Golden Joystick Awards 2025: The best games of 2025 announced

The organizers of the prestigious Golden Joystick Awards, the largest community-voted gaming ceremony, have announced the results for 2025. The absolute leader was the role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from debut studio Sandfall Interactive, which received seven awards, including the top honor, Ultimate Game of the Year. This result was described as comparable to the triumph of Baldur’s Gate 3 in 2023.

Major Winners of the Ceremony

Sandfall Interactive not only earned the title of Studio of the Year but also dominated key categories: the game received awards for Best Storytelling, Best Visual Design, Best Soundtrack, and Best Acting. Jennifer English (Mael) was recognized for Best Lead Performance, while Ben Starr (Verso) was honored for Best Supporting Performance.

Other Hits of the Year

• Hollow Knight: Silksong, the long-awaited metroidvania sequel, won Best PC Game and Best Indie (self-published).
  • Ghost of Yotei from Sucker Punch, the sequel to the hit Ghost of Tsushima, won Best Console Game and Best Audio Design.
  • The updated edition of The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion received the award for Best Remake/Remaster.

Full List of Key Winners

Among the additional awards, Arcane (Season 2) was recognized as Best Adaptation, Lies of P: Overture was named Best DLC, and the AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D was acknowledged as the best hardware. The Sims was inducted into the Hall of Fame.

The ceremony took place on 20 November in London and was broadcast online, with millions of fans around the world participating in the voting.

In Brief

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 by Sandfall Interactive became the main triumph of the Golden Joystick Awards 2025 with seven awards, including Ultimate Game of the Year and Studio of the Year. Hollow Knight: Silksong led on PC, Ghost of Yotei on consoles, and GTA VI was named the most anticipated game. The full list highlights the year’s diversity, from indie titles to major blockbusters.