Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and through an impressive display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the most decorated winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's triumph, the skilled cast also received personal awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself received Studio of the Year. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers achieved seven awards throughout the event.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only 4 special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamer Selection—decided by experts.
Below is the full list of winners from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent 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
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – 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 full event, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed through streaming here.
