Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 keeps proving it’s the underdog story of 2025. The French-developed turn-based RPG just scored six nominations for the Golden Joystick Awards, beating out industry heavyweights like Death Stranding 2, Ghost of Yotei, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, each of which earned four nods. For a game that seemed like a left-field reveal just over a year ago, sitting atop gaming’s biggest popularity contest feels surreal.
The Six Categories Expedition 33 Conquered
Sandfall Interactive’s breakout hit earned nominations across some of the Golden Joysticks’ most prestigious categories. The full list includes Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, Studio of the Year, Best Soundtrack, Best Lead Performer, and Best Supporting Performer. Notably absent are the Best Console Game and Best PC Game categories, though the studio is expected to compete for Ultimate Game of the Year when that shortlist drops on November 3.
The breadth of nominations highlights how completely Expedition 33 nailed every aspect of game development. It’s not just excelling in one area while coasting on mediocrity elsewhere. The painterly Belle Époque art style earned visual design recognition. The voice acting brought emotionally gripping characters to life. The haunting soundtrack perfectly captured the game’s dark fantasy atmosphere. Everything came together into a cohesive whole that resonated with critics and players alike.
How a Small French Studio Beat AAA Giants
Sandfall Interactive started as a 30-person core team formed during the COVID-19 pandemic when creative director Guillaume Broche reached out to friends and contacts from his time at Ubisoft. They set out to create the high-fidelity turn-based RPG that AAA studios abandoned years ago, drawing inspiration from Final Fantasy and Persona games that shaped their youth.
The result launched on April 24, 2025 to universal acclaim. Metacritic scores hit 92 across all platforms with 97 percent of critics recommending it. The user reception proved even more enthusiastic, earning one of the highest Metacritic user scores of all time as of May 2025. Sales followed the praise, with 3.3 million copies sold within 33 days of release. Those numbers positioned it as the highest-rated original IP in PlayStation Store history.
What separates Expedition 33 from other indie success stories is how it competed directly with AAA production values. The game runs on Unreal Engine 5 after switching from UE4 mid-development for rendering improvements. The visual fidelity matches anything Sony’s first-party studios produce, while the combat system blends traditional turn-based mechanics with real-time quick time events and timed actions that keep battles engaging.
The Competition It’s Facing
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yotei, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 each earned four Golden Joystick nominations, making them the closest challengers to Expedition 33’s dominance. Popular indie hits like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Sword of the Sea, and Peak also scored multiple nominations across various categories.
The 2025 field is unpredictable according to Daniel Dawkins, content director of the Golden Joystick Awards. He noted that indies and AA titles frequently dominate playtime and social discourse now, reflecting a fast-evolving industry where budget size doesn’t guarantee success. Categories like Best Multiplayer Game featuring Peak, Battlefield 6, Mario Kart World, and Elden Ring Nightreign will be tight races with no clear favorites.
Why Expedition 33 Resonated So Deeply
The game’s premise hooks players immediately. Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints a cursed number on her monolith. Everyone at or above that age turns to smoke and fades away. As the number ticks down annually, more people disappear. When it reaches 33, the player’s expedition departs on a final mission to destroy the Paintress forever.
That mortality-driven narrative frames themes of grief, loss, and finding joy in small moments that hit harder than typical save-the-world plots. IGN’s Michael Higham praised how it frames mortality and grief, while Push Square’s Liam Croft noted every cutscene remains gripping thanks to excellent voice acting heightening an already intriguing plot. The story received critical acclaim across the board, with reviewers calling it emotionally resonant in ways most games never achieve.
The combat system deserves equal credit. Turn-based RPGs risk feeling slow and outdated, but Expedition 33 solved that by incorporating rhythm game inputs and quick time events into battles. Players need good timing and quick reflexes even during strategic turn-based planning, creating an addictive hybrid that keeps combat tense. The system drew comparisons to classic JRPGs while feeling completely modern.
