Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Gaming Honors

The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.

Adding to the developer's triumph, its talented cast also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved 7 awards throughout the ceremony.

Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only 4 categories—Critics’ Choice, Rising Star, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by critics.

Below is the complete list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:

• Best Storytelling – 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
• Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
• Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
• Best Early Access Game – REPO
• Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
• Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
• Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
• Streamers’ Choice – Peak
• Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
• Breakthrough 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 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' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
• Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
• Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

For those who missed the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched through streaming here.