Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the biggest winner. This standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Top Game award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's success, its talented cast also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Performer for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Studio of the Year. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards throughout the ceremony.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Outstanding Independent Game and Premier PC Title. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the public, with only 4 awards—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—determined by experts.
Here is the entire list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the actual event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed online below.