Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was crowned the top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the esteemed Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Enhancing the studio's success, its talented cast also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English received Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr earned Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself received Studio of the Year. Overall, Clair Obscur and its developers collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional standout winners featured Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Outstanding Independent Game and PC Game of the Year. Worth mentioning, the lion's share of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics’ Choice, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by experts.
Following is the entire list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie 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
- Console/PC Game Still Played – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best 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
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those who missed the actual ceremony, the awards ceremony is available to watch online here.
