Quite surprisingly, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has become Game of the Year in several categories in 2025. The developers really cleaned up. This could backfire.
Who is it about? The developers of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won many awards in 2025, even though they could never have created such a game at Ubisoft, where many of them previously worked.
Because Expedition 33 was developed without restrictions on the creativity of the developers. A game that was developed like in the old days, completely without market trends, publisher mandates, and focus groups.
What made the game successful could also turn it into a major flop.
Here you can watch a trailer for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33:
All or nothing
What does the boss think about it? In a long episode of the Video Game Club on the YouTube channel of Konbini, Game Director Guillaume Broche talked about the development of Expedition 33, but also about the next game from Sandfall Interactive.
He admits that the strength of the developers can also be a big weakness. He clearly states: “Maybe people won’t like it. That’s life.” He further explains: “We didn’t make the first game to please anyone […] and I believe that’s precisely why it worked.”
Instead of trying to satisfy an imaginary audience, Broche reveals that the focus during the development of “Clair Obscur” was on satisfying the developers themselves. They created a game that excited them. The fact that many players also enjoyed the game was just an additional bonus.
What does he say about the next game? Here the boss does not want to reveal his cards yet. Although the same development philosophy that made Expedition 33 successful will be employed, what players can expect remains a secret.
So far, it’s only known that Clair Obscur is meant to be the franchise and Expedition 33 the game for it. So it could be that in the next game from the developers, you will embark on a completely different “expedition” or dive into an entirely different game.
Do you think the developers are right with their idea of game development? Or is it dangerous to create a game that you only like yourself? Let us know in the comments! You can find out more about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 here: Clair Obscur has a “Schrödinger’s End” according to the developers, despite planned continuation
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