Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025's Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. The breakout role-playing game by 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, its talented actors also received individual awards. Jennifer English received Outstanding Lead Performance for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself received Top Studio. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards during the show.
Additional major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by critics.
Following is the complete list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming 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 Inductee – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched through streaming here.
