Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and in a stunning display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. The standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Enhancing the studio's success, its skilled actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Studio of the Year. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team achieved seven awards during the ceremony.
Additional major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Worth mentioning, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the public, with only four awards—Critics’ Choice, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—judged by experts.
Following is the full list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- 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
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top 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
- 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
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the live show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 is available to watch via video here.
