Los Angeles, CA—The Game Awards 2025 concluded tonight in a triumphant fashion for Sandfall Interactive’s debut title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The breakout turn-based RPG not only took home the coveted Game of the Year award, but also became the most-awarded game in the ceremony’s history with an astounding nine wins.
The critically acclaimed title, inspired by the French Belle Époque period and classic JRPGs, dominated the craft categories, securing victories for Best Game Direction, Best Art Direction, Best Narrative, and Best Score and Music.
A Night of Record-Breaking Wins
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 landed with a record-breaking 13 nominations and converted them into nine statuettes, including several major category victories:
- Game of the Year
- Best Role-Playing Game
- Best Independent Game
- Best Debut Indie Game
- Best Performance: Jennifer English (for her role as Maelle)
The win is a monumental achievement for the independent French studio, Sandfall Interactive, who demonstrated that a compelling vision, rich narrative, and unique artistic style can compete with the industry’s biggest AAA releases.
The Expedition’s Journey
The game’s narrative centers on the eponymous Expedition 33, a group of “Painters” who embark on a perilous quest to stop a catastrophic event known as the “Gommage” (The Erasure). This affliction is causing the world’s inhabitants to die younger and younger, and the Expedition must journey to find and defeat the mysterious entity responsible.
For the top prize, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 beat out a tough field of contenders, including the highly anticipated titles Death Stranding 2: On The Beach, Hades II, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II.