Clair Obscur Sweeps at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place recently, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's success, the skilled actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards during the event.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only four categories—Critics Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers' Favorite—determined by experts.
Following is the complete list of honorees from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – 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 Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top 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 who missed the full show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video here.