Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the most decorated winner. This surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Top Visual Design.
Enhancing the developer's triumph, the talented performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers achieved seven awards throughout the show.
Additional major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by critics.
Here is the entire list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- 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
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – 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
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed online here.
