Expedition 33 Dominates at the 2025's Golden Joystick Ceremony
The 43rd yearly Golden Joystick Awards took place on Thursday, and with a remarkable display, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 claimed the title of the most decorated winner. This surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive secured the esteemed Top Game award, along with honors for Superb Storytelling and Excellence in Visuals.
Complementing the developer's triumph, the skilled cast also garnered personal awards. Jennifer English was named Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr took home Best Supporting Actor for his work as Verso. Moreover, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Best Development Team. Overall, Clair Obscur and its developers achieved seven awards during the ceremony.
Additional standout winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Console Game of the Year, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, honored with Top Self-Published Indie and Premier PC Title. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the public, with only four special—Critics’ Choice, Breakthrough, Hall of Fame, and Streamers’ Choice—determined by experts.
Following is the full list of winners from the Golden Joystick Awards 2025:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Excellence in Sound – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Top Visual Design – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Top Indie Title – Blue Prince
- Studio of the Year – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access Game – REPO
- Best Soundtrack – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing (Console/PC) – Minecraft
- Streamers' Pick – Peak
- Best Remake / Remaster – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Breakthrough – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Game 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
- PC Game of the Year – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Console Game of the Year – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics’ Choice Award – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Wanted Game – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game of the Year – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you who missed the live ceremony, the awards ceremony can be watched through streaming below.