Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. The breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the studio's achievements, the talented cast also received personal awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio received Top Studio. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only 4 special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—decided by experts.
Here is the entire list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – 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
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – 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 online below.
