Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 just completed one of the most dominant awards seasons in gaming history. On December 19, 2025, IGN crowned Sandfall Interactive’s debut JRPG as its Game of the Year, capping off a legendary run that included a record-breaking nine wins at The Game Awards 2025 just a week earlier. For a small French studio’s first game, this represents a stunning achievement that has the entire industry talking.
IGN’s announcement praised Expedition 33 for demonstrating a scholarly understanding of what made classic JRPGs succeed and how those ideas can be revitalized for modern audiences. The game wears its Final Fantasy love proudly while bringing fresh mechanics and a distinctive Belle Époque aesthetic that sets it apart from both Eastern and Western contemporaries.
The Game Awards Sweep Nobody Saw Coming
Expedition 33’s dominance began at The Game Awards 2025 on December 11, where it secured nine victories out of twelve nominations. The haul included the big one: Game of the Year, beating Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2.
Beyond GOTY, the game cleaned up in nearly every category it entered. Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best RPG all went to Sandfall’s masterpiece. Jennifer English claimed Best Performance for her role as Maelle, beating out two of her own co-stars who were also nominated.
The only category where Expedition 33 was nominated but didn’t win was Best Audio Design, which went to EA’s Battlefield 6. Still, nine wins from twelve nominations represents the most awards ever won by a single title in Game Awards history, shattering previous records and cementing the game’s place in industry lore.
During his acceptance speech, game director Guillaume Broche issued a personal thank you to Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, saying he “inspired me to become a game dev.” Sakaguchi himself responded on social media, congratulating the team and expressing how touched he was by the recognition. The moment represented a passing of the torch from the JRPG masters to a new generation carrying the genre forward.
Broche ended his speech by announcing a shadow drop of Clair Obscur DLC, available immediately. The surprise release sent players rushing back into Lumière to experience new content while the Game Awards ceremony was still underway.
What Makes Expedition 33 Special
So what separates Clair Obscur from the countless other JRPGs that have come and gone without making this kind of impact? The answer lies in how Sandfall Interactive studied what made classic turn-based RPGs work and modernized those systems without losing their essence.
The combat system combines traditional turn-based mechanics inspired by Final Fantasy VII through X with real-time parry and dodge elements borrowed from Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Instead of watching attacks unfold passively, players must time button presses to parry incoming strikes or dodge area attacks. This rhythm-based defensive layer adds skill expression while maintaining the strategic depth of turn-based combat.
The game uses action points instead of traditional magic points for abilities, an innovation producer François Meurisse credits to indie deckbuilding games like Slay the Spire. This creates interesting resource management decisions that feel fresh compared to standard MP systems. Combined with the parry mechanics, director Broche describes the gameplay as “very Japanese” in its precision, saying it’s possible to complete fights “without taking a single hit” if you master the timing.
What elevates Expedition 33 beyond mechanical competence is its setting and narrative. The game takes place in Lumière, a Belle Époque-inspired fantasy world where a mysterious entity called the Paintress appears annually to inscribe a number on a monolith. Everyone who has lived to that age dies instantly. Each year, an expedition sets out to stop her before the next number claims them.
This premise creates urgency and emotional stakes that permeate every moment. The gorgeous art direction draws from France’s Belle Époque period spanning 1870-1914, a time of artistic flourishing and optimism. That aesthetic choice gives Expedition 33 a visual identity completely distinct from Japanese fantasy worlds or Western medieval settings. The melting Eiffel Tower imagery that features prominently in marketing immediately communicates that this is something different.
The Final Fantasy DNA
Sandfall Interactive never hides its influences. The game is packed with loving references to JRPG classics. Skills and enemy attacks are named after Final Fantasy XIV expansions like Shadowbringers and Stormblood. Recent DLC added even more callbacks, with enemy attack text directly quoting Persona 5’s “You’ll never see it coming,” Final Fantasy XIV’s “A test of your reflexes” from villain Zenos, and Xenoblade Chronicles’ memetic “I’m really feeling it.”
These aren’t just shallow Easter eggs. They represent Sandfall’s philosophy that studying the masters means understanding why specific design choices worked. The party-driven storytelling, linear exploration with hidden secrets, character progression systems, and dramatic narrative beats all echo Final Fantasy’s golden age. But Expedition 33 isn’t content to simply recreate the past. It asks what modern Final Fantasy would look like if Square Enix had kept refining turn-based systems instead of pivoting to action combat.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi named Expedition 33 as his personal GOTY pick before the awards, praising how “it gets all the fundamentals right.” Coming from someone directing the remake of one of gaming’s most beloved titles, that endorsement carries significant weight. Square Enix itself has acknowledged Expedition 33’s success as inspiration for future projects, suggesting even the creators of Final Fantasy recognize something special in what Sandfall achieved.
From Steampunk Zombies to Belle Époque Masterpiece
Expedition 33 wasn’t always the game we know today. According to narrative lead Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, early development envisioned a completely different experience. The game was originally set in steampunk Victorian England featuring zombies, aliens, and various other genre elements. The gameplay would have been similar, but the story and world bore little resemblance to the final product.
After six months of development, investors encouraged Sandfall to think bigger. This led to a complete reboot. Director Guillaume Broche found inspiration in a painting he loved, while Svedberg-Yen had written a short story with artistic themes that resonated with the team. These creative sparks combined with Broche’s research into French history led to the Belle Époque setting that defines Expedition 33.
