Clair Obscur Triumphs at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the top winner. The surprise role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the coveted Ultimate Game of the Year award, along with honors for Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Enhancing the developer's triumph, the skilled performers also received personal awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive itself was honored as Best Development Team. In total, Clair Obscur and its creative team collected 7 awards during the ceremony.
Additional major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which won Best Audio Design and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Best Indie Game (Self-Published) and PC Game of the Year. Notably, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—decided by critics.
Here is the full list of award recipients from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Audio – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Top Gaming Gear – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Best Supporting Performer – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Top PC Title – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the full show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed via video following this article.
