Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded this past week, and with a remarkable show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the biggest winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Top Game award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Adding to the developer's achievements, the talented performers also received individual awards. Jennifer English was named Outstanding Lead Performance for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself received Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected seven awards throughout the show.
Other major winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, 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 voted on by the gamers, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by experts.
Following is the complete list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- 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
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Actor – 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' Choice – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the actual show, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 can be viewed online following this article.
