Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the most decorated winner. This breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the studio's achievements, its gifted performers also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its creative team won 7 awards throughout the show.
Additional notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only 4 categories—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—determined by experts.
Here is the complete list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – 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
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed through streaming following this article.
