- Winner of Germany’s Best Game Award for two consecutive years, jointly developed by Paintbucket Games x German Federal Office for Political Education (bpb).
- A roguelike investigation game set in German autumn (Deutscher Herbst), scheduled for release in early 2027.
- Resistance against the Nazi regime, an extension of the post-World War II era… Questioning the historical crisis of democracy through a game
In 1977, West Germany was plunged into a state of emergency due to kidnappings and assassinations by a left-wing terrorist organization. Political pressure, the scrutiny of the media, and a life-or-death operation. Paintbucket Games, an indie studio in Berlin, Germany, has partnered with the German Federal Office for Political Education (bpb) to release the history and political mystery game ‘SOKO 1977: Anti-Terror Task Force’ .
Set against the backdrop of the political upheaval in West Germany in 1977 known as the ‘German Autumn (Deutscher Herbst)’, this game is currently under development with the goal of a PC and Mac Steam release in early 2027, and additional information is scheduled to be revealed at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, in mid-2026.
This project was carried out through a development competition held by the German Federal Office for Political Education. Paintbucket Games was selected over approximately 40 competing studios and was awarded a commissioned development worth about 400,000 euros. The project was known as ‘6 Weeks’ during the early stages of development.
Into ‘German Autumn’… A roguelike mystery game combining political tension and rhetoric
The setting of SOKO 1977 is 1977, when West German society was plunged into extreme chaos due to the activities of the left-wing armed organization RAF (Red Army Faction).
At the time, the second generation of the RAF kidnapped and murdered Hans-Martin Schleyer, the president of the German Entrepreneurs Association, and the national crisis escalated with the hijacking of a Lufthansa Landshut aircraft. This period is collectively referred to as the “Autumn of Germany” in modern German history.
In the game, the player takes on the role of a commander leading a special police task force during an emergency. They must track terrorist networks, identify suspects, and coordinate operations within limited time and information.
In particular, the application of a procedural generation system ensures that new investigation scenarios and different challenges appear with every playthrough. The structure, which requires piecing together clues from incomplete information and making decisions in a high-pressure operations room, creates tension.
Evidence gathering, interrogation, media response, team management… A test of democracy beyond the investigation
Players must command a special police task force amidst an emergency, uncover terrorist networks, identify suspects, and coordinate operations. Under time pressure and limited information, they must carefully evaluate clues and weigh the risks.
However, the game asks more than just the success of the investigation. You must answer sharp questions from the media, conduct interrogations, interact with your team, and pay attention to managing public opinion.
At the same time, pressure from politics, society, and the media continues to mount. To what extent can the state intervene for the safety of its citizens? What are the limits of an acceptable response under democracy and the rule of law?
SOKO 1977 focuses on allowing players to directly experience these political and social dilemmas through their choices and within the system.
Berlin’s Conscience, Selected from a Competition of 40 Studios… The History Trilogy of Paintbucket Games
Paintbucket Games is a Berlin-based indie studio founded in 2018 by former AAA developers Jörg Friedrich and Sebastian St. Schulz.
Their body of work has consistently explored the crises of history and democracy. Their debut work, *Through the Darkest of Times*, told the story of coordinating a civilian resistance group in Nazi-controlled Berlin, while *The Darkest Files* explored the legal investigation of Nazi crimes in post-war Germany.
Notably, The Darkest Files recently won both the ‘Best German Game’ and ‘Best Serious Game’ awards at the German Computer Game Awards 2026. Immediately after the awards, Paintbucket Games officially announced its new title, ‘SOKO 1977,’ continuing its direction of developing history-based games.
The new work is being developed based on consultations with experts in modern history and police history, as well as extensive historical research. However, rather than faithfully recreating actual events, it aims to foster discussion on government authority, extremism, and democracy through historically plausible fictional scenarios.
‘SOKO 1977’, which incorporates the realistic dilemma of balancing counter-terrorism and civil liberties, national security and the rule of law into its game system, aims to be a work that goes beyond a simple investigation simulation and questions the weight of political choices.
This is why attention is focused on Paintbucket Games’ moves toward a 2027 release, wondering what unanswered questions it will leave players with this time, given its consistent exploration of the vulnerable moments of history and democracy.
Information regarding ‘SOKO 1977: Anti-Terror Task Force’
| item | detail |
|---|---|
| Developer | Paintbucket Games (Berlin, Germany / Founded in 2018) |
| entrusted institution | German Federal Office for Political Education (bpb) |
| Genre | History & Political Mystery Game / Roguelike Investigation Simulation |
| Release platform | PC·Mac (Steam) |
| Scheduled for release | Early 2027 |
| background | 1977 West Germany / Autumn in Germany (Deutscher Herbst) |
| core system | Procedure Creation / Investigation / Clue Evaluation / Interrogation / Media Response / Team Management |
| Awards | German Computer Game Awards 2026 Best German Game · Best Serious Game (Previous work: The Darkest Files) |
| Previous work | Through the Darkest of Times (2020) · The Darkest Files (2025) |
| Original work name | 6 Weeks |
| Main Keywords | Autumn in Germany, RAF, Terrorism, Democracy, Rule of Law, Mystery, Historical Politics Game |
| Official Channel | Discord · YouTube · Instagram · LinkedIn · Bluesky · Facebook · TikTok |
| Official Website | paintbucket.de |
