Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Awards
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and with a remarkable performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the most decorated winner. This standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Game of the Year award, along with honors for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's achievements, its gifted performers also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved 7 awards during the show.
Additional notable winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Top Sound Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only four special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—determined by critics.
Here is the full list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the live show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed via video following this article.
