Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and through an impressive display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. This breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's triumph, the gifted actors also received personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards throughout the ceremony.
Other major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the public, with only four special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Below is the complete list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough 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 Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the actual show, the awards ceremony can be watched through streaming following this article.
