Golden Joystick Awards 2025: Clair Obscur ties Baldur’s Gate 3 record with seven wins

Dubai: We don't play video games for the awards they win, but there's something special about watching your favourite game take home trophy after trophy. That pride swells even more when the game doesn't just win—it makes history. At the 43rd Golden Joystick Awards held on Thursday, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 did exactly that, sweeping seven awards and tying the record set by Baldur's Gate 3 in 2023.

The big wins

The French-made RPG walked away with some of the night's most prestigious honours: Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, and Best Soundtrack. But the celebration didn't stop there. Developer Sandfall Interactive earned Studio of the Year, whilst the game's stars Jennifer English and Ben Starr took home Best Lead Performer and Best Supporting Performer respectively.

That's seven awards total—matching the impressive haul that Baldur's Gate 3 achieved in 2023, which itself had beaten The Last of Us Part 2's six-award record from 2020.

The underdog story

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the story behind it. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was created by a core team of just 30 people working out of Sandfall Interactive's offices in Montpellier, France. This wasn't a massive studio with unlimited resources, it was a passionate team making their debut game.

Inspired by classic turn-based RPGs, the game stunned critics with its compelling storyline, engaging battles, and outstanding performances. The fact that three actors from the game Ben Starr, Charlie Cox, and Jennifer English, were all nominated for best performance speaks volumes about the quality Sandfall had achieved. Players of the game praise the game’s voice acting as some of the best that had witnessed.

Chasing legends

Whilst Clair Obscur's seven-award haul is impressive, there's still one gaming giant ahead of them. The Witcher 3 remains the biggest-ever Golden Joystick winner with ten awards total which were five from its 2015 release, three more for its Blood & Wine expansion in 2016, and two Most Wanted awards claimed before launch. That record seems safe for now, but if Sandfall can achieve this much with their first game, who knows what they'll accomplish next?

Other notable winners

The night wasn't just about Clair Obscur. Ghost of Yōtei claimed Console Game of the Year and Best Audio Design, whilst Hollow Knight: Silksong—the long-awaited sequel that crashed online stores upon release—won PC Game of the Year and Best Indie Game (Self-Published). GTA 6 and PEAK also scored two awards each.

The full list of Golden Joystick Awards 2025 winners follows:

• Best Storytelling - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Best Audio Design - Ghost of Yōtei

• Best Multiplayer Game - Peak

• Best Visual Design - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Best Game Expansion - Lies of P: Overture

• Best Indie Game Self Published - Hollow Knight: Silksong

• Best Indie Game - Blue Prince

• Studio of the Year - Sandfall Interactive

• Best Early Access Game - REPO

• Best Soundtrack - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Best Game Trailer - Grand Theft Auto 6 Trailer 2

• Still Playing - Mobile - Pokémon Go

• Still Playing - Consoles & PC - Minecraft

• Streamers’ Choice - Peak

• Best Remake / Remaster - The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered

• Breakthrough Award - Schedule I

• Best Gaming Hardware - AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D

• Best Game Adaptation - Arcane Season 2

• Best Supporting Performer - Ben Starr, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Best Lead Performer - Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

• Hall of Fame - The Sims

• PC Game of the Year - Hollow Knight: Silksong

• Console Game of the Year - Ghost of Yōtei

• Critics’ Choice Award - Donkey Kong Bananza

• Most Wanted Game - Grand Theft Auto 6

• Ultimate Game of the Year - Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Looking ahead

The Golden Joystick Awards are often seen as a preview of what's to come at The Game Awards, the industry's biggest night which will be held on December 11 and will hand out prizes across 29 categories this year. If Clair Obscur's Golden Joystick success is any indication, we might be watching Sandfall Interactive's debut continue its victory lap.

For now, though, the gaming world is celebrating an underdog story that reminds us why we love this industry: a small team with a big vision can still compete with and beat the biggest names in gaming.