Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards
The forty-third yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and through an impressive display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the most decorated winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive earned the coveted Top Game award, along with prizes for Best Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the studio's triumph, the talented actors also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English received Best Lead Performer for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Performer for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio was named Top Studio. Overall, Clair Obscur and its makers won seven awards during the ceremony.
Other major winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, winning Top Self-Published Indie and PC Game of the Year. It is important to note, the majority of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only four categories—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame, and Streamer Selection—determined by critics.
Following is the entire list of award recipients from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Best Multiplayer Game – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Indie Game Self Published – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Best Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – 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 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 Title – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
For those missed out on the live ceremony, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be viewed through streaming below.
