Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and through an impressive display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's achievements, its gifted cast also received individual awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers achieved 7 awards throughout the event.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only 4 categories—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by critics.
Below is the full list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – 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 Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game 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' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video following this article.
