The Light in the Darkness – An Educational Historical Experience about the Holocaust in France

Video games from World War II have never been in short supply. They rarely talk about the Holocaust, one of history’s greatest tragedies. A recent study from the UK revealed that 52% of UK citizens don’t know the number of Jews who died during the Holocaust. Video games are the most popular form of storytelling, and if we want to preserve the memories of all those who were killed in the Holocaust, then we need to tell their stories using video games. This is what I plan to accomplish through The Light in the Darkness, an education video game that focuses on the Holocaust. The project has been a dream of mine for a decade. After many trial and error, the game will finally be released on Xbox and Windows 10 in 2014. It will also be freely available as a free download to anyone who wants to play it.

Multiple reasons motivated me to concentrate on the Holocaust in France in The Light in the Darkness. First, because I’m French, the Holocaust in France rarely gets discussed. The Holocaust is also a part of my life. I remember when I was young, my grandmother telling me stories about how she looked after Kindertransport kids in the UK. The Holocaust was an influence on my family.

People have been asking how the gameplay will be. Video games are usually based on choices made by the player. However, the game will intentionally not contain choice-based mechanics to simulate a “lack of control” feeling to emulate the powerless experience during the Holocaust. Instead, it is about telling the story through the family’s eyes, to show how the survivors are treated and their heroic actions.

Moses, Bluma, and Samuel are Polish Jewish immigrants that came to France in search of a better future. The player will experience events from before the occupation of France by Nazi Germany, up to the atrocities carried out by the Vichy France known as the Vel D’Hiv Roundup. The story was inspired by multiple survivors’ accounts, but to make sure everything is as historically accurate as possible, we have been consulting with multiple Holocaust survivors, their children, as well as historians. The Light in the Darkness is not only a captivating tale, but it will also serve as an educational platform. In what we refer to as the Educational Mode, players will have access to archives and photos as well as an opportunity for historical exploration. You can watch survivor testimony alongside video clips from historians. The goal of Education Mode is to make Holocaust education accessible for all, including those who don’t have the ability to visit museums. Video games offer a great way to bring people into the history and expose them to hateful acts of violence. That is why I couldn’t be prouder to bring this historical educational experience to Xbox and Windows 10 next year.