There’s no denying that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is emerging as a strong contender for the 2025 Game of the Year. However, director Guillaume Broche emphasizes that achieving such prestige was never the primary aim for Sandfall Interactive. In a discussion with PCGN, Broche elaborated on why he believes the game has already surpassed their expectations.
“[GOTY] isn’t something we really aim for; it should just be a consequence of making a good game, not really the goal,” Broche stated. “Our philosophy is that we’ve already achieved so much more than we wanted to achieve. We’ve received so many beautiful messages from players around the world saying that the game changed their lives and helped them through tough times. There’s so much love, and we are, in exchange, so grateful.”
In the realm of gaming, there’s always buzz about what’s next. Broche shares, “What we are creating games for, at least on my side, is to produce some real emotional resonance with people. [Expedition 33] was already a win because we’ve achieved this, so the award would be a nice little bonus. That being said, there are so many good games this year that it’s fine if we don’t get it—it’s perfectly okay, and we’ll be happy anyway.”
A Great Year for Gaming
Broche’s perspective resonates well. The year 2025 has proven to be another exciting time in gaming, with Clair Obscur competing against titles such as Donkey Kong Bananza, Split Fiction, Death Stranding 2, Hades 2, Silent Hill f, and Ghost of Yotei. Despite the heavy competition, Broche playfully suggests that his personal choice for Game of the Year isn’t among these acclaimed titles, but rather the game Megabonk.
“In terms of [personal picks], I don’t know if it’s a serious one, but I’m spending way too much time on Megabonk right now,” Broche chuckled. “It’s my life. Help me!”
Ultimately, preferences in gaming vary widely, emphasizing that each player’s experience is unique and personal.
As for what’s next, Sandfall’s upcoming projects will not necessarily follow the RPG format. Broche indicates, “We don’t want to be constrained by story, art style, or gameplay.”