Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded recently, and with a remarkable performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Top Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's triumph, the gifted cast also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team achieved seven awards throughout the show.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only 4 categories—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Here is the entire list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – 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
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – 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
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – 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
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched through streaming below.