Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. This breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the studio's success, its skilled performers also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards during the event.
Additional notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by critics.
Following is the full list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the live show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 is available to watch through streaming below.
