Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted this past week, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. The standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive secured the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Enhancing the studio's triumph, the talented actors also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her portrayal as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his acting as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive itself received Studio of the Year. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its makers collected seven awards during the show.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and Best PC Game. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are voted on by the audience, with only 4 special—Critics' Pick, Rising Star, Hall of Fame, and Streamers' Favorite—judged by critics.
Here is the full list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Best Storytelling – 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
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing (Mobile) – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamer Favorite – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Actor – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the live ceremony, the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 is available to watch via video following this article.
