Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the studio's success, the gifted actors also received individual awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards during the show.
Additional notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only 4 special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Below is the full list of honorees 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 Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – 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
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the actual event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video below.
