Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. This standout role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the coveted Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Adding to the developer's achievements, its talented actors also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Top Studio. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only four categories—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by critics.
Here is the full list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game 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 Inductee – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the full show, the awards ceremony can be watched online following this article.
