A French indie studio’s debut game just matched one of the most dominant award show performances in gaming history. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept the 43rd Golden Joystick Awards on November 20, 2025, claiming seven total awards including the prestigious Ultimate Game of the Year. This ties the record set by Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023, when Larian Studios’ RPG also won seven Golden Joysticks. For Sandfall Interactive, a small team creating their first commercial release, the achievement represents validation that their unique blend of French arthouse aesthetics, turn-based combat with real-time elements, and Belle Époque dark fantasy resonates far beyond niche audiences. The clean sweep positions Clair Obscur as the frontrunner heading into The Game Awards in December, where it earned 12 nominations.
The Complete Award Haul
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won in every category where it was nominated, a remarkable achievement given the public-voted nature of the Golden Joystick Awards. The seven victories break down as follows: Ultimate Game of the Year (the night’s top honor), Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, Best Soundtrack, Studio of the Year for Sandfall Interactive, Best Lead Performer for Jennifer English as Maelle, and Best Supporting Performer for Ben Starr as Verso.
This represents the first time a debut title from an independent studio has won Ultimate Game of the Year at the Golden Joysticks. Previous winners typically came from established franchises or veteran developers with proven track records. The only comparable upset was when Baldur’s Gate 3 swept in 2023, though Larian Studios had decades of RPG development experience through the Divinity series.
Sandfall Interactive’s creative director Guillaume Broche expressed shock on social media, posting what the f**k is happening as the awards accumulated throughout the ceremony. The team of approximately 30 developers never expected their experimental fusion of Japanese RPG mechanics, French artistic sensibilities, and Western production values would resonate so strongly with global audiences.
What Makes Clair Obscur Special
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 takes place in a dark fantasy version of Belle Époque France, the period from roughly 1871 to 1914 characterized by art nouveau, cultural optimism, and technological progress. The game twists this historical setting with supernatural horror through the Paintress, a mysterious being who conducts an annual event called the Gommage that erases everyone at or above a specific age. Each year, the age decreases by one, creating existential dread as entire generations vanish overnight.
You control Expedition 33, a group of volunteers setting out to destroy the Paintress before she erases humanity completely. The party consists of six playable characters, each with unique skill trees, weapons, and combat mechanics that dramatically alter playstyle. Lune the mage generates elemental Stains to enhance her abilities. Maelle the fencer switches between Stances that modify her attacks and defense. Sciel wields a scythe alongside magical cards that apply Foretell stacks to enemies before consuming them for massive damage.
The combat system blends turn-based strategy with real-time elements including quick-time events, timed blocks, and active dodges. This hybrid approach creates tactical depth while maintaining action intensity that pure turn-based systems lack. Battles require both strategic planning about skill usage and mechanical execution during real-time sequences, satisfying different player preferences simultaneously.
Exploration follows traditional JRPG structure with linear levels containing hidden resources, side quests, collectibles, character outfits, and optional bosses. Resting at Expedition Flags heals the party, enables fast travel, allows item restocking, and lets players allocate attribute and skill points. These flags respawn most enemies, creating risk-reward decisions about when to rest versus pushing forward with depleted resources.
The overworld map called The Continent connects individual levels through a mythical creature named Esquie who helps the party travel. Esquie gains new traversal abilities like swimming, flying, and diving as you progress, unlocking previously inaccessible areas in classic metroidvania fashion.
The Voice Acting Excellence
Jennifer English and Ben Starr’s award wins represent recognition for performances that elevated Clair Obscur’s emotional storytelling. English, best known as Shadowheart in Baldur’s Gate 3, portrays Maelle with vulnerability and determination as a fencer confronting mortality through the Gommage’s ever-decreasing age limit. Her performance captured critical praise for conveying fear, hope, and resolve through dialogue and motion capture work.
Ben Starr, who voiced Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI, plays Verso, a supporting character whose relationship with the protagonist creates some of the narrative’s most impactful moments. Starr’s acceptance speech emphasized how the gaming industry presents flawed characters that reflect real struggles, acknowledging the hard lives people navigate outside virtual worlds.
The dual acting awards alongside the game’s seven total wins created a dominant evening for everyone associated with Clair Obscur. Voice acting recognition at major ceremonies remains relatively rare, with most awards focusing on technical or design achievements. Seeing two actors from the same game sweep performer categories demonstrates the production’s commitment to narrative quality.
