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When the winners of the 2025 Video Game Awards were finally announced, the gaming world tilted just a little. An indie game out of nowhere swept the night, not just with Game of the Year but with a stack of accolades that broke records. I’m talking about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 — a title that didn’t arrive with a blockbuster marketing budget, but carried enough soul and ambition to walk away as the most awarded game at The Game Awards 2025. Gadgets 360+1
This year’s ceremony was packed with big names, celebrity appearances, and a slew of world premieres — but it was expedition 33 that dominated the headlines and set a new bar for indie success in the industry.
A Night to Remember: The Game Awards 2025 Overview
The Game Awards is a yearly celebration of excellence in video games. It’s industry-wide, global, and watched by millions — kind of the Oscars for games. On December 11, 2025, the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles hosted the 11th edition of the show, where creators, publishers, players, and even a few surprise celebrity guests gathered for one big night. Page Six
From world premieres to spotlight moments for esports and mobile gaming, the show had something for every kind of gamer. Still, the central story that everyone walked away talking about was the unprecedented success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The Guardian
Why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Was a Standout
At face value, clair obscur expedition 33 isn’t your typical awards darling. It’s a narrative-focused RPG developed by a small French studio, Sandfall Interactive, with a tight team and a modest budget compared to the big AAA players. It released in April 2025 and quickly gathered buzz for its storytelling, music, and art style. Gadgets 360
But awards buzz doesn’t always mean trophies — at least not in these numbers.
Record-Breaking Wins
Here’s how expedition 33 performed at The Game Awards:
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Game of the Year ⭐
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Best Game Direction
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Best Narrative
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Best Art Direction
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Best Independent Game
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Best Debut Indie Game
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Best RPG
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Best Score and Music
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Best Performance (Jennifer English) Gadgets 360+1
That’s nine awards, the most ever won by a single title in the show’s history. It even beat its own nomination total from earlier in December, where it led all games with 12 nominations. VGC
Most surprisingly, it didn’t just win in niche categories — it claimed the night’s biggest honor, Game of the Year, beating out giants like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Hollow Knight: Silksong. The Game Awards
The Heart of the Game: Story, Style, and Sound
So what makes clair obscur expedition 33 click so deeply with voters and players alike?
Narrative and Performance
The game’s narrative — dark, elegant, and introspective — has been widely praised. It leans into character and atmosphere over spectacle, and that earned it recognition as Best Narrative. Jennifer English, who voiced the lead character Maelle, won Best Performance for bringing emotional depth and nuance to her role. Gadgets 360
This kind of character-driven storytelling isn’t always rewarded at big ceremonies. That it was here tells you something about the shifting tastes of both critics and fans.
Art Direction and Music
The aesthetic of Expedition 33 blends visual artistry with a haunting soundtrack. Winning Best Art Direction and Best Score and Music reflects the way its visuals and audio work together to create an evocative world. These categories often go to spectacle-heavy, big-budget games — but here, the creativity of a smaller team took center stage. Gadgets 360
What This Means for Indie Games and the Industry
There’s been talk for years about how indie games punch above their weight. 2025 might be the year that claim finally felt real.
At The Game Awards, Expedition 33’s success was part of a broader pattern: multiple independent games were nominated for top honors, and many tied for major craft awards. Some outlets even noted that this year marked the first time independent titles made up roughly half of the Game of the Year nominees. Wikipedia
That shift hasn’t gone unnoticed by critics and players. Writers across the gaming press pointed out that this wasn’t just a fluke; it was a clean demonstration of how storytelling and innovation are being valued alongside big-budget games. The Washington Post
Other Big Winners and Highlights from the Awards
While expedition 33 ruled the night, plenty of other games got their moment:
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Best Audio Design: Battlefield 6 took this category, proving that big-budget sound engineering still has a place. Business Standard
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Best Action/Adventure: Hollow Knight: Silksong snagged the award here, showing that beloved sequels are still crowd favorites. The Times of India
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Most Anticipated Game: Grand Theft Auto VI was named Most Anticipated, affirming its massive hype heading into next year. Business Standard
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Best Mobile Game: Umamusume: Pretty Derby scored in its category, highlighting the diversity of platforms at the awards. Business Standard
Celebrity moments and world premieres didn’t disappoint either, with actors and musicians adding extra buzz on stage — helping blur the lines between games and mainstream entertainment. Page Six
What Fans Are Asking
Here’s a quick snapshot of some common questions people are searching for about the event:
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Who won Game of the Year 2025?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The Game Awards -
How many awards did expedition 33 win?
Nine. Gadgets 360 -
Did expedition 33 get DLC or new content announced?
There wasn’t a major expedition 33 DLC announcement at the show, though world premieres of other titles dominated parts of the broadcast. GameSpot Who’s Jennifer English?
The actress who won Best Performance at the awards for her role in Expedition 33. Gadgets 360
What This Means Going Forward
If there’s one takeaway from The Game Awards 2025, it’s this: games don’t need massive budgets to win hearts and acclaim. Expedition 33 showed that a focused vision, strong narrative, and creative art direction can outshine even the biggest studio efforts.
The success of clair obscur expedition 33 could shift how developers and publishers think about risk, creativity, and storytelling in games. And for players, it sets up a hopeful trend: more diverse voices and experiences could come to the fore in future years.
Whatever happens next, it’s clear that 2025 belongs to Expedition 33 — and that its impact might be felt long after the awards season ends.
References
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Game Awards winners and list details: Gamespot, Gadgets 360, Times of India coverage. Gadgets 360+1
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Official Game of the Year listing: The Game Awards site. The Game Awards
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Historical context and indie insights: Wikipedia entries on Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and The Game Awards 2025. Wikipedia+1
Additional news context on silhouettes of culture and winner dominance: The Guardian, Washington Post, and Spanish coverage. The Guardian+1
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