Expedition 33 Triumphs at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and in a stunning performance, 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 accolades for Outstanding Narrative and Excellence in Visuals.
Enhancing the developer's achievements, the talented actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Top Studio. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team won seven awards during the ceremony.
Other standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—decided by critics.
Below is the entire list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – 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 Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed via video following this article.
