Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted this past week, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. The standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the developer's success, its talented cast also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself received Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved 7 awards during the show.
Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the gamers, with only 4 awards—Critics Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamer Selection—decided by experts.
Here is the complete list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the live ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed through streaming here.
