Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony

The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. This surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.

Adding to the studio's triumph, its gifted cast also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its developers collected 7 awards during the show.

Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the public, with only four awards—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by reviewers.

Following is the full list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:

• Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
• Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
• Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
• Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
• Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
• Top Early Access Title – REPO
• Top Score – 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 Remake / Remaster – 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
• Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
• Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
• Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
• Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
• Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

If you who missed the full event, the awards ceremony is available to watch online following this article.