When the Associated Press published their list of 2025’s top video games, nobody expected a debut title from a small French studio to claim the number one spot. Clair Obscur Expedition 33, developed by just 33 people at Sandfall Interactive, beat Grand Theft Auto 6, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ghost of Yotei, and every other blockbuster release this year. This isn’t just an upset – it’s a vindication of creative vision over massive budgets, and proof that the gaming industry’s most exciting innovations still come from teams willing to take risks that major publishers won’t.
The AP’s Complete Top 10 List
The Associated Press revealed their rankings for 2025’s best video games on November 25, and the lineup represents a fascinating mix of AAA blockbusters and surprise indie darlings. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 claimed the top position, followed by The Outer Worlds 2 in second place and Silent Hill f in third. The full top 10 includes Assassin’s Creed Shadows at four, Donkey Kong Bananza at five, The Seance of Blake Manor at six, Avowed at seven, Ghost of Yotei at eight, South of Midnight at nine, and The Alters rounding out the list at ten.
What makes this ranking remarkable is how it prioritizes innovation and execution over brand recognition and marketing budgets. Three Xbox first-party titles made the cut with The Outer Worlds 2, Avowed, and South of Midnight, demonstrating Microsoft’s strong year of exclusive releases. Meanwhile, some of gaming’s biggest anticipated titles like Grand Theft Auto 6 didn’t crack the top 10, suggesting the AP valued complete experiences over hype and commercial potential.
What Makes Clair Obscur Special
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 launched on April 24, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (day one on Game Pass), and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The game is a turn-based tactical RPG that reimagines the genre by incorporating real-time action elements like parrying and dodging inspired by Dark Souls. This hybrid approach attracted both traditional JRPG fans and action game enthusiasts who typically avoid turn-based combat, expanding its appeal beyond typical genre boundaries.
The premise centers on a world haunted by the Paintress, a mysterious entity who annually paints a number on her monolith. Everyone whose age matches that number dies instantly. The game follows Expedition 33, humanity’s desperate attempt to stop the Paintress before she paints the number 33 and wipes out an entire generation. This high-concept hook provides narrative urgency that drives the entire experience, making every battle feel consequential rather than a grind toward arbitrary progression milestones.
The Development Story Behind the Success
Sandfall Interactive’s journey makes their success even more impressive. Director Guillaume Broche founded the studio with 33 developers who worked unpaid initially until securing funding from Kepler Interactive, a publisher that wasn’t even formed until a year after Sandfall started. Kepler took a massive risk investing in Guillaume’s vision for a debut title from an unproven studio, but that gamble paid off spectacularly. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has already sold over 5 million copies according to reports, an astronomical number for an original IP from a small team.
The game’s Belle Époque French aesthetic sets it apart visually from every other RPG on the market. While most fantasy games draw from medieval European or Japanese influences, Clair Obscur embraces turn-of-the-century Paris with art nouveau architecture, period-appropriate fashion, and cultural elements that feel completely fresh. This distinctive art direction earned praise from critics and helped the game stand out in preview events and trailers, creating buzz that money can’t buy.
Record-Breaking Game Awards Recognition
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 didn’t just succeed critically and commercially – it made history at The Game Awards 2025. The title received 12 nominations total, breaking the record for most nominations ever received by a single game in TGA history. Those nominations spanned 10 different categories including Game of the Year, Best Performance (with three separate acting nominations), Best Art Direction, Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, Best Indie Debut, and Best RPG.
Early predictions suggest the game could sweep 8-9 awards at the December ceremony, potentially tying Baldur’s Gate 3’s record of 10 wins. Charlie Cox’s performance as protagonist Gustave has been singled out as a likely winner in the Best Performance category, with critics praising his emotional range and character work. The game’s chances in Art Direction face stiffer competition from titles with more distinct visual styles, but most other categories seem like locks given how thoroughly Clair Obscur dominated its release window.
Golden Joystick Awards Clean Sweep
Before The Game Awards, Clair Obscur already demonstrated its dominance at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025. The game won Ultimate Game of the Year plus all six other categories it was nominated for, a clean sweep that rarely happens at major awards shows. This comprehensive victory signaled to industry observers that Expedition 33 wasn’t just a critical darling – it had genuine mainstream appeal and commercial success backing up the praise.
The Combat System That Changed Minds
What separates Clair Obscur’s combat from traditional turn-based RPGs is how it incorporates real-time action mechanics without abandoning tactical depth. During enemy turns, players can parry attacks with precise timing or dodge with positioning, directly reducing damage taken. This system rewards skill and attention rather than forcing players to passively watch enemy animations play out. The Dark Souls influence is obvious and intentional, attracting Soulsborne fans who typically avoid turn-based games entirely.
On the player’s turn, combat maintains traditional tactical elements with action points, positioning strategy, and ability synergies between party members. The game doesn’t simplify these systems to accommodate the real-time dodging – instead it asks players to master both, creating a hybrid experience that feels genuinely innovative rather than gimmicky. There are significant difficulty spikes throughout the game, particularly a tough two-phase boss at the end of Act 1 with an infamous instant-kill attack that forces players to truly understand the mechanics.
Party Composition and Character Depth
The game features six battle-ready playable characters, each with distinct combat roles, personalities, and narrative arcs. Unlike some RPGs where party members feel interchangeable mechanically, Clair Obscur gives each character unique abilities that significantly change combat strategy. Choosing who to bring into specific encounters becomes a meaningful decision rather than just picking your favorites. The character writing has earned particular praise for avoiding common JRPG tropes and delivering genuinely surprising character development throughout the story.
