Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the biggest winner. The breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the prestigious Game of the Year award, along with honors for Outstanding Narrative and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the studio's success, its talented cast also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his acting as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself received Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its developers won seven awards throughout the show.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and Best PC Game. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the gamers, with only four special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by critics.
Here is the complete list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – 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 Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – 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
For those missed out on the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed online following this article.
