Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards unfolded on Thursday, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the prestigious Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the developer's success, the talented cast also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself received Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its makers collected seven awards during the event.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which received Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and Best PC Game. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are selected by the audience, with only four awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamer Selection—judged by reviewers.
Below is the entire list of honorees from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – 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
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – 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
- Top Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the live show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 is available to watch online below.
