IGN has awarded its Game of the Year 2025 to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the debut title from French studio Sandfall Interactive. The announcement positions the turn-based RPG above other major 2025 releases in the outlet’s annual awards.
The win marks a significant achievement for Sandfall Interactive. The studio was founded in 2020 and spent years developing Expedition 33 as its first project. Landing IGN’s GOTY with a debut game is rare in an industry where established franchises and veteran studios typically dominate awards season.
Given the number of accolades it has already received, IGN’s choice to make it GOTY isn’t surprising. The title features full voice acting, an orchestral soundtrack, and cinematography that approaches film quality. The customization system, built around items called Pictos, allows players to build characters in multiple directions.
The game blends turn-based combat with active timing mechanics, and players must execute parries and dodges during enemy attacks, adding a rhythm game element to traditional RPG battles. The game’s visual style draws from Belle Époque France, creating a distinctive aesthetic that sets it apart from fantasy RPG conventions.
The award arrives during a competitive year for RPGs. Other major releases in the genre included Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, which lost out to Clair Obscur for best RPG at The Game Awards. Some have contended whether Clair Obscur should be winning awards as an RPG in the same vein as KCD2, citing the latter’s deeply immersive roleplaying mechanics.
First-time studio breaks through
Awards from major outlets like IGN can carry a lot of weight. Publishers often use GOTY wins in marketing materials, and the recognition can drive additional sales from players who wait for critical consensus before buying.
Clair Obscur’s sweep of awards in 2025 is incredibly impressive as the debut game from a new studio, but it is not because of a vacuum of good games to play. 2025 has generally been received as a strong year for games by many, and likely the choice of GOTY would not have been so clear had it not released this year.
