Clair Obscur Sweeps at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. The breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the studio's triumph, its gifted performers also received individual awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself received Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards throughout the show.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only four special—Critics Choice, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by reviewers.
Following is the complete list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best 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 Performer – 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
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched online following this article.
