Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. This breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's triumph, its skilled cast also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself received Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards during the show.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only four special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by experts.
Below is the full list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – 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’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full event, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be watched via video below.
