Rank #1
- Available points earned
- 67.5% 17,350 pts
- Times picked #1
- 174
- Sources awarding points
- 174
2025 Game of the Year (GOTY) Rankings
Top game that year
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Original
- Available points earned
- 67.5%
- Score
- 17,350 pts
- Sources used
- 257
- All sources checked
- Jun 1, 2026
How this year's score was calculated
Sources used for this ranking
See the sources used to calculate this year's ranking, including each source's name and type.
Collection complete
We have checked every source and possible result we found. Nothing is currently waiting for review.
- Sources used
- 257
- All sources checked
- Jun 1, 2026
Sources by type
- Editorial
- 220
- Reader vote
- 28
- Industry award
- 7
- Judges and voters
- 2
Sources by scoring method
- Published vote count
- 0
- Published vote percentage
- 0
- Top 10 list
- 149
- Winner and nominees
- 0
- Winner only
- 108
Sources used for scoring
See each source's name and type, who made the selection, and how its points were calculated.
Show sources Hide sources 257
Ranking
| Rank | Game | Available points earned | Times picked #1 | Sources awarding points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 67.5% 17,350 pts | 174 | 174 | |
| #2 | 5.6% 1,450 pts | 15 | 15 | |
| #3 | 3.5% 900 pts | 9 | 9 | |
| #4 | 2.7% 700 pts | 7 | 7 | |
| #4 | 2.7% 700 pts | 7 | 7 | |
| #6 | 2.3% 600 pts | 6 | 6 | |
| #6 | 2.3% 600 pts | 6 | 6 | |
| #6 | 2.3% 600 pts | 6 | 6 | |
| #9 | 1.9% 500 pts | 5 | 5 | |
| #10 | 1.6% 400 pts | 4 | 4 | |
| #11 | 1.2% 300 pts | 3 | 3 | |
| #12 | 0.8% 200 pts | 2 | 2 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 | |
| #13 | 0.4% 100 pts | 1 | 1 |
Rank #2
- Available points earned
- 5.6% 1,450 pts
- Times picked #1
- 15
- Sources awarding points
- 15
Rank #3
- Available points earned
- 3.5% 900 pts
- Times picked #1
- 9
- Sources awarding points
- 9
Rank #4
- Available points earned
- 2.7% 700 pts
- Times picked #1
- 7
- Sources awarding points
- 7
Rank #4
- Available points earned
- 2.7% 700 pts
- Times picked #1
- 7
- Sources awarding points
- 7
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 2.3% 600 pts
- Times picked #1
- 6
- Sources awarding points
- 6
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 2.3% 600 pts
- Times picked #1
- 6
- Sources awarding points
- 6
Rank #6
- Available points earned
- 2.3% 600 pts
- Times picked #1
- 6
- Sources awarding points
- 6
Rank #9
- Available points earned
- 1.9% 500 pts
- Times picked #1
- 5
- Sources awarding points
- 5
Rank #10
- Available points earned
- 1.6% 400 pts
- Times picked #1
- 4
- Sources awarding points
- 4
Rank #11
- Available points earned
- 1.2% 300 pts
- Times picked #1
- 3
- Sources awarding points
- 3
Rank #12
- Available points earned
- 0.8% 200 pts
- Times picked #1
- 2
- Sources awarding points
- 2
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
Rank #13
- Available points earned
- 0.4% 100 pts
- Times picked #1
- 1
- Sources awarding points
- 1
2025 Criticism and Records
Clair Obscur Made Every Turn Feel Active
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 kept the structure of turn-based combat but made enemy turns active. Players dodged, parried at the right moment, and aimed attacks themselves. Its French-inspired fantasy and story of loss matched that tension.
A New Studio's First Game Won Broad Support
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took 174 records, or 67.5%. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II placed second with 15, or 5.6%. This was not a close two-game race; one work absorbed a remarkably broad share of first choices.
The 174 records include 148 editorial, 19 reader, 6 industry, and 1 mixed selection. The gap cannot be explained only by the appeal of a new French studio or enthusiasm for turn-based games. Expedition 33 kept familiar command choices while giving players something active to do during enemy turns, opening the format to a wider audience.
At The Game Awards, it won nine awards, including Game of the Year. It also won awards in the directing, story, art, music, acting, and RPG categories. Afterwards, D.I.C.E. Awards, Game Developers Choice Awards, and BAFTA also gave top awards. The popularity at launch did not end there, and continued to be evaluated by fellow developers and review agencies. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Players Stayed Involved During Enemy Turns
Expedition 33 added instantaneous manipulation to the turn-based system of selecting commands. If you avoid the enemy's attack or block it at the right moment, you can reduce damage and counterattack. Some skills become stronger when you press the buttons in time with the beat. Time to slowly strategize alternates with time to react quickly.
Sandfall said it loved classic Japanese turn-based RPGs but added real-time defense and aiming to keep players involved. Xbox Wire likewise presented dodging and parrying as layers above ability combinations and weakness targeting. [5] [6]
The approach has drawbacks. If a perfect parry is too rewarding, reflexes can matter more than a character's defensive build. Missing a long enemy combo can also interrupt the flow. Difficulty and assistance settings soften that problem, while the need to watch every enemy turn keeps familiar command battles alert.
The Beautiful World Deepened Its Story of Loss
The city and dream-like continent that twisted France at the end of the 19th century are noticeable from the beginning. However, it was not created to only show a fancy screen. In this world, the number decreases by one every year, and people of that age disappear. Beautiful scenery is connected to the hearts of people who try to hold on to something that will soon disappear.
Sandfall explained that they did not copy French culture and art, but turned it into their own fantasy. The relatively small team also introduced the process by which the visuals, combat, and story were aligned toward the same feel. [7]
The story begins with an expedition to stop death, then asks whether removing grief is the same as refusing to accept it. Later explanations and twists may tie those emotions up too neatly, and the world offers little response after one important choice. Still, music, acting, and art carry the same sadness, giving the scenes a lasting force.
Focus Mattered More Than Team Size
It is too simple to frame this success as a tiny team creating a masterpiece alone. External partners and modern production tools helped, and the game built on established RPG traditions. More importantly, Sandfall did not try to build everything. It gave up a huge open world and concentrated on turn-based battles, directed travel, and a clear visual identity.
Sandfall said it did not want growth for its own sake. The studio aimed to stay small enough for quick, focused decisions. That does not prove smaller teams are always better; it shows the value of matching a project's size to the team making it. [8]
The 2025 result also cannot be reduced to a comeback for old turn-based RPGs. Expedition 33 neither preserved the old formula untouched nor converted it fully into action. It mixed time to think with moments of quick reaction, then tied that battle rhythm to a story about loss and resistance. Respecting the familiar form while changing its passive stretches earned unusually broad support.
External references
- The Game Awards 2025 Game of the Year winner View source
- Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences 29th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Winners View source
- Game Developers Choice Awards 2026 finalists and winners View source
- BAFTA Games Awards 2026 results View source
- PlayStation Blog Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs discuss classic turn-based RPG inspiration and real-time mechanics View source
- Xbox Wire Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 at Developer_Direct 2025 View source
- Unreal Engine Inside the development journey of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 View source
- Automaton Clair Obscur studio does not plan on expanding its scale of development View source
How this year's score was calculated