Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place recently, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the most decorated winner. This standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the studio's success, the talented actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards throughout the show.
Other standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the public, with only 4 special—Critics’ Choice, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamer Selection—judged by reviewers.
Following is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed via video here.
