Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025's Gaming Honors
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the coveted Top Game award, along with honors for Superb Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's success, its talented performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected seven awards throughout the show.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—decided by reviewers.
Below is the entire list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – 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 – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the actual event, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed via video below.