That willingness to scrap months of work and start fresh in pursuit of a stronger creative vision speaks to the team’s commitment to excellence. Many studios would have pushed forward with the original concept rather than risk delays and additional costs. Sandfall bet on their instincts, and it paid off spectacularly.
The Awards Keep Coming
Beyond The Game Awards and IGN’s GOTY, Expedition 33 has dominated the 2025 awards circuit. The Golden Joystick Awards in November saw the game win multiple categories including Best Lead Performer for Jennifer English and Best Supporting Performer for Ben Starr. Sandfall Interactive was recognized as Studio of the Year. In total, Clair Obscur and its creators garnered seven Golden Joystick Awards.
The game is now nominated for the New York Videogame Critics Circle Awards scheduled for January 18, 2026. Expedition 33 is up for Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year and Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game. Jennifer English received another nomination in the Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game category.
Everyone’s playing Expedition 33 following its Game Awards sweep, with player counts surging in the days after the ceremony. The shadow-dropped DLC gives returning players new content to experience, while newcomers who heard about the game’s awards dominance are discovering what the fuss is about. This kind of sustained momentum is rare, especially for a smaller indie title competing against AAA blockbusters with massive marketing budgets.
Jennifer English’s Star Turn
One of Expedition 33’s breakout stories is Jennifer English’s performance as Maelle. This marks her first Game Awards win, though she’s risen to prominence in recent years for roles in Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3. Her Clair Obscur performance represents a career-defining moment that could catapult her to even greater opportunities.
English, who has openly discussed her ADHD, dedicated her award “to neurodivergent people,” creating a powerful moment of representation during the ceremony. Her name is now increasingly associated with critically acclaimed, award-winning games rather than just standout individual performances. With an upcoming role as the protagonist in Tides of Annihilation, English’s trajectory suggests she’s becoming one of gaming’s most sought-after talents.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did Clair Obscur Expedition 33 win IGN’s Game of the Year 2025?
Yes, IGN announced on December 19, 2025 that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is its Game of the Year 2025. IGN praised the game for demonstrating a scholarly understanding of why classic JRPGs succeeded and how those ideas can be revitalized for modern audiences while maintaining distinctive Belle Époque aesthetics.
How many awards did Clair Obscur win at The Game Awards 2025?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won nine awards out of twelve nominations at The Game Awards 2025, setting a new record for most awards won by a single title in Game Awards history. The wins included Game of the Year, Best Game Direction, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, Best RPG, and Best Performance for Jennifer English.
What is Clair Obscur Expedition 33 inspired by?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 draws primary inspiration from classic Final Fantasy games (particularly VII through X) for its turn-based combat, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice for its parry-based defensive mechanics, and indie deckbuilders like Slay the Spire for resource management. The setting is inspired by France’s Belle Époque period (1870-1914), creating a distinctive visual aesthetic unlike typical JRPG fantasy worlds.
Who developed Clair Obscur Expedition 33?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was developed by Sandfall Interactive, a French indie studio founded by Guillaume Broche and François Meurisse. This is the studio’s debut game. Sandfall is based in France, which heavily influences the game’s Belle Époque aesthetic and French cultural references throughout Lumière, the game’s fantasy world.
What makes Clair Obscur’s combat system unique?
The combat combines traditional turn-based mechanics with real-time parry and dodge elements. Players must time button presses to parry incoming attacks or dodge area effects, adding skill-based rhythm gameplay to strategic turn-based combat. The game uses action points instead of magic points for abilities, borrowed from deckbuilding games, creating interesting resource management decisions.
Who voices Maelle in Clair Obscur Expedition 33?
Jennifer English voices Maelle, the game’s protagonist. English won Best Performance at The Game Awards 2025 for this role, her first Game Awards win. She’s also known for roles in Elden Ring and Baldur’s Gate 3. During her acceptance speech, English dedicated the award to neurodivergent people, as she has openly discussed her ADHD.
What is the story of Clair Obscur Expedition 33 about?
The game takes place in Lumière, a Belle Époque-inspired world where a mysterious Paintress appears annually to inscribe a number on a monolith. Everyone who has reached that age dies instantly. Each year, a new expedition sets out to defeat her before the next number claims them. This premise creates urgent emotional stakes as characters race against time to save their world.
An Instant Classic
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has achieved what every indie developer dreams of but few accomplish: widespread critical acclaim, commercial success, and cultural impact that transcends the niche genre it inhabits. The game proves that turn-based JRPGs aren’t relics of the past but living genres capable of evolution when developers genuinely understand what made them special.
Sandfall Interactive studied the masters, learned the lessons, and created something that honors its influences while carving its own identity. The Belle Époque setting gives Expedition 33 visual distinction. The hybrid combat system modernizes turn-based battles without abandoning strategic depth. The narrative explores themes of mortality and sacrifice with emotional maturity. Every element works in harmony to create an experience that feels both nostalgic and fresh.
The awards are validation, but the real victory is how Expedition 33 has reignited conversations about what JRPGs can be. When Square Enix acknowledges your game as inspiration for future Final Fantasy projects, when Hironobu Sakaguchi publicly congratulates you, when players around the world discover turn-based combat can still feel exciting in 2025, you’ve accomplished something meaningful. Sandfall Interactive didn’t just make a good game. They made an instant classic that will influence the genre for years to come, and they did it on their first try. That’s the kind of legendary debut that redefines what’s possible for indie studios willing to dream big.