Clair Obscur Sweeps at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the biggest winner. The standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the developer's success, the gifted performers also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected seven awards throughout the event.
Other notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the gamers, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by experts.
Here is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming 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
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the actual event, the awards ceremony is available to watch online following this article.
