Most gamers look forward to the TGA, the The Game Awards, held at the end of the year and hosted by one gaming’s biggest hypemen, Geoff Keighley. During this event, fans find out whether their favorite games win various categories, but the most anticipated award is the coveted Game of the Year. The TGA isn’t the only game show, and many may be surprised to find one game has already won the title of Game of the Year. This news comes from the Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show 2025, and though the year isn’t done, one game has already solidified itself as the best of 2025.
While the early announcement of gaming’s 2025 winner may be a surprise, there will be little shock to see the game that claimed this award. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been massively successful and is well-deserving of the title GOTY. Sandfall Interactive’s debut title not only won GOTY, but also claimed the top spot for Best RPG Game, Best PC/Console Game, Popular Vote. For those thinking the event may be a small one, know that there 206, 159 people in attendance, showing the level of prestige the award carries.
Claiming GOTY is a major accomplishment in its own right, but to take home three other awards on the same night is truly incredible. Only a select number of games can even hope to pull this off, and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 joins the ranks of games like Astro Bot, which took home four awards at the TGA in 2024, including GOTY. It remains to be seen how Sandfall Interactive’s game fares at this year’s TGA, but it has a good shot of the same performance seen at Gamescom Asia x Thailand Game Show 2025.
What makes this victory all the more impressive is how stacked 2025 is. There are six games that scored above a 90 on Metacritic, earning the “Must Play” badge. This includes Hades 2, Blue Prince, Split Fiction, Hollow Knight: Silksong, Donkey Kong Bananza, and of course, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Any one of these games could claim GOTY at other events, and this doesn’t even include games that scored just below 90 like Death Stranding 2: On the Beach or games releasing later this year.
Game of the year is one of the most prestigious awards in gaming. Some may argue that it is a popularity contest considering many events determine the victor through voting. But even considering this, it still shows the strength of a game. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dazzled fans with its visuals, gameplay, and narrative. Those games that have won a similar GOTY award typically excel in these areas, but to achieve greatness in all of them is the true sign of a GOTY contender.
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