Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. This standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the studio's success, its skilled cast also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected seven awards during the show.
Additional notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and Premier PC Title. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the public, with only 4 special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by reviewers.
Below is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – 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
If you missed out on the live show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed online below.