Critical and Commercial Reception
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched on April 24, 2025, to critical acclaim that positioned it among the year’s best-reviewed games. The unique aesthetic blending French art nouveau with Japanese RPG conventions created visual distinctiveness that screenshots and trailers conveyed effectively. Early adopters praised the combat system’s hybrid turn-based and real-time elements, the emotional weight of the Gommage concept, and production values rivaling AAA budgets despite the indie team size.
The game went gold on March 22, 2025, exactly 33 days before release, a coincidence the marketing team embraced given the game’s title. Physical versions distributed through Maximum Entertainment in North America, Bandai Namco in Europe, and Sega in Japan ensured broad retail availability alongside digital sales on Steam, Epic Games Store, Xbox, and PlayStation platforms.
Sales figures haven’t been publicly disclosed, though the game’s success suggests strong performance across platforms. Day one Xbox Game Pass availability provided immediate access to millions of subscribers while generating guaranteed revenue for Sandfall regardless of individual sales. This financial stability allowed the small team to focus on quality over aggressive monetization or live service elements.
Other Notable Golden Joystick Winners
While Clair Obscur dominated, other winners across categories painted an interesting picture of 2025 gaming. Ghost of Yōtei, the sequel to Ghost of Tsushima, won Console Game of the Year and Best Audio Design, positioning it as a strong The Game Awards contender. Hollow Knight: Silksong finally released after years of anticipation and claimed PC Game of the Year, validating the long development cycle.
Grand Theft Auto VI won Most Wanted Game for the second consecutive year, demonstrating sustained hype despite no concrete release date. The Sims entered the Hall of Fame, recognizing two decades of cultural impact and genre dominance. PEAK won Best Multiplayer Game, while Lies of P: Overture claimed Best Game Expansion.
The Critics’ Choice Award went to Donkey Kong Bananza, suggesting professional reviewers gravitated toward different titles than the public vote. This disconnect between critic favorites and audience preferences creates interesting discussions about evaluation criteria and personal taste versus technical achievement.
Looking Ahead to The Game Awards
Clair Obscur’s Golden Joystick sweep creates enormous momentum heading into The Game Awards on December 12, 2025. The game earned 12 nominations including Game of the Year, Best RPG, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, and Best Performance nominations for both Jennifer English and Ben Starr.
However, The Game Awards use a different voting structure where a jury of approximately 100 media outlets determines 90 percent of results with public votes accounting for only 10 percent. This creates scenarios where jury consensus differs from public preference, potentially favoring technically innovative or culturally significant titles over pure audience favorites.
Competition remains fierce with Ghost of Yōtei, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, and other 2025 releases also earning multiple nominations. Whether Clair Obscur can replicate its Golden Joystick dominance at The Game Awards or if the jury gravitates toward different choices remains the biggest question heading into December.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many awards did Clair Obscur Expedition 33 win?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won seven Golden Joystick Awards: Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, Best Soundtrack, Studio of the Year, Best Lead Performer, and Best Supporting Performer.
What is the Golden Joystick Awards record?
The record is seven awards won by a single game. Baldur’s Gate 3 set this record in 2023, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 tied it in 2025.
When did Clair Obscur Expedition 33 release?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched on April 24, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and day one on Xbox Game Pass.
Who developed Clair Obscur Expedition 33?
Sandfall Interactive, a French indie studio of approximately 30 developers, created Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as their debut commercial game using Unreal Engine 5.
What type of game is Clair Obscur Expedition 33?
It’s a turn-based JRPG with real-time combat elements set in a dark fantasy Belle Époque France, featuring six playable characters with unique mechanics, quick-time events, and timed actions during battles.
Is Clair Obscur Expedition 33 nominated for The Game Awards?
Yes, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received 12 nominations for The Game Awards 2025, including Game of the Year, Best RPG, and performance nominations for its voice actors.
Who voices the main characters in Clair Obscur?
Jennifer English (Shadowheart from Baldur’s Gate 3) voices Maelle, while Ben Starr (Clive from Final Fantasy XVI) voices Verso. Both won Golden Joystick Awards for their performances.
Conclusion
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s historic Golden Joystick Awards performance proves that innovative design, artistic vision, and emotional storytelling can compete with established franchises and massive budgets. For a debut indie game to tie Baldur’s Gate 3’s record while introducing a completely new IP demonstrates exceptional quality across every aspect of development. Whether this momentum carries through The Game Awards and translates into long-term franchise potential remains to be seen, but November 20, 2025, will be remembered as the night a small French studio achieved gaming immortality. The Paintress may erase ages from existence, but these awards ensure Clair Obscur’s legacy endures.