Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. This 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, the gifted performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Performer for his work as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio received Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Other notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only 4 awards—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by reviewers.
Here is the complete list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the actual show, the awards ceremony can be watched online below.
