Paintbucket Games
Games that matter
- Open roles
- 0
- Founded
- 2018
- Employees
- 11-50
- Offices
- 1
About Paintbucket Games
Paintbucket Games is an independent game development studio based in Berlin, Germany, founded in 2018 by Jörg Friedrich and Sebastian St. Schulz. It creates narrative-driven games that explore historical, political and social questions, combining interactive storytelling with subjects such as civilian resistance, authoritarianism, transitional justice and civic responsibility.
The studio develops entertainment and educational games, with work spanning PC, Mac, mobile devices and consoles. Its approach brings historical and ethical subject matter into playable situations, using investigation, branching dialogue and player decisions to engage audiences with complex themes.
Historical stories and interactive investigations
Its debut, Through the Darkest of Times (2020), places players in charge of a civilian resistance group in Berlin during the Third Reich, covering the years 1933–1945. Published by HandyGames, the game established the studio's focus on historical experiences built around the choices and pressures facing ordinary people.
Paintbucket Games subsequently developed Beholder 3 (2022) with publisher Alawar Entertainment. Its 2025 release, The Darkest Files, is a historical courtroom and investigation adventure about the post-war prosecution of Nazi perpetrators, drawing inspiration from public prosecutors associated with Fritz Bauer.
Alongside these commercial releases, the studio produces educational impact games with cultural and academic institutions. These include Forced Abroad, developed with the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism; Max Mannheimer - ben jakov, with the Max Mannheimer Study Centre; and Remember. The Children of Bullenhuser Damm, with the Hamburg Memorials and Learning Centers Foundation.
Development capabilities
The studio offers full-cycle game design and software development, concept workshops, playable prototyping and pedagogical consulting. Its technical capabilities include 2D and 3D development in Unity, alongside co-development, work-for-hire and cross-platform porting. This work serves both digital entertainment and organisations using games for education, remembrance and public engagement.
As of November 2026, its development slate includes SOKO 1977: Anti-Terror Task Force and The Darkest Files - Battalion DLC.
More about Paintbucket Games
Leadership
Jörg Friedrich and Sebastian St. Schulz are the company's managing directors. Before founding the studio, both had more than twenty years of professional game development experience, including leadership roles on AAA productions such as Spec Ops: The Line and Dead Island 2.
Recognition
- Paintbucket Games received Studio of the Year at the German Computer Game Awards in 2023.
- Through the Darkest of Times received a Games for Impact nomination at The Game Awards and recognition at the German Developer Award.
- The Darkest Files won Best German Game and Best Serious Game at the German Computer Game Awards in 2026.
Operating model
The studio has participated in the Saftladen co-working collective since April 2018. It also collaborates within the remote control productions family network for production partnering and business development.
Notable credits
14 creditsOffices
Where Paintbucket Games is based
- c/o Saftladen, Normannenstraße 1-2, 10367 Berlin, GermanyBerlin, Germany
Berlin Headquarters
HeadquartersPrimary headquarters and active game development studio within the Saftladen co-working collective.
Open roles
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