Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. This standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the studio's triumph, its talented cast also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved seven awards during the event.
Other major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only 4 special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by experts.
Here is the entire list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched through streaming below.
