Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. This surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the studio's triumph, the skilled actors also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Performer for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself received Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards during the show.
Other major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only four awards—Critics Choice, Rising Star, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamer Selection—determined by critics.
Here is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – 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
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards is available to watch via video here.
