Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the biggest winner. The breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's success, its talented performers also received personal awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his acting as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved 7 awards during the ceremony.
Other notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Top Sound Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the gamers, with only four categories—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by experts.
Following is the full list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Music – 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
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the live show, the awards ceremony can be watched via video here.
