Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded on Thursday, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the most decorated winner. This breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the studio's triumph, the talented performers also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English won Outstanding Lead Performance for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers collected seven awards throughout the event.
Other major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Top Sound 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 majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four awards—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—judged by critics.
Below is the entire list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – 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
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best 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 Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full event, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 is available to watch through streaming following this article.
