Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted this past week, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the studio's success, its skilled cast also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Studio of the Year. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team won seven awards during the ceremony.
Other notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and Best PC Game. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the public, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by reviewers.
Following is the entire list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – 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
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – 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
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the actual ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be watched online here.
