Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. The breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the studio's triumph, the gifted performers also received personal awards. Jennifer English received Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers achieved seven awards during the show.
Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only four awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by experts.
Below is the entire list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – 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 Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – 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
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed via video here.
