Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the biggest winner. The standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive earned the esteemed Top Game award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the developer's triumph, the gifted actors also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English was named Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team won 7 awards during the show.
Other major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Top Console Title, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only four special—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—decided by experts.
Following is the entire list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Best Development Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Gaming Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the live show, the awards ceremony is available to watch online below.