A new educational video game about the Holocaust, “The Light in the Darkness”, is now available for free PC download on Epic Games.
The game, directed by Luc Bernard, is also currently on display at the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle, Washington.
“Video games can tell profound, meaningful and universal stories of tragedy and triumph that are more realistic and gut-wrenchingly impactful,” the game’s description reads. “Our mission is to connect each new generation with the experiences of those who lived during one of the greatest atrocities in the history of the world — the Holocaust.”
“We convey the painful, tragic, real-life stories in vivid detail, and we keep them alive in the hearts and minds of generations to come by teaching their stories in ways that will help others learn, and help humanity avoid repeating its worst mistakes,” it adds.
In a previous interview with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), Bernard — who was born in France and raised in the United Kingdom — said, “People complain about the lack of knowledge about the Holocaust and the rise of antisemitism, but nobody is offering any solutions, which is what this game does. Maybe we need to try something a bit new.”
The plot of the game is based on the story of a fictional family of Polish Jews — Moses, Bluma, and their son Samuel — who moved to France before World War II seeking a better life.
Players will experience events from before the Nazi occupation of France up to the infamous July 1942 Vel D’Hiv Roundup — the mass arrest of Jews in Paris and their subsequent deportation to concentration and extermination camps.
Bernard consulted with multiple Holocaust survivors, historians, and educators to ensure the accuracy of the game’s details.
“When we’re making a plot like this, we can’t have any errors,” Bernard said. “We double and triple checked facts. Every single thing that happens in the game is based on the truth, from different accounts we put to together to make it appealing and tell the story we wanted to tell.”
“Not to reveal a spoiler, but the characters will die,” Bernard continued. “We’re not making a Hollywood story with a happy ending, we’re going to show the truth.”
The game also has an education mode, featuring historical materials — such as photos, documents, and survivor testimonies.
Bernard hopes the game will expose a young mass audience to the Holocaust and spark interest in learning more on their own about the historical facts of the genocide.
“This will break barriers and open up the door for Holocaust education for everyone,” he said.
There are also plans to launch PlayStation 5 and Xbox versions of “The Light in the Darkness” soon, and Bernard expects three million people will use the game this year.
“The Light in the Darkness” can be downloaded from Epic Games — the creator of “Fortnite” — here.
