Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded on Thursday, and with a remarkable performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the biggest winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Top Game award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the studio's success, the talented actors also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its developers won seven awards throughout the event.
Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Outstanding Independent Game and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only four categories—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by reviewers.
Below is the full list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Top Remake – 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
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the live event, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed online below.
