Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the most decorated winner. The breakout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Top Game award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the developer's achievements, its skilled actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team achieved 7 awards during the event.
Additional notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by reviewers.
Here is the complete list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Top 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 – REPO
- Top Score – 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
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the actual ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed through streaming here.
