Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded recently, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the biggest winner. The standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's achievements, its talented cast also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio received Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team won 7 awards throughout the show.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. Worth mentioning, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the gamers, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by critics.
Following is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the live event, the awards ceremony is available to watch through streaming here.