Clair Obscur Sweeps at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's triumph, its gifted actors also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Studio of the Year. Overall, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards during the show.
Other major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Top Sound Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Premier PC Title. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the gamers, with only 4 categories—Critics’ Choice, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by experts.
Here is the entire list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent 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
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – 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 ceremony, the awards ceremony can be watched via video following this article.
