Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins a total of 8 major awards including Game of the Year (GOTY) in the recently concluded annual game awards. Sandfall Interactive

The culmination of this year's Game Awards at the Peacock Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on 11 December marked a historic victory for Sandfall Interactive's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The French title bagged the Game of the Year (GOTY) award in the annual game awards ceremony.

The 2025 Game Awards streamed live worldwide simultaneously from Los Angeles via Amazon's Prime Video, Twitch, and YouTube, and was also covered by Forbes.

The awards ceremony also featured announcements of upcoming games and trailers, including those of the new Tomb Raider, Star Wars, and Resident Evil franchise releases, People reported.

Before the ceremony commenced, Forbes also published an official list of the nominees. Apart from Clair Obscur, other titles in the roster included Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II. Every single nominee proves noteworthy, but Clair Obscur stood out.

Other categories included Best Game Direction, Best Adaptation, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Audio Design, and Best Performance, among others.

Complete Rundown: Game Awards 2025 Winners

Here's the list of this year's awardees, as listed by Beebom:

  • Game of the Year (GOTY) – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best Game Direction – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best Adaptation – The Last of Us: Season 2
  • Best Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best Art Direction – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best Score and Music – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Lorien Testard)
  • Best Performance – Jennifer English (Expedition 33)
  • Best Audio Design – Battlefield 6
  • Best Independent Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best Multiplayer – Arc Raiders
  • Best Narrative – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best RPG – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best VR/AR Game – The Midnight Walk
  • Best Community Support – Baldur's Gate 3
  • Best Sports/Racing Game – Mario Kart World
  • Best Debut Indie Game – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best Sim/Strategy Game – FINAL FANTASY TACTICS – The Ivalice Chronicles
  • Best Art Direction – Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
  • Best Action Adventure Game – Hollow Knight: Silksong
  • Game Changer – Girls Make Games
  • Most Anticipated Game – Grand Theft Auto VI
  • Best Fighting Game – Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves
  • Content Creator of the Year – MoistCr1TiKaL
  • Best Ongoing Game – No Man's Sky
  • Games for Impact – South of Midnight
  • Best Action Game – Hades II
  • Best Mobile Game – Umamusume: Pretty Derby
  • Best Esports Team – Team Vitality – Counter-Strike 2
  • Best Esports Athlete – Chovy
  • Best Esports Game – Counter-Strike 2
  • Innovation In Accessibility – Doom: The Dark Ages
  • Best Family Game – Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Player's Voice – Wuthering Waves

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's GOTY Win: A New Era for Indie Games?

It was a sweep this year for the makers of Clair Obscur, Sandfall Interactive, bagging a whopping eight major awards out of twelve nominations, topping 2020's record of seven awards for The Last of Us: Part 2.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's rise to fame can be attributed to the game's unique storytelling, with TIME recognising its appeal to the gaming community. Fans and critics alike celebrated its victory, particularly for emerging victorious against major games such as Hollow Knight: Silksong, Nintendo's Donkey Kong Bananza, and Sony's Ghost of Tsushima, among others.

The Washington Post article notes that the recognition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and other indie games suggests that indie titles are conquering the mainstream gaming industry.

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