Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the studio's success, the gifted actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English won Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved seven awards throughout the event.
Other major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and Best PC Game. Notably, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Below is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – 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 Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the actual show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video here.
