Bethesda studio head Todd Howard told Eurogamer that his game of the year for 2025 is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Howard called the Sandfall Interactive RPG “Expedition 33 is really unique and amazing” and also praised other narrative-driven releases such as Death Stranding 2 and Kingdom Come Deliverance 2, reinforcing his preference for story-forward RPGs.
The pick aligns with the broader awards circuit: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 took seven prizes at The Golden Joysticks 2025 and received 12 nominations at The Game Awards, the most nominations any game has received in that show’s history. Industry peers have echoed that enthusiasm. Final Fantasy director Naoki Hamaguchi named the game among his personal favorites, noting it balances multiple elements at a high level, and critics have repeatedly singled out its emotional beats and combat blend.
Howard has remained vocal about Bethesda’s roadmap while commenting on other projects, and readers can see his recent comments about The Elder Scrolls 6 in the site’s previous coverage. Feel free to join the conversation in the comments below and let us know what you think. Oh, and please follow us on X, Bluesky, and YouTube.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developed by Sandfall Interactive
Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.
- Genre: Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
- Platforms: Xbox Series X|S, PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 5
- Modes: Single player
- Release: 2025-04-24
- Publisher: Kepler Interactive
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Age Rating:
ACB MA 15+ / PEGI 18 / USK 16 / CERO Z / GRAC 19+ / CLASS_IND 18 / ESRB M
- IGDB Rating: 93.1/100
