Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted this past week, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. The standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Outstanding Narrative and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's achievements, the gifted performers also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself received Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team achieved 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only 4 categories—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Below is the full list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (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
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the live ceremony, the awards ceremony is available to watch via video below.
