Clair Obscur Expedition 33 has been crowned Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2025, bringing a high-profile awards season to a triumphant close. The ceremony delivered its usual mix of spectacle, major reveals and tightly fought categories, but all eyes were firmly on the final announcement of the night.

This year’s event arrived with significant anticipation after Clair Obscur Expedition 33 secured a landmark thirteen nominations, the highest tally of the ceremony. Supporters had spent weeks speculating whether the acclaimed title would convert its momentum into the industry’s top honour, or if an underdog might seize the spotlight at the last minute.

A night of high stakes and heavy anticipation

This year’s awards show drew millions of viewers across YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Prime Video and regional streaming platforms. While new trailers often dominate the conversation, the results attracted just as much attention, particularly as several early favourites secured key category wins.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 maintained strong momentum throughout the evening, collecting awards for Best Performance and Best Independent Game before its climactic victory.

A breakthrough for a small French studio

Accepting the Game of the Year trophy, creative director Guillaume Broche expressed disbelief at the studio’s meteoric rise, thanking his team and the online creators who helped them learn game development in the project’s early days. The game began life in 2020 while Broche was working at Ubisoft, eventually growing into Sandfall Interactive’s debut release.

The title has sold around five million copies since its launch in April, and its success has sparked a grassroots fan culture. At conventions, players have been seen dressing in the game’s trademark striped sailor shirt and red beret, a playful nod to its French identity.

What’s the game about

Set in a post-apocalyptic world shaped by Belle Epoque Paris, Clair Obscur follows a group of characters fighting an overwhelming threat against their home city, Lumiere. The game blends traditional turn-based role-playing mechanics with reactive, rhythm-based systems that require players to time defensive moves during enemy attacks.

Its striking art direction, emotional storytelling and original gameplay have drawn comparisons to Japanese RPG icons such as the Final Fantasy series.

An indie triumph among industry giants

Clair Obscur outperformed major contenders including Death Stranding 2 from Hideo Kojima and Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza. Despite having a core development team of around thirty people, Sandfall managed to deliver a polished experience that stood shoulder to shoulder with blockbuster titles.

The game also won awards for narrative, role-playing and original score. Many praised its music for heightening the emotional weight of the story.

Celebrations in France and beyond

The title’s impact reached far beyond the gaming community. In May, French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated the developers for showcasing French creativity on the global stage.

With critical acclaim, commercial success and a rising fanbase, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set to expand further. Plans are already underway to adapt the story for cinema, signalling a growing future for the franchise.