I did not expect Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 to be my game of the year. Nor did I expect to see it set a new record at The Game Awards, having netted nominations among 12 categories in a feat not seen since 2023. But two years after Baldur's Gate 3's clean sweep, Expedition 33 developer Sandfall Interactive seems to have learned something from Larian Studios that might be the key to its blazing success.
Expedition 33 and Baldur's Gate 3 are two very different RPGS, but what they have in common is a precise balancing act. Quirky stories with innovative characters and narrative design are baked into a familiar formula, creating an approachable novelty that I for one cannot get enough of. Even alongside a host of equally unique, surprisingly niche video games, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 deserves to be 2025's standout GOTY because it knows exactly what players want: more of what they love, only on a much deeper level than ever before.
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I've never seen a clutch of GOTY nominees quite like the ones at this year's upcoming awards show. 2025 has been a great time for independent studios and lovers of all things weird and wonderful, having bested the likes of blockbusters The Outer Worlds 2 and Indiana Jones and the Great Circle for a shot at the top prize despite the exclusivity awarded by how niche they are.
Our game of the year contenders speak that truth into existence. Death Stranding 2: On The Beach is an extremely particular, experimental experience from the mind of one of the industry's kookiest visionaries and I couldn't explain the plot to you if I tried. Hollow Knight Silksong is considered by many diehard fans to be far more difficult than its predecessor, raising the barrier for entry even higher. Hades 2 is only out on two platforms at the time of writing, so unless you're a PC or Nintendo Switch owner, you might not have had the opportunity to play it yet at all. Solodev stand-out Blue Prince might be the only chill roguelike in existence, but tricky puzzles and memory games aren't for everyone.
And then there's Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – a game I've been shouting about since it launched in April. I knew that it was going to be a huge deal, and my reasoning was simple: much like the last two games of the year before it, none of us saw it coming.
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It somehow has its finger on a pulse I didn't know I'd had...
As an ode to beloved JRPGs, its turn-based combat and tactical elemental matchups is a huge draw for Final Fantasy and Persona fans. But on top of that, its star-studded cast (featuring one actor known for her golden RPG touch) and intriguing premise are no doubt part of what endeared Expedition 33 to non-genre fans too.
Plus, word of mouth is a powerful thing. The game has been everywhere this year, from Reddit to Facebook to real-life conversations I've overheard at train stations and bus stops. The buzz is just as loud as it was back in April, and the litany of Game Awards nominated categories under its belt are evidence of the mark it's left on the industry in just a few short months.
For me, personally, Expedition 33 came completely out of nowhere. I tried it out on Xbox Game Pass after hearing a lot of hype around it, and was spellbound within moments.
I don't recall the last game that made me cry as hard as I did at the end of Act 1 (okay, I do, and its name is Red Dead Redemption 2), or the last time I pushed myself to get better at a combat loop that required a finesse I did not possess, because I had such an urgent need to see how the story would end. I'm not a JRPG superfan at all, and nor am I a parry and dodge expert, but Expedition 33 has a special blend of all things beautiful yet somehow familiar to keep me enthralled each step of the way.
Despite the excellent company, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's unique formula is what makes it stand out to me above all its fellow nominees at The Game Awards 2025. Not just because it is such a monumental maiden voyage from a brand new, double-A studio like Sandfall Interactive, but because it somehow has its finger on a pulse I didn't know I'd had until I booted up the game and felt it tick every box.
That level of prescience is almost eerie, but I'm not complaining at all. This is a game that deserves to be remembered and admired as one of the best RPGs of the last ten years, and I won't hear a word to the contrary.
There's a host of brilliant upcoming PS5 games on your way in 2026, and we've collected them all in one handy place for you.
