Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. This breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Enhancing the developer's success, its skilled cast also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers won seven awards throughout the show.
Additional major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only four awards—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers' Favorite—determined by experts.
Below is the full list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the actual show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed through streaming here.
