Clair Obscur: Expedition 33s Surprising Indie Win at TGA Amidst Teams Desire for Smaller Studios

The remarkable game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 clinched nine awards at The Game Awards 2025, including «Best Indie Game» and «Best Debut Indie Game.» However, the project’s creative director, Guillaume Broche, confessed that the team initially hoped to see smaller studios take home the top prizes.

In an interview with Edge prior to the ceremony, Broche discussed the peculiar position of the game within the indie category, stating: “Budget-wise, we’re leaning more towards being a triple-I title”. He added, “It’s odd because we have a 3D game with graphics that don’t quite fit the typical expectations for indie titles”.

Lead programmer from Sandfall Interactive, Tom Guillermin, noted that the project indeed started out as an indie game.

Broche candidly expressed: “Let’s see what happens, but we would have preferred a smaller studio to win in this category. I don’t think we necessarily need it, although being recognized is nice”. Despite these sentiments, Clair Obscur outperformed competitors like Blue Prince, Absolum, BALL x PIT, and even well-known contenders for «Game of the Year» like Hades II, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.