Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place recently, and through an impressive display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the most decorated winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Top Game award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Adding to the studio's success, its gifted actors also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team won 7 awards throughout the ceremony.
Additional major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only four categories—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—judged by critics.
Following is the full list of honorees from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed through streaming below.
