Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and with a remarkable performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. This standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's success, its talented actors also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards throughout the show.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by experts.
Below is the full list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best 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 Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full ceremony, the awards ceremony is available to watch through streaming below.
