Clair Obscur Sweeps at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the biggest winner. This breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the coveted Top Game award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the developer's success, the talented performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved 7 awards throughout the ceremony.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four categories—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by critics.
Below is the entire list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – 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’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the live show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed through streaming below.