Why This Matters for the Industry
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 topping the AP’s list while also breaking TGA nomination records sends a powerful message about what gamers actually value. Despite analysts predicting Grand Theft Auto 6 would dominate conversation and sales throughout 2025, an original IP from first-time developers earned more critical acclaim and industry recognition. This suggests there’s still massive appetite for new ideas executed with passion and vision, even in a market increasingly dominated by sequels, remakes, and live service games.
The success also validates mid-budget game development. Sandfall Interactive didn’t need hundreds of millions in funding or teams of thousands to create something special. Their 33-person studio proved that focused creative vision, strong art direction, and innovative gameplay mechanics can compete with the biggest franchises in gaming. This could encourage more publishers to take risks on original concepts from smaller studios rather than only funding safe sequels and established IP.
Critical Reception and Metacritic Scores
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 earned a 93 on Metacritic, establishing it as the highest-rated RPG of 2025 and one of the best-reviewed games of the entire year. That score puts it in elite company alongside all-time classics, and it’s especially impressive for a debut title from an unproven studio. Critics consistently praised the game’s innovative combat, distinctive art direction, compelling narrative, and technical polish that’s rare for first-time developers.
The unanimous critical acclaim translated directly into commercial success. Beyond the 5 million copies sold, the game maintained strong player retention and positive user reviews across all platforms. The day one Game Pass release on Xbox could have cannibalized sales, but instead it exposed the game to millions of players who might not have taken a chance on an unknown title at full price. Many of those Game Pass players reportedly purchased the game on other platforms to support the developers after finishing it.
The Future of the Franchise
Director Guillaume Broche has confirmed that Clair Obscur will become a franchise with more games planned. Given the first title’s success, publisher Kepler Interactive will almost certainly greenlight sequels with larger budgets and expanded scope. The question is whether Sandfall can maintain the creative spark that made Expedition 33 special while scaling up production, or if they’ll fall into the sequel trap of bigger-but-not-better that plagues many franchises.
The game’s ending leaves room for continuation while providing satisfying closure to the immediate story, giving Sandfall flexibility in how they approach sequels. They could follow the same characters in a direct continuation, explore different time periods in the same world, or use the Paintress mythology as a framework for completely new stories. Whatever direction they choose, expectations will be sky-high after the first game’s critical and commercial performance exceeded even the most optimistic predictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Clair Obscur Expedition 33?
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is a turn-based tactical RPG developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive. The game combines traditional JRPG combat with real-time parrying and dodging mechanics inspired by Dark Souls, set in a Belle Époque French aesthetic world threatened by the mysterious Paintress.
Why did Clair Obscur win the AP’s top game of 2025?
The Associated Press ranked Clair Obscur Expedition 33 as their number one game of 2025, praising its innovative combat system, distinctive art direction, compelling narrative, and overall execution that prioritized creative vision over massive budgets. The game earned a 93 Metacritic score and broke TGA nomination records.
How many copies did Clair Obscur Expedition 33 sell?
According to reports, Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has sold over 5 million copies as of late 2025. This is an extraordinary achievement for a debut title from a 33-person studio with an original IP.
How many Game Awards nominations did Clair Obscur receive?
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 received 12 nominations at The Game Awards 2025, breaking the record for most nominations ever received by a single game in TGA history. The nominations spanned 10 different categories including Game of the Year, Best Performance, Best Art Direction, and Best RPG.
When did Clair Obscur Expedition 33 release?
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 launched globally on April 24, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S (day one on Game Pass), and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store. The game had a simultaneous worldwide release with no early access.
What makes Clair Obscur’s combat different?
Unlike traditional turn-based RPGs, Clair Obscur incorporates real-time action elements where players can parry enemy attacks with precise timing or dodge with positioning during enemy turns. This Dark Souls-inspired system rewards skill while maintaining tactical depth on player turns.
Who developed Clair Obscur Expedition 33?
Sandfall Interactive, a French studio founded by director Guillaume Broche, developed Clair Obscur with exactly 33 developers. The team worked unpaid initially until securing funding from publisher Kepler Interactive, which took a risk on the unproven studio’s vision.
Will there be a Clair Obscur sequel?
Yes, director Guillaume Broche has confirmed that more Clair Obscur games are planned. The first game’s critical and commercial success makes sequels highly likely, with publisher Kepler Interactive expected to greenlight expanded productions with larger budgets.
Conclusion
Clair Obscur Expedition 33 topping the Associated Press’s best games of 2025 list represents more than just one studio’s success story – it’s a statement about what the gaming industry can achieve when creative vision takes priority over safe sequel formulas and massive marketing budgets. A team of 33 French developers who initially worked without pay created something that resonated more deeply with critics and players than Grand Theft Auto 6, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and dozens of other blockbuster franchises. The game’s 93 Metacritic score, record-breaking 12 Game Awards nominations, over 5 million copies sold, and clean sweep at the Golden Joystick Awards prove that innovation, distinctive art direction, and refined gameplay mechanics still matter more than brand recognition. Whether Sandfall Interactive can maintain this magic in inevitable sequels remains uncertain, but for 2025 at least, they’ve demonstrated that a small team with a bold vision can compete with the biggest names in gaming. The industry would be healthier if more publishers took similar risks on original concepts from passionate developers rather than endlessly recycling established IP. Clair Obscur Expedition 33 didn’t just win awards – it proved there’s still room for new classics in an industry increasingly dominated by sequels and remakes.