Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards took place recently, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the studio's success, its gifted performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English won Outstanding Lead Performance for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Studio of the Year. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected seven awards throughout the event.
Other major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Premier PC Title. Worth mentioning, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the public, with only four special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by critics.
Here is the full list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – 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 of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed through streaming here.
