Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the prestigious Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's success, the skilled actors also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English was named Outstanding Lead Performance for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself received Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its makers collected seven awards during the ceremony.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by experts.
Following is the entire list of award recipients from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – 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
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the actual show, the awards ceremony can be watched online below.
