Clair Obscur Sweeps at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and in a stunning performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. This surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Game of the Year award, along with honors for Superb Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's achievements, the talented actors also received individual 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 named Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team achieved seven awards throughout the show.
Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and Premier PC Title. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only four categories—Critics’ Choice, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by critics.
Here is the full list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – 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 - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – 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
For those missed out on the actual show, the awards ceremony can be watched online here.
