Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 achieved a landmark moment at The Game Awards 2025 by winning nine major awards. This is now the highest number of awards ever earned by a single game at the event. Sandfall Interactive, the French studio behind the title, received widespread praise for its artistic style, emotional storytelling, and strong performances.
The game took home the biggest honor of the night, Game of the Year. It also won Best RPG, Best Narrative, Best Art Direction, Best Score and Music, Best Game Direction, Best Debut Indie Game, Best Independent Game, and Best Performance for Jennifer English. These victories show how strongly the game connected with players and critics.
Clair Obscur was nominated in thirteen categories. It lost only two categories. Best Audio Design went to Battlefield 6, and the fan-voted Players’ Voice Award went to Wuthering Waves. Even with those two losses, Sandfall Interactive still broke the long-standing record previously held by The Last of Us Part II, which won seven awards in 2020.
The success of Clair Obscur is remarkable because it is a debut project from an independent studio. The game stood against major franchises like Death Stranding, Hollow Knight, and Hades. Despite this competition, no other game won more than one award at the ceremony. This made Clair Obscur the clear standout of the night.
Players were drawn to its hand-painted visual style and its rhythmic turn-based combat system. The musical score by Lorien Testard also earned strong praise, helping the game win Best Score and Music. Many reviewers highlighted the emotional depth of the story and the memorable characters, which contributed to its win for Best Narrative.
Jennifer English’s performance added even more strength to the game’s presentation. Her award for Best Performance was one of the evening’s most celebrated wins.
The achievements of Clair Obscur show how much impact a smaller studio can have when its creative vision is clear and polished. The game’s success also reflects a growing trend in the industry, where independent titles are receiving more recognition at large award shows.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leaves The Game Awards 2025 with a historic legacy and a global fanbase excited to see what Sandfall Interactive creates next.
The Game Awards 2025 All Winners List
| Category | Winner |
| Game of the Year | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Game Direction | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Narrative | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Art Direction | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Score and Music | Lorien Testard, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Audio Design | Battlefield 6 |
| Best Performance | Jennifer English, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Innovation in Accessibility | Doom: The Dark Ages |
| Games for Impact | South of Midnight |
| Best Ongoing Game | No Man’s Sky |
| Best Community Support | Baldur’s Gate 3 |
| Best Independent Game | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Debut Indie Game | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Mobile Game | Umamusume: Pretty Derby |
| Best VR/AR Game | The Midnight Walk |
| Best Action Game | Hades II |
| Best Action/Adventure Game | Hollow Knight: Silksong |
| Best RPG | Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 |
| Best Fighting Game | Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves |
| Best Family Game | Donkey Kong Bananza |
| Best Sim/Strategy Game | Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles |
| Best Sports/Racing Game | Mario Kart World |
| Best Multiplayer Game | Arc Raiders |
| Best Adaptation | The Last of Us: Season 2 |
| Most Anticipated Game | Grand Theft Auto VI |
| Content Creator of the Year | MoistCr1TiKaL |
| Best Esports Game | Counter-Strike 2 |
| Best Esports Athlete | Chovy (Jeong Ji-hoon) |
| Best Esports Team | Team Vitality |
Keep following the Game Insider Blog to stay updated on the Game Industry.