Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. This standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the studio's achievements, the skilled actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers won 7 awards during the show.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the gamers, with only four categories—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—decided by critics.
Here is the full list of honorees 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 Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development 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
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best 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 Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video following this article.
