Despite dominating award shows, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 creative lead says the game “wasn’t supposed to be big”

He adds that it’s a strange sensation to put so much of yourself into a game and then have the world respond with such warmth. “We receive so much affection from players — messages, fan art — it’s incredibly moving. We’re honestly shell-shocked.”

Jennifer English and Ben Starr on Clair Obscur Expedition 33’s BIG WIN at Golden Joysticks – YouTube

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Verso actor Ben Starr offers his perspective: “By the end of 2025, people might forget this started as a small project. It was never meant to be this big — it’s become a cultural moment because the game feels honest, and players have connected with that.”

He continues: “Nobody predicted this level of attention. It’s a modest game that exploded because players really valued it. Watching the word of mouth spread and more people discover it was astonishing. We kept messaging each other like, ‘This is ridiculous — seriously, stop.’ But it’s been an amazing ride.”

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s momentum shows no sign of slowing. The title has also received 12 nominations across 10 categories at The Game Awards 2025 — making it the most-nominated game in that ceremony’s history. We’ll have to wait until next month to see how many trophies it actually brings home.

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.”