Sandfall says Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 not made for GOTY win, director backs Megabonk instead

Sandfall Interactive has said that winning Game of the Year for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not something the studio set out to achieve.

Speaking with PCGamesN, director Guillaume Broche explained that while an award would be welcome, the game’s real success lies in the response from players.

“[GOTY] isn’t something we really aim for; it should just be a consequence of making a good game, not really the goal,” Broche said.

“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.”

Broche added that the studio’s focus has always been on creating emotional impact rather than chasing awards. “What we are creating games for, at least on my side, is to produce some real emotional resonance with people,” he said.

“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.”

Among those other contenders for Game of the Year 2025 are Death Stranding 2, Hades 2, Monster Hunter Wilds, Silent Hill f, and Donkey Kong Bananza.

Despite the strong competition, Broche jokingly revealed his personal favourite — the roguelike bullet-hell hit Megabonk, which has been topping Steam charts in recent months.

“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,” he said. “It’s my life. Help me!”