Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. The breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's success, its gifted cast also received individual awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team achieved 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the public, with only four awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Here is the complete list of award recipients from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – 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
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the full event, the awards ceremony can be watched through streaming following this article.