Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the most decorated winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Top Game award, along with honors for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Enhancing the developer's success, its talented actors also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio received Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards during the show.
Additional notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four awards—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by experts.
Here is the entire list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – 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 Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be watched online here.
