Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the most decorated winner. This standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the esteemed Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's triumph, its skilled performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English received Outstanding Lead Performance for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team achieved 7 awards during the ceremony.
Other major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Premier PC Title. Notably, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only four special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—determined by critics.
Here is the entire list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – 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
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the live show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video below.
