Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded on Thursday, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the biggest winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Top Game award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the developer's triumph, its gifted performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Studio of the Year. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers achieved 7 awards during the show.
Additional notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and Premier PC Title. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only 4 special—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by experts.
Here is the complete list of honorees from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – 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
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – 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
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full ceremony, the awards ceremony is available to watch via video here.
