Clair Obscur Sweeps at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the biggest winner. The standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's triumph, the skilled performers 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 itself received Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards throughout the ceremony.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by critics.
Here is the complete list of award recipients from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – 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
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the actual event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video following this article.
