with various characters, engage in dialogue, and make decisions. The game's story is told through a mix of in-game events and documentary evidence, which adds a layer of authenticity to the experience. The game also features a variety of simple mini-games, which help to break up the narrative and add variety to the gameplay. One of the key features of The Light in the Darkness is its educational platform. Players will be able to access archives and photos, as well as explore history in a way that is designed to make Holocaust education accessible for all, including those who don't have the ability to visit museums.

Press reviews: “Opening with the Évian Conference of 1938, which doomed Jewish refugees by refusing them entry to safe countries, the game follows a family of Polish Jews in Paris as they experience the Nazi occupation, leading, ultimately, to the Vel d’Hiv roundup in 1942. In the space of a moving hour, Bernard touches on the Nuremberg Laws, antisemitism in fairy tales and anti-Jewish propaganda. He shows how the Holocaust was, pace Whoopi Goldberg, a “race-based” genocide and how quickly France went from embracing Jews to sending them to their deaths.” The Times “Mr. Bernard’s approach could even be used to deepen people’s understanding of other genocides. The game arrives at an urgent moment. The Anti-Defamation League, an advocacy group, reports that anti-Semitism has reached a record-high in America. Elsewhere, memories of Nazi horrors are waning as elderly survivors die. By keeping their stories alive, the game helps to inform new generations about the atrocities that Jews were made to endure.” The Economist “The Light in the Darkness forces you to consider the terrifying emotional truth of this dark chapter in history... it’s hard to think of another game that has really dug into the horrors and the trauma of the war like this.” Radio Times