Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place this past week, and in a stunning performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the most decorated winner. The breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's achievements, its skilled performers also received individual awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers won seven awards throughout the event.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the public, with only 4 awards—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by reviewers.
Following is the full list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the actual ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed through streaming following this article.
