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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 2025
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a role-playing video game released in 2025 by Kepler Interactive. It was developed by Sandfall Interactive and set in a dark fantasy Belle Époque-inspired universe. The game's story centers on members of Expedition 33 who attempt to defeat the Paintress, a mysterious force responsible for the yearly "Gommage." This event erases individuals at or above a progressively lower age from existence. Players control a group of characters from a third-person view, exploring areas and fighting enemies in turn-based combat that includes real-time player inputs such as quick time events and timed actions.
The project started in 2019 with Guillaume Broche, a former Ubisoft employee, who left the company during the 2020 pandemic to create Sandfall Interactive. The team grew steadily, eventually forming a core group of approximately 30 to 40 developers, supported by 8 freelance gameplay combat animators. External collaborators included motion-capture actors, voice actors, testers, and translators. Influenced by Japanese RPGs like Final Fantasy and Persona series, the developers aimed to make a high-quality turn-based game that they felt AAA studios had overlooked. The development began using Unreal Engine 4, later switching to Unreal Engine 5 for enhanced visuals.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 launched on PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. It was available day one on Xbox Game Pass. Critics praised the game for its narrative, themes, art direction, gameplay, and soundtrack. As of now, it has sold over 8 million copies. The game earned numerous awards and topped many 2025 best games lists. It became the most decorated title in The Game Awards' history, winning nine of its thirteen nominations in 2025, including Game of the Year. Additionally, it was the first debut title and second overall title, after Baldur's Gate 3, to win Game of the Year from all five major award ceremonies: Golden Joystick Awards, The Game Awards, D.I.C.E. Awards, GDC Awards, and BAFTA Games Awards.
Trailer
Plays from YouTube only after you click.
Crew
- Director
- Guillaume Broche
- Designer
- Guillaume Broche, Michel Nohra
- Programmer
- Tom Guillermin
- Artist
- Nicholas Maxson-Francombe
- Writer
- Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, Guillaume Broche, Victor Deleard
- Producer
- François Meurisse
- Music
- Lorien Testard, Alice Duport-Percier
Details
- Developer
- Sandfall Interactive
- Publisher
- Kepler Interactive
- Platforms
- PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
- Modes
- Single-player
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
