Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 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 top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the studio's success, the gifted performers also received personal awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Top Studio. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers collected seven awards during the show.
Additional major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Outstanding Independent Game and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the gamers, with only four awards—Critics Choice, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by experts.
Here is the full list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the actual event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards is available to watch online below.
