Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Top Game award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the studio's success, its skilled performers also received personal awards. Jennifer English won Outstanding Lead Performance for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Studio of the Year. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected seven awards during the event.
Other major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by critics.
Here is the full list of honorees from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the live ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed through streaming below.
