The Game Awards 2025 – Expedition 33’s History Storm : LOS ANGELES, December 11, 2025 — The Game Awards, the gaming world’s biggest and most glamorous event, has once again announced its biggest winner. And this time, it not only named a ‘Game of the Year’ (GOTY), but also set a new record in gaming history. French indie studio Sandfall Interactive‘s role-playing game (RPG), ‘Clair Obscur: Expedition 33,’ swept nine categories tonight, including the top honor, ‘Game of the Year.’
This win came as no surprise. Even before the awards, Expedition 33 was considered the favorite to win the GOTY, with a 94% chance of victory. With its emotional story, stunning art, memorable music, and stellar performances, the game not only won over critics but also captivated a generation of players. Following last year’s surprise win by ‘Astro Bot’, this year’s ceremony was entirely dominated by one game.
Expedition 33’s Victory : All the Categories It Won
Expedition 33 received 12 nominations, the most for any game in The Game Awards history. And it proved that these nominations weren’t just a fluke. Let’s take a look at the major categories it won:
- Game of the Year : The biggest and most prestigious award, recognizing the game’s overall excellence.
- Best Game Direction : A tribute to the vision and leadership of game director Guillaume Brochet.
- Best Narrative : For its poignant and complex story of adventurers attempting to unravel an age-old mystery in a world controlled by a supernatural force called the Pentress.
- Best Art Direction : Recognizing the game’s distinctive French-inspired, picturesque, and artistic visual style.
- Best Score and Music : For the magic of composer Lorien Testard, who was discovered after posting his homemade music on SoundCloud.
- Best Performance : Actress Jennifer English won this award for her role as Maelle. She dedicated the award to “every neurodivergent person watching this.”
- Best Role-Playing Game : The combination of a traditional turn-based combat system and a deep story earned it the Best RPG award.
- Best Independent Game & Best Debut Indie Game : This double win is a testament to how a small, passionate studio has surpassed big-budget blockbusters.
Interestingly, its only major defeat came in the Best Audio Design category, where Battlefield 6 won. Additionally, the fan-voted Players’ Voice award went to Wuthering Waves.
The Story Of A Dream : Leaving Ubisoft To Create ‘Game of the Year’
He thanked his team as well as the “unsung heroes” who “make tutorials on YouTube about how to make games, because we had no idea ourselves before.” It was a moment of honesty and humility that resonated with the entire industry.
A Glimpse Of Other Major Winners And Big Announcements
Although the night belonged to Expedition 33, several beloved games received recognition in other categories as well:
Best Action/Adventure Game : Hollow Knight: Silksong
Best Action Game : Hades II
Best Family Game : Donkey Kong Bananza
Best Ongoing Game : No Man’s Sky
Best Adaptation : The Last of Us Season 2 (HBO)
The Game Awards is always famous for announcing new games, and this year there were some big reveals:
Larian Studios (makers of Baldur’s Gate 3) revealed the first look at their next RPG project Divinity.
Star Wars : Fate of the Old Republic has been announced, the highly anticipated new Knights of the Old Republic game.
Two new entries in the Tomb Raider series were announced – a remake and a brand new game.
Sign Of A Change : The Golden Age Of Indie Games
The Game Awards 2025 marks a turning point. This year, half of the Game of the Year nominations were for games from independent studios. Expedition 33’s spectacular victory proved that in today’s world, a powerful imagination, a strong story and a passionate team can challenge big budgets and marketing campaigns. It is an inspiration for all the small developers who want to create their dream game.
This win is not just a win for one game, but a win for creativity, diversity, and new voices within the industry. Claire Obscure: Expedition 33 has not only proven to be the best game of 2025, but it has also set an example for game developers in the years to come.
