Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the biggest winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's achievements, the talented actors also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English received Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards throughout the show.
Other major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four categories—Critics Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by critics.
Here is the complete list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – 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 Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – 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 Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the live event, the awards ceremony can be viewed via video here.
