Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the developer's success, the skilled performers also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only 4 special—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Here is the full list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game 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
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed through streaming here.
