Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the most decorated winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's success, the talented actors also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English won Outstanding Lead Performance for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself received Studio of the Year. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers collected seven awards during the show.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only four categories—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamer Selection—determined by reviewers.
Below is the entire list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the actual ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video following this article.
