Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Takes Home Indie Awards at TGA Despite Teams Desire for Smaller Studios to Win

The remarkable game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 achieved nine accolades at The Game Awards 2025, including «Best Indie Game» and «Best Debut Indie Game.» However, the creative director of the project, Guillaume Broche, admitted that the team originally hoped for a victory by smaller studios.

In a pre-ceremony interview with Edge, Broche discussed the project’s unusual positioning within the indie category: «In terms of budget, we lean more towards triple-I,» he remarked. «It’s odd because we have a 3D game with graphics that don’t quite fit the typical image people have when they think of indie titles.»

Lead programmer at Sandfall Interactive Tom Guillermin emphasized that the project indeed began as an indie endeavor.

Broche further candidly stated: «Let’s see what happens, but we would have preferred that a smaller studio took home the win in this category. I don’t think we necessarily need it, although recognition is certainly nice.» Despite this sentiment, Clair Obscur outperformed competitors like Blue Prince, Absolum, BALL x PIT, and even high-profile contenders for «Game of the Year,» such as Hades II, Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, and Hollow Knight: Silksong.