Clair Obscur Dominates at the 2025 Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards were hosted on Thursday, and through an impressive show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the most decorated winner. The standout role-playing game from Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Game of the Year award, along with prizes for Outstanding Narrative and Best Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's success, the gifted actors also were honored with personal awards. Jennifer English was named Top Lead Actor for her performance as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Top Studio. Altogether, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved 7 awards throughout the show.
Other standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which received Best Audio Design and Best Console Game, 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 audience, with only four categories—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough Award, Hall of Fame inductee, and Streamers’ Choice—decided by reviewers.
Below is the entire list of winners from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards:
- Outstanding Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Expansion – Lies of P: Overture
- Top Indie (Self-Published) – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Top Early Access Title – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Still Playing - Mobile – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Top Game Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lead Performance Award – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Hall of Fame Inductee – The Sims
- Best PC Game – 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
For those missed out on the live ceremony, the awards ceremony can be viewed through streaming here.