Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and in a stunning performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. This standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's success, its skilled cast also received individual awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Other notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio 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 chosen by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by experts.
Here is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – 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 Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full ceremony, the awards ceremony is available to watch through streaming here.
