Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. The breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the esteemed Top Game award, along with accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's achievements, the skilled performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers won seven awards during the show.
Other standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only 4 special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by reviewers.
Below is the complete list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – 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
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – 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
For those who missed the actual event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed online here.
