Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and through an impressive display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Top Game award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the developer's achievements, its skilled performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his work as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved seven awards during the event.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the public, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamer Selection—determined by critics.
Below is the complete list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best 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 Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the full event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed online following this article.
