Golden Joystick Awards 2025 Winners List: Clair Obscur Sweeps 7 Awards
The 43rd annual Golden Joystick Awards took place November 20 in London, streamed worldwide. Millions of votes poured in, and the results show a mix of blockbuster dominance and indie triumphs.
Best Storytelling
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Nominees: Silent Hill f, Blue Prince, Mafia: The Old Country, Lost Records: Bloom & Rage, The Hundred Line – Last Defense Academy
Best Multiplayer Game
- Winner: Peak
- Nominees: Battlefield 6, Elden Ring, Nightreign, Split Fiction, Mario Kart World Rematch
Best Visual Design
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Nominees: Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, The Midnight Walk, Ghost of Yōtei, Sword of the Sea, Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Best Indie Game
- Winner: Blue Prince
- Nominees: Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector, Wanderstop, Skin Deep, despelote, Herdling, Abiotic Factor, Baby Steps, Caves of Qud, Deep Rock Galactic: Survivor
Best Indie Game – Self Published
- Winner: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Nominees: Hades 2, Sword of the Sea, Peak, Keep Driving, Spilled!, Lonely Mountains: Snow Riders, Deltarune, Promise Mascot Agency, Consume Me
Still Playing Award – PC & Console
- Winner: Minecraft
- Nominees: Dead by Daylight, Helldivers 2, Naraka: Bladepoint, Satisfactory, Call of Duty: Warzone, Marvel Rivals, Fortnite, Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, GTA Online, Warframe
Still Playing Award – Mobile
- Winner: Pokémon Go
- Nominees: Call of Duty: Mobile, Subway Surfers, Clash Royale, Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, Roblox, Free Fire, PUBG Mobile
Best Remake / Remaster
- Winner: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
- Nominees: Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater, Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter, The Talos Principle: Reawakened, Gears of War: Reloaded, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4
Studio of the Year
- Winner: Sandfall Interactive
- Nominees: Team Cherry, Aggro Crab & Landfall, Bloober Team, Sloclap, Rebellion
Best Game Expansion
- Winner: Lies of P: Overture
- Nominees: Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: The Order of Giants, No Man’s Sky: Voyagers, Atomfall Story Expansion Pack: The Red Strain, Assassin’s Creed Shadows – Claws of Awaji, Still Wakes the Deep: Siren’s Rest
Best Audio Design
- Winner: Ghost of Yōtei
- Nominees: Battlefield 6, Donkey Kong Bananza, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Two Point Museum, Cronos: The New Dawn
Best Soundtrack
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Nominees: South of Midnight, Silent Hill f, Eriksholm: The Stolen Dream, Deltarune, Sword of the Sea
Best Lead Performer
- Winner: Jennifer English (Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Nominees: Troy Baker (Indiana Jones), Tom McKay (Kingdom Come: Deliverance II), Alex Jordan (The Alters), Erika Ishii (Ghost of Yōtei), Adriyan Rae (South of Midnight)
Best Supporting Performer
- Winner: Ben Starr (Verso in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33)
- Nominees: Troy Baker (Death Stranding 2), Jim High (Kingdom Come: Deliverance II), Lucy Griffiths (Eriksholm), Logan Cunningham (Hades 2), Marios Gavrilis (Indiana Jones)
PC Game of the Year
- Winner: Hollow Knight: Silksong
- Nominees: The Alters, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Peak, Abiotic Factor, Dune: Awakening
Console Game of the Year
- Winner: Ghost of Yōtei
- Nominees: Donkey Kong Bananza, Monster Hunter Wilds, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds, Mario Kart World
Best Early Access Game
- Winner: R.E.P.O.
- Nominees: Grounded 2, Schedule I, 9 Kings, skate., White Knuckle
Best Gaming Hardware
- Winner: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- Nominees: Nintendo Switch 2, Switch 2 Pro Controller, WD_BLACK SN8100 NVMe SSD, Elgato Facecam 4K, Razer Blade 16
Best Game Adaptation
- Winner: Arcane Season 2 (Netflix)
- Nominees: Devil May Cry (Netflix), The Last of Us Season 2 (HBO), A Minecraft Movie, Secret Level (Prime Video), Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (Paramount)
Best Game Trailer
- Winner: GTA 6 Trailer 2
- Nominees: Battlefield 6 Launch Trailer, Rhythm Doctor, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, Romeo is a Dead Man, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II CGI Trailer
Most Wanted Game
- Winner: GTA 6
- Nominees: Resident Evil Requiem, The Witcher 4, Black Myth: Zhong Kui, LEGO Batman: Legacy, 007 First Light, Subnautica 2, Light No Fire, The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet, Saros, Crimson Desert, Kingdom Hearts 4, Marvel’s Wolverine, Hell Let Loose: Vietnam, OD – Knock, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy
Ultimate Game of the Year
- Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Nominees: Blue Prince, Death Stranding 2: On the Beach, Donkey Kong Bananza, Ghost of Yōtei, Hades 2, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, Peak, Silent Hill f, Split Fiction
Critic‑Panel Categories
- Critics’ Choice: Donkey Kong Bananza
- Breakthrough Award: Schedule I
- Hall of Fame: The Sims Franchise
- Streamers’ Choice: Peak
The Golden Joystick Awards Didn’t Disappoint
Clair Obscur and Sandfall Interactive stole the spotlight, but the spread of winners—from Ghost of Yōtei’s audio triumph to Hollow Knight: Silksong’s indie dominance—shows how diverse 2025’s gaming landscape has become. And with critics honoring Donkey Kong Bananza, Peak, and indie newcomer Schedule I, the awards captured both mainstream power and creative risk.