The Voting Process and What Comes Next
Voting opened October 3 and runs until 5pm PDT on October 31, 2025. The Golden Joysticks feature 21 categories this year, including a new Best Remake and Remaster award. The Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist announcement on November 3 will reveal whether Expedition 33 made the cut for the biggest prize, with voting opening the same day.
Winners will be unveiled at the awards ceremony on November 20. Some critically acclaimed winners will be revealed at the ceremony rather than through public voting, adding an element of surprise to the proceedings. Whether Expedition 33 actually takes home trophies almost doesn’t matter at this point. The nomination count alone puts it on the same stage as Kojima Productions and Sucker Punch, a massive victory for a game born from an experimental French RPG project.
The Baldur’s Gate 3 Comparison
Industry observers are drawing parallels between Expedition 33 and Baldur’s Gate 3’s trajectory. Both started as critics’ favorites before reshaping conversations about what their respective genres could accomplish. If Expedition 33 wins big at the Golden Joysticks and continues its momentum through The Game Awards in December, it could have a similar industry impact.
The key difference is Baldur’s Gate 3 had Larian Studios’ two-decade pedigree and Dungeons & Dragons brand recognition backing it. Expedition 33 comes from a brand-new studio with no existing IP, making its success even more remarkable. Sandfall already confirmed a sequel is in development, with creative director Guillaume Broche stating Expedition 33 is just one of the stories they want to tell in the Clair Obscur franchise.
What This Means for Turn-Based RPGs
Major publishers abandoned turn-based combat years ago, chasing action-oriented gameplay that tests poorly with focus groups. Final Fantasy went full action RPG. Dragon Age followed suit. Even Persona added real-time dungeon crawling elements. The conventional wisdom said modern audiences won’t tolerate waiting for turns anymore.
Expedition 33 proved that theory wrong. When executed with tight mechanics, gorgeous visuals, and compelling narratives, turn-based RPGs can compete directly with action games for sales and critical acclaim. The 3.3 million copies sold in a month rivals many AAA launches, and the overwhelmingly positive reception suggests there’s massive untapped demand for high-quality traditional RPGs.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Golden Joystick nominations did Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 receive?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 received six nominations at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025, more than any other game. The categories include Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, Studio of the Year, Best Soundtrack, Best Lead Performer, and Best Supporting Performer.
Who developed Clair Obscur: Expedition 33?
French studio Sandfall Interactive developed the game. The studio was formed during COVID-19 by Guillaume Broche, a former Ubisoft employee, who assembled a 30-person core team of friends and industry contacts.
When does voting close for the Golden Joystick Awards?
Voting remains open until 5pm PDT on October 31, 2025. The Ultimate Game of the Year shortlist will be announced November 3 with voting opening the same day. Winners will be revealed at the ceremony on November 20.
How well did Expedition 33 sell?
The game sold 3.3 million copies within 33 days of its April 24, 2025 release. It became the highest-rated original IP in PlayStation Store history and earned universal acclaim from critics with a 92 Metacritic score.
What other games are competing against Expedition 33?
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Ghost of Yotei, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 each received four nominations. Popular indie titles like Hollow Knight: Silksong, Hades 2, and Peak also earned multiple nominations across various categories.
Will there be a Clair Obscur sequel?
Yes. Creative director Guillaume Broche confirmed that Expedition 33 is one of multiple stories planned for the Clair Obscur franchise. Sandfall Interactive is already working on future entries.
What makes Expedition 33’s combat system unique?
The game combines traditional turn-based RPG mechanics with real-time quick time events and timed actions. Players need good timing and reflexes during battles, creating a hybrid system that feels both strategic and action-oriented.
Conclusion
Six Golden Joystick nominations might seem like just another awards season headline, but for Expedition 33 it represents validation that a small French studio with a creative vision can compete with the biggest names in gaming. Whether it sweeps the awards or walks away with nothing, Sandfall Interactive already proved that turn-based RPGs aren’t dead and that originality still matters more than marketing budgets. The real winners are players who got an incredible game and the genre itself, which just got a massive shot of credibility from Expedition 33’s success.