Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded recently, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. This standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the coveted Top Game award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the studio's success, its skilled performers also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English was named Outstanding Lead Performance for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Performer for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio received Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved 7 awards during the event.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by critics.
Following is the entire list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best 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
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards is available to watch via video here.
