Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 controversially wins Best Independent Game at The Game Awards, Sandfall devs dedicate it to indies "who put creativity first" and "push forward with limited resources"

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 controversially wins Best Independent Game at The Game Awards, Sandfall devs dedicate it to indies "who put creativity first" and "push forward with limited resources" News By Ashley Bardhan published 12 December 2025

Is Clair Obscur really "indie"?

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(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took one step closer to global domination right at the start of the The Game Awards 2025 – predictable behavior, following the "AA" JRPG's big win at the Golden Joystick Awards earlier this winter. Now, the game from developer Sandfall Interactive is officially the Best Independent Game this year… though some people aren't sure it qualifies.

When the anonymous solo developer behind roguelike hit Megabonk dropped out of the same Game Awards category in November, some fans thought it was unfair there were "'indie' games in the indie category that are backed by multi-billion-dollar corps." Clair Obscur publisher Kepler Interactive probably isn't that (it's a private company), though Sandfall Interactive did say its game cost around $10 million.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Wins Best Independent Game at The Game Awards 2025 - YouTube Watch On

That's a much bigger stack of cash than some other indie developers ever get to see in their lives – though about $10 million might not be radically different from the budget a game like Hades 2, another Best Indie nominee, had to work with. Games are expensive, the world keeps reminding us.

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"We wanted to make a small game, but with big ambition" says Sandfall co-founder François Meurisse in his acceptance speech, "It was challenging everyday."

"We dedicate this award to all the indie teams around the world – to those who put creativity first, to those who push forward with limited resources, also, to those who never make it to the release," adds co-founder Tom Guillermin. "You make our art form richer."

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 lead says "anyone who's a fan of our story" should check out one of the RPG's biggest inspirations, but you're gonna have to learn French first.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. CATEGORIES PS5 Xbox Series X PC Gaming Platforms PlayStation Xbox Ashley BardhanSenior Writer

Ashley is a Senior Writer at GamesRadar+. She's been a staff writer at Kotaku and Inverse, too, and she's written freelance pieces about horror and women in games for sites like Rolling Stone, Vulture, IGN, and Polygon. When she's not covering gaming news, she's usually working on expanding her doll collection while watching Saw movies one through 11.

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Logout Read more Despite the JRPG love letter dominating award shows, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative lead insists the game really was "not supposed to be big"    "After Baldur's Gate 3, I didn't think we'd be in this position": The team behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can't quite believe they've matched Larian's award wins    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's record-high nominations at The Game Awards proves what I've been saying for the past 8 months    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs say "being recognized in Japan" is "very personal to us" after making a game "inspired by so many incredible JRPGs we grew up with"    Not even Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs can believe it's the most-nominated Game Awards title in history: "There are so many deserving, precious games from this year"    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Verso actor Ben Starr says the RPG had an "unapologetic vision," and there's a reason it's been an unexpected hit: "There's nothing cynical about it"    Latest in JRPGs Former Square Enix exec says the Final Fantasy dev's investors "are actually closely aligned" with what fans want    Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is "finally starting to match the vision I had for it," director teases    Former Square Enix exec says that's nothing new as major investor calls out the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest creator for high development costs and lackluster sales    Square Enix director Naoki Hamaguchi considered giving Cloud Strife a more realistic sword for Final Fantasy 7 Remake, but decided JRPG fans "wouldn’t accept it": "We stayed faithful to the OG"    Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 lead says the Highwind is an important part of the upcoming RPG, and it sounds like Square Enix is close to deciding on a name    Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Gustave actor Charlie Cox says he was "nervous" to play the RPG, which might be why he still hasn't touched it: "I don't actually know what the story is"    Latest in News Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 controversially wins Best Independent Game at The Game Awards    Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic looks like the KOTOR 3 I've waited 20 years for, and the original RPG's director is returning to lead it    Decrepit is a new first-person roguelike with heavy Dark Souls influences    Devil May Cry vets are making a zombie action game that smacks of Lollipop Chainsaw    Capcom finally sets Pragmata release date for April 2026, demo out now, and Switch 2 version announced    "Oh my god, I can have a car in the game now": CD Projekt Red was excited to use modern tech in Cyberpunk 2077    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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