The forty-third annual Golden Joystick Awards were hosted recently, and in a stunning show, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 emerged as the top winner. The surprise role-playing game by Sandfall Interactive won the prestigious Top Game award, along with accolades for Best Storytelling and Top Visual Design.
Complementing the developer's achievements, its talented actors also garnered individual awards. Jennifer English won Best Lead Performer for her role as Maelle, while Ben Starr won Supporting Performance Award for his role as Verso. Additionally, Sandfall Interactive the studio was honored as Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its makers achieved seven awards throughout the show.
Other notable winners included Ghost of Yōtei, which was awarded Outstanding Audio and Best Console Game, and Hollow Knight: Silksong, receiving Outstanding Independent Game and Best PC Game. Notably, the bulk of Golden Joystick Awards are chosen by the audience, with only 4 awards—Critics' Pick, Breakthrough Award, Lifetime Achievement, and Streamers' Favorite—determined by reviewers.
Here is the full list of honorees from the 2025 gaming awards:
- Top Story – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Audio Design – Ghost of Yōtei
- Top Multiplayer Title – Peak
- Best Visuals – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top DLC – Lies of P: Overture
- Best Self-Published Indie – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Indie Game – Blue Prince
- Top Studio – Sandfall Interactive
- Best Early Access – REPO
- Top Score – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Top Game Trailer – Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2
- Mobile Game Still Played – Pokémon Go
- Still Playing - Consoles & PC – Minecraft
- Streamers’ Choice – Peak
- Top Remake – The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered
- Rising Star Award – Schedule I
- Best Hardware – AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Best Adaptation – Arcane Season 2
- Supporting Performance Award – Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Lead Performer – Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Lifetime Achievement – The Sims
- Best PC Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Best Console Game – Ghost of Yōtei
- Critics Pick – Donkey Kong Bananza
- Most Anticipated – Grand Theft Auto 6
- Ultimate Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
If you missed out on the live show, the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards can be watched via video following this article.
