Clair Obscur Expedition 33 Rules the Golden Joystick Awards 2025
The awards season for 2025 is open officially with the Golden Joystick Awards, and this year, one title goes above and beyond. Clair Obscur Expedition 33, debut title from Sandfall Interactive, took away Ultimate Game of the Year, the top prize of the night, as well as six major awards.
An Unblemished Sweep for Sandfall Interactive
The night went to history books by Sandfall Interactive as the studio was voted for the Studio of the Year. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 also won in every possible category that it was nominated for, which was a very rare feat. The success of the game was attributed to its narrative and artistic achievements through winning in the categories for Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, and Best Soundtrack.
The game also made complete domination in the performance category. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle while Ben Starr secured the Best Supporting Performer award for his portrayal of Verso in the game.
Major Victories for Silksong and Ghost of Yotei
Other hotly anticipated titles, while indeed wonderfully flavoured by the presence of Clair Obscur first on the list, also picked significant outcomes ahead of award going home. Ghost of Yōtei won the much coveted Console Game of the Year award and also added another trophy to its case for Best Audio Design. Hollow Knight Silksong took the title of PC Game of the Year and awarded Best Indie Game (Self-Published).
Golden Joystick Awards 2025 Stars of the Event Winners List
Game of the Year Categories
- Ultimate Game of the Year: Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Console Game of the Year: Ghost of Yōtei
- PC Game of the Year: Hollow Knight Silksong
Creative and Technical Awards
- Best Storytelling: Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Best Visual Design: Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design: Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Soundtrack: Clair Obscur Expedition 33
- Studio of the Year: Sandfall Interactive
Performance Awards
- Best Lead Performer: Jennifer English (Maelle in Clair Obscur Expedition 33)
- Best Supporting Performer: Ben Starr (Verso in Clair Obscur Expedition 33)
Genre and Platform Specific
- Best Indie Game: Blue Prince
- Best Indie Game (Self-Published): Hollow Knight Silksong
- Best Multiplayer Game: PEAK
- Best Early Access Game: R.E.P.O.
- Best Remake / Remaster: The Elder Scrolls IV Oblivion Remastered
- Best Game Expansion: Lies of P Overture
- Best Game Adaptation: Arcane Season 2 (Netflix)
- Best Gaming Hardware: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
Community and Legacy Awards
- Still Playing Award (PC/Console): Minecraft
- Still Playing Award (Mobile): Pokémon GO
- Most Wanted Game: Grand Theft Auto VI
- Best Game Trailer: Grand Theft Auto VI Trailer 2
- Streamer's Choice: Peak
- Hall of Fame: The Sims
- Critic's Choice: Donkey Kong Bananza
- Breakthrough Award: Schedule I
