Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded on Thursday, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the biggest winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the esteemed Game of the Year award, along with honors for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the studio's achievements, its gifted actors also received personal awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers collected seven awards during the ceremony.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Notably, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four categories—Critics Choice, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by experts.
Below is the full list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – 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’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best 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 – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the actual event, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be watched via video following this article.
