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 Retrospective
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 received 174 first-place selections, or 67.5%. Kingdom Come: Deliverance II followed with 15, or 5.6%. This was no close two-game race; one title absorbed a remarkably broad share of first choices.
Of those 174 selections, 148 came from editorial lists, 19 from readers, 6 from industry awards, and 1 from a mixed panel. The margin was too large to credit only to the novelty of a French debut or renewed enthusiasm for turn-based games. Expedition 33 kept familiar command menus but gave players an active role during enemy turns, making the format inviting to a wider audience.
It won nine prizes at The Game Awards, including Game of the Year, then took the top honor at D.I.C.E., the Game Developers Choice Awards, and BAFTA. Support at launch carried through the major peer and critical awards. [1] [2] [3] [4]
Players Stayed Involved During Enemy Turns
Expedition 33 layers real-time actions onto a turn-based command system. A well-timed dodge or parry reduces damage and can open a counterattack; some skills also grow stronger when inputs land on the beat. Deliberate planning alternates with brief tests of reflexes.
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
Its city and dreamlike continent reshape late-19th-century France into something immediately distinctive. The beauty is not merely decorative. Each year, a painted number falls by one and everyone of that age disappears, so every dazzling landscape is shadowed by people trying to hold on to what they will soon lose.
Sandfall described French culture and art as raw material rather than something to copy literally. The studio shaped those influences into its own fantasy, then aligned the visuals, combat, and story around the same emotional tone. [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