Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the biggest winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's triumph, the talented cast also received personal awards. Jennifer English received Outstanding Lead Performance for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers won seven awards during the ceremony.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four awards—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Here is the entire list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top 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 – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the actual show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched through streaming below.
