Expedition 33 Sweeps at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony

The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and through an impressive performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. This standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.

Adding to the developer's success, its talented performers also were honored with individual awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio received Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers won seven awards during the event.

Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Top Sound Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the public, with only four categories—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by experts.

Here is the entire list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:

• Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
• Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
• Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
• Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
• Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
• Top Early Access Title – REPO
• Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
• Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
• Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
• Streamer Favorite – Peak
• Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
• Rising Star Award – Schedule I
• Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
• Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
• Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Best Lead Actor – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
• Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
• Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
• Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
• Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

For those who missed the live event, the awards ceremony is available to watch through streaming here.