Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. This breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Top Game award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's triumph, the gifted actors also received personal awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio received Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers won 7 awards throughout the ceremony.
Additional major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only 4 special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by reviewers.
Following is the complete list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – 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 – Schedule I
- Best 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
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the actual event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched online here.