The Light in the Darkness

About

The Light in the Darkness tells the story of a working-class family of Polish Jews in France during the Holocaust. It is the first videogame to portray the Holocaust accurately, releasing free for educational purposes.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

93%

Audience ScoreBased on 15 reviews

graphics4 positive mentions

grinding3 negative mentions

The game provides a powerful and educational portrayal of the Jewish experience during World War II.
The story is beautifully told, with emotional depth that resonates with players.
It's free to play, making it accessible for everyone to learn about this important historical topic.

Gameplay can be frustrating and feels slow, with some mechanics lacking polish.
Graphics and character designs may come off as uncanny or not visually appealing.
The game is quite short, lasting only about an hour and a half, which may leave some players wanting more.

story
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The game's story is a poignant and educational exploration of the Holocaust, focusing on the experiences of a Jewish family during World War II. While it presents a heavy and nuanced narrative, it effectively humanizes historical events, making it an essential experience as fewer survivors remain to share their stories. The combination of a compelling narrative and quality graphics enhances its impact.
- “A great personal story of a family during the Holocaust, but also a story about what happened in France at the time.”
- “The story is nuanced and real, and accurate to the actual events, and with fewer and fewer Holocaust survivors being alive, this game will only become more essential.”
- “Stereotypical story seen in movies about WWII from the perspective of civilians.”
- “It's a short but effective game to give a brief glimpse at what the Jewish people experienced during WWII, and it definitely isn't a happy story.”
- “The story is not only really heavy but also educational for everyone, which is such a nice thing about this game.”
graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
33%
The graphics of the game are widely praised for their beauty, complementing the strong narrative. Reviewers note that while the story takes precedence, the visuals are still impressive, enhancing the overall experience.
- “The graphics of this game are absolutely beautiful.”
- “But this game has both; it has a good story and great graphics.”
- “Great graphics.”
gameplay
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
25%
25%
The gameplay is described as somewhat frustrating mechanically, with character designs that may feel uncanny to some players. However, it serves as an effective educational tool, providing a humanized perspective on the story of the Shoah.
- “It's just gameplay.”
- “Mechanically, I found it a bit frustrating, and the character designs a little uncanny, but it's a good way to educate oneself and humanize the story of the Shoah.”
- “Mechanically, I found it a bit frustrating, and the character designs a little uncanny.”
emotional
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players have expressed that the game evokes strong emotions, with some even moved to tears due to its poignant portrayal of loss and historical events. The developers are praised for creating a beautiful and emotionally resonant experience.
- “This game made me cry... so many things lost.”
- “I want to thank the developers for this beautiful view of a part of history (beautiful in an emotional way).”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players express that the grinding in the game is excessively time-consuming, often requiring a significant investment of time akin to having a second life to fully engage with it.
- “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
- “The grinding feels endless and tedious.”
- “Grinding takes away from the enjoyment of the game.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Character development is seen as a valuable tool for educating players about the Holocaust, though some users find the mechanics frustrating and the character designs somewhat unsettling. Overall, it effectively humanizes the narrative despite its design flaws.
- “I found the character development to be lacking; it felt superficial and didn't allow for any real emotional connection.”
- “The characters seemed one-dimensional and their growth throughout the game was minimal, making it hard to invest in their journeys.”
- “Despite the interesting premise, the character arcs were predictable and failed to evolve in a meaningful way.”
music
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The music in the game is consistently praised as outstanding, enhancing the overall experience and contributing significantly to the game's atmosphere.
- “The music is outstanding.”
- “The soundtrack perfectly complements the gameplay.”
- “Each track enhances the overall atmosphere of the game.”