As the curtain falls on 2025, the games industry is wrapping up one of its most vibrant award seasons in recent memory. While blockbuster sequels and remakes made a splash, a remarkable crop of narrative-driven adventures and daring indies stole the spotlight.

This news recap looks back at the major winners of the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 and what their victories tell us about the state of gaming. Over 21 million votes were cast in this year’s show, hosted by actress Maggie Robertson – a testament to how seriously players take these awards.

Fast Facts: 2025 Award-Season Champions

Category	Winner	Why it Matters
Ultimate Game of the Year	Clair Obscur: Expedition 33	Sandfall Interactive’s surreal action‑RPG took home the top honour and racked up seven trophies, tying 2023’s Baldur’s Gate 3. It also earned Best Storytelling and Best Visual Design.
Best Multiplayer Game	Peak	This extraction shooter captivated players and streamers alike, earning both the multiplayer title and the fan‑voted Streamers’ Choice award.
Best Indie Game	Blue Prince	A hand‑drawn puzzle adventure about drafting rooms in a cursed mansion beat out a crowded field of indies.
PC Game of the Year	Hollow Knight: Silksong	Team Cherry’s long‑awaited sequel won two crowns: Best Self‑Published Indie and PC Game of the Year.
Console Game of the Year	Ghost of Yōtei	Sucker Punch’s samurai epic claimed console honours and recognition for its dynamic audio design.
Best Remake/Remaster	The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered	Bethesda’s overhaul of its 2006 classic won over players seeking high-definition nostalgia.
Best Game Expansion	Lies of P: Overture	This Souls‑like expansion defeated big franchises, proving that single-player DLC can still dominate the conversation.
Studio of the Year	Sandfall Interactive	The French team behind Clair Obscur was recognised for their ambition and artistic risk-taking.

Other Notable Victors:

• Jennifer English (Maelle) and Ben Starr (Verso) won Best Lead Performer and Best Supporting Performer respectively for their roles in Expedition 33.
• Erika Ishii received a nomination for their performance as Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei.
• The Sims series was officially inducted into the Hall of Fame.

Expedition 33 Leads the Charge

Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was the runaway success story of 2025. Set in a surreal “Belle Époque” fantasy world where a mysterious Paintress erases an entire age group every year, the game struck a chord with its high-stakes premise.

The action‑RPG impressed voters with its “Reactive Turn-Based” combat, painterly art direction, and surprisingly thoughtful narrative. It won Ultimate Game of the Year, Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, and Best Soundtrack. The game’s seven trophies highlight a growing appetite for ambitious single‑player experiences that combine heartfelt storytelling with stylish presentation.

Expedition 33 also picked up the Studio of the Year award for its developer, Sandfall Interactive. Players praised the team for crafting a world full of imaginative creatures and lush environments. With a sequel already teased and DLC reportedly on the way, it’s clear that we’ll be talking about the world of Lumière for years to come.

Indies Take Centre Stage

It wasn’t just AAA titles hogging the spotlight. Blue Prince, a hand‑drawn puzzle adventure about exploring a cursed mansion one room at a time, won the Best Indie Game category. Developed by the studio Dogubomb, Blue Prince charms with its blueprint‑inspired puzzles, expressive art, and off‑beat humour. The game’s visual style evokes graphic novels and animated films, and players praised its clever room‑drafting mechanic for making each run feel fresh.

Meanwhile, Hollow Knight: Silksong fans finally celebrated its release – and their patience paid off. Team Cherry’s sequel to the 2017 indie darling took home PC Game of the Year and Best Indie Self‑Published. Players praised its silky movement, cavernous world, and haunting soundtrack. The game’s delicate gothic beauty, epitomized by Hornet flitting across shimmering threads above a sea of white flowers, solidified its status as an instant classic.

These wins show how independent studios are using unique art styles and mechanical twists to compete with much larger projects. Whether exploring a procedurally generated mansion or battling through hand‑drawn caverns, players rewarded ingenuity and heart over sheer scope.

Console & Multiplayer Champions

On the console side, Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yōtei claimed Console Game of the Year and Best Audio Design. The Japanese historical epic impressed with its seamless blend of stealth and swordplay, but voters particularly loved its dynamic soundscape – crunching snow, rattling shakuhachi flutes, and thunderous boss battles.

For multiplayer fans, Peak dominated. This extraction shooter encourages cooperative heists and emergent storytelling; it won Best Multiplayer and the fan‑voted Streamers’ Choice. That double win underscores how streaming culture now influences mainstream awards. Peak beat heavy hitters like Battlefield 6 thanks to its tense firefights and deep social mechanics that kept Twitch audiences glued to their screens.

Remakes, Expansions & Evergreen Favourites

The Best Remake/Remaster category crowned The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, proving there’s room for nostalgia when handled with care. Bethesda modernised the 2006 classic without sacrificing its quirkiness, and many fans discovered the forests of Cyrodiil for the first time this year.

In the DLC arena, Lies of P: Overture took home Best Game Expansion, beating out updates for Indiana Jones and Assassin’s Creed. The prequel content was lauded for deepening the lore of Krat and refining the game’s punishing combat.

Long‑running titles weren’t ignored either. Minecraft continued its reign by winning the Still Playing Award, reminding us that games built on creativity have incredible staying power.

Looking Forward: What the Winners Tell Us About 2025

Collectively, this year’s awards paint an optimistic picture. Players clearly crave games that take risks with narrative and presentation.

• Clair Obscur and Blue Prince proved that original art styles can beat photorealism.
• Silksong showed that a small team can iterate on a beloved formula and still surprise audiences.
• Ghost of Yōtei demonstrated that big‑budget action games thrive when they deliver atmosphere and polish.
• Peak proved that cooperative shooters benefit immensely from streamer engagement.

As we head into 2026, expect developers to double down on strong narratives, striking art, and community‑driven features. The awards season of 2025 reminds us that the future of gaming lies not just in bigger budgets, but in bold ideas and the passion of players who champion them.