Honestly, if you told me a year ago that a French indie studio would drop a turn-based RPG that would make Hideo Kojima and FromSoftware fans do a double-take, I’d have laughed. But here we are. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 didn't just show up to the party; it basically took over the house and changed the locks.
When the 2025 Game of the Year nominees were first announced, the vibe was tense. You had the heavy hitters. Hollow Knight: Silksong finally emerged from its decade-long cocoon. Hades II was the "safe" bet because, well, it’s Supergiant. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach was the weird uncle everyone loves, and Kingdom Come: Deliverance II brought the hardcore grit. Toss in Donkey Kong Bananza for the Nintendo faithful, and the stage was set for a bloodbath.
Most people figured Silksong or Hades II would walk away with the trophy. They had the legacy. They had the hype. But then Sandfall Interactive’s debut title started picking up speed, and by the time The Game Awards actually aired in December, it felt like we were watching a history-making sweep in real time.
Why Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Stunned the Industry
It’s rare for a new IP to win big. Usually, the voters go for the sequels because there’s a built-in level of polish. But Expedition 33 did something different. It’s a "reactive" turn-based game, meaning you aren't just clicking menus and waiting for a bar to fill up. You’re parrying, dodging, and countering in real-time. It basically fixed the "turn-based is boring" complaint that’s plagued the genre for years.
The game swept the major craft categories:
- Best Game Direction
- Best Narrative
- Best Art Direction
- Best Score and Music (Huge shoutout to Lorien Testard here)
- Best RPG
It’s actually the second game in history to receive three nominations in a single category (Best Performance), which is kinda wild. Jennifer English ended up winning that one, but having three actors from the same project nominated is just flex-level development.
What About the "Snubs" and The Other Nominees?
Look, I get it. If you’ve been waiting for Hollow Knight: Silksong for years, seeing it lose Game of the Year hurts. It did win Best Action/Adventure Game, so Team Cherry didn't go home empty-handed. It’s a phenomenal sequel, but it's also a very "more of the same, but better" experience. Expedition 33 felt like a shift in the medium.
Then there’s the Wuthering Waves situation. It won Player’s Voice, and the internet basically melted. There were a lot of rumors—some people said Kuro Games "cheated" by offering free pulls to voters. Others pointed out that the pulls were actually a reward for the game winning, not a bribe to vote. Either way, it shows the massive divide between what critics like and what the massive mobile/gacha audience actually spends their time on.
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Kingdom Come: Deliverance II is another one. It’s a masterpiece for a specific type of player. If you want to worry about whether your character’s boots are too muddy to talk to a noble, it’s your GOTY. But for a general audience? It’s a tough sell compared to the cinematic punch of Expedition 33 or the vibrant chaos of Hades II (which, by the way, rightfully took home Best Action Game).
The GDC and DICE Awards: What's Next?
The Game Awards aren't the end of the road. We’re currently looking at the 2026 award season where the developers themselves get to vote.
Historically, the DICE Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) carry more weight with actual creators. Right now, Expedition 33 is a finalist in eight out of nine categories for the GDCAs, which happen this March. It’s currently sitting at over 330 GOTY wins from various outlets, trailing just behind the record set by Elden Ring.
If you haven't played the other nominees yet, here is the reality:
- Death Stranding 2 is for the people who want a 40-hour movie they can walk through.
- Blue Prince is the sleeper hit you probably missed—a puzzle game with a recursive room mechanic that is legitimately brilliant.
- Donkey Kong Bananza is pure, unadulterated platforming joy on the Switch 2, proving Nintendo still owns that space.
Actionable Steps for the Backlog
If you’re trying to catch up on the 2025 class before the 2026 releases start flooding in, don't just buy them all.
Start with Expedition 33 if you want to see where the genre is going. It's on Game Pass and PlayStation Plus for many, so check your subscriptions first. If you’re a "vibe" player, go for Ghost of Yōtei. It didn't win the big one, but Erika Ishii’s performance and the art direction are top-tier.
For the budget-conscious, keep an eye on Hades II sales. Since it’s been out in early access for a while, the 1.0 version often gets bundled. Avoid the temptation to jump into Kingdom Come II unless you have 80 hours to spare; it’s a lifestyle, not a weekend game.
Check the official GDC Twitch channel on March 11 to see if the "critic's choice" matches the "developer's choice." Often, the pros pick the games with the most technical innovation rather than the most "hype," so expect to see games like Dispatch or Arc Raiders get some love there.