Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025's Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. The breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's success, the talented performers also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers won 7 awards throughout the show.
Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the gamers, with only four awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—determined by reviewers.
Here is the full list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – 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
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the actual ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 is available to watch via video below.
