Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. This breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the studio's success, the gifted actors also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself received Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved seven awards during the show.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only four special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by critics.
Following is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full show, the awards ceremony can be viewed through streaming following this article.
