GAMIVO Game of the Year is won by Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 after significant popular voting

Sandfall Interactive’s RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, was officially crowned the best game of 2025 at the annual awards ceremony organized by the GAMIVO platform. The title achieved a significant victory by securing 39.9% of the total votes, consolidating its position as the absolute favorite among players in one of the most anticipated disputes on the gaming calendar.

The election, which took place between the end of December 2025 and the beginning of January 2026, mobilized a large portion of the gaming community. GAMIVO’s methodology, which bases the selection of nominees on sales data and direct feedback from users, resulted in a list of twelve of the year’s most impactful titles, culminating in the fantasy RPG’s victory.

This award adds to a growing list of recognitions that the game has accumulated since its launch, but stands out for directly reflecting the preference of the consumer public. The massive choice for the adventure, which combines elements of turn-based combat with real-time action, reaffirms the critical and commercial success that marked its trajectory over the past year.

The fierce competition for the podium

Despite the isolated leadership of Clair Obscur:

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2, the long-awaited sequel to the historical realism RPG, secured second place with 18.2% of the votes. The title was acclaimed for deepening the medieval immersion of its predecessor, with a denser open world and improved combat and survival mechanics.

Third place was taken by Ghost of Yotei, which obtained 7.9% of voters’ preference. The sequel to Ghost of Tsushima expanded the samurai journey with a new narrative and even more impressive visuals, maintaining the excellence in fluid combat that established the franchise.

Other big names such as Hollow Knight: Silksong and Death Stranding 2: On the

What makes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 special

The success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 can be attributed to a combination of factors that distinguish it in the competitive RPG market. Sua narrative premise is immediately captivating: in a fantasy world with aesthetics inspired by the French Belle Époque, an enigmatic entity called Paintress paints a number each year, sentencing everyone who reaches that age to death. The plot follows Expedição 33, a group of heroes on a desperate mission to destroy Paintress before it paints the number 33 and annihilates another generation. Essa’s take on mortality, legacy, and sacrifice resonated deeply with players, offering an emotional depth rarely seen. Além of the story, the art direction is a fundamental pillar, transforming each scenario into a vivid and detailed painting. The hybrid combat system, which blends turn-based strategy with the urgency of real-time actions like parrying and dodging, was universally praised for modernizing a classic formula, keeping players constantly engaged and challenged. The orchestral soundtrack and charismatic characters, such as Maelle and Gustave, complete a package that not only met, but exceeded expectations, setting a new standard for the genre.

Sandfall Interactive’s journey

Behind the success of Clair Obscur: The developer demonstrated a clear and ambitious vision, focusing on creating an experience that was both familiar to RPG fans and innovative enough to attract a new audience. The game’s development was marked by transparent communication with the community, generating expectation and trust long before launch.

The studio invested in a mature narrative and polished game mechanics, investing significant resources in the artistic and technical quality of the project. Lançado on April 24, 2025 for major platforms including PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, in addition to a debut on the Xbox Game Pass service, the title quickly surpassed the five million copies sold mark. Esse commercial result, in line with the acclaim from specialized critics, validates Sandfall Interactive’s strategy and positions the studio as a name to be closely watched in future projects.

The complete ranking of the GAMIVO awards

GAMIVO’s poll revealed a clear picture of the community’s preferences in 2025. The final list of nominees and their respective vote percentages demonstrate both the dominance of the winner and the popularity of other major titles.

The complete classification was as follows:

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – 39.9%

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 – 18.2%

Ghost of Yotei – 7.9%

Hollow Knight: Silksong – 6%

Split Fiction – 5.2%

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach – 4.6%

Blue Prince – 4.1%

Donkey Kong Bananza – 3.9%

Silent Hill f – 3.7%

Dispatch – 2.7%

Hades – 2.2%

Megabonk – 1.5%

The variety of genres on the list, which includes open-world RPGs, action games, platformers and independent titles, reflects a healthy and diverse gaming ecosystem, where different proposals have found their space and gained a dedicated fan base.

The role of the community in choosing

GAMIVO’s Game of the Enquanto other awards combine votes from a specialized jury with popular participation, GAMIVO places the final decision exclusively in the hands of the players.

This model gives the award a unique legitimacy, as it represents a direct verdict from the public that consumes the games. Vencedores from previous editions, such as Elden Ring, had already demonstrated the power of community mobilization, and the victory of Clair Obscur:

Innovation in the combat system

One of the most celebrated aspects of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is its combat system. Sandfall Interactive managed to fuse the tactical depth of turn-based RPGs with the adrenaline and skill required by action games, creating a dynamic and rewarding experience.

During confrontations, players plan their actions in a turn-based system, but execution depends on real-time commands. Ataques can be enhanced, defenses can be transformed into precise counterattacks and special abilities require perfect timing. Essa layer of interactivity eliminates the passivity often associated with turn-based combat and makes each battle, especially against monumental bosses, a test of strategy and reflexes.

Legacy and reception of the title

With the GAMIVO awards win and commercial and critical success, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has not only established itself as the top game of 2025, but also as a new benchmark for the RPG genre. The title proved that it is possible to innovate on established mechanics and deliver deep and emotionally impactful narratives, certainly influencing future developments in the industry.