Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Gaming Honors
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. The standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Excellence in Visuals.
Enhancing the developer's success, its skilled cast also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers achieved seven awards during the event.
Other standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Top Sound Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only four categories—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamer Selection—decided by experts.
Following is the complete list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Top 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 - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – 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
If you missed out on the live ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards is available to watch through streaming following this article.
