The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards unfolded recently, and in a stunning performance, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. This breakout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's triumph, the gifted performers also received individual awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Furthermore, Sandfall Interactive itself was named Best Development Team. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its developers collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Best PC Game. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the gamers, with only four awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—judged by reviewers.
Here is the full list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Independent Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Top Score – 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
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the full event, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed online below.
