What you need to know about Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the multi-award-winning game

Final Fantasy, Tales of, Dragon Quest, Octopath Traveler, Bravely Default, Chrono Trigger, and many other franchises have marked the history of role-playing games and continue to captivate players. Even though there is a generous offering of games, there is always room for newcomers. Proof of this is the incredible feat achieved by French studio Sandfall Interactive: winning over all fans of the genre with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The title has so many qualities that it has won over critics and scooped up several awards. Don't know it? It's time to introduce it to you. 

A gem with enchanting beauty

Before discussing the game, it is worth talking about Sandfall Interactive, the development studio behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Founded in 2020 in Montpellier, this young studio didn't come out of nowhere. Indeed, it was created by a talented trio. At its head are Tom Guillermin, a former Ubisoft employee known for his work on Ghost Recon Wildlands and The Division 2, actor and producer François Meurisse, and Guillaume Broche, who is also a former Ubisoft employee having worked on Ghost Recon Breakpoint and Might & Magic Heroes VII.

With the idea of shaking up RPG (role-playing game) codes, the trio surrounded themselves with a handful of people to develop an original idea by Guillaume Broche. The studio's achievement comes from the small team that worked on the project. Even though several external contributors lent a hand, the core team consists of only about thirty people. 

That said, Sandfall Interactive wanted to make a lasting impression with a well-crafted aesthetic. The gamble is highly successful thanks to its inspirations drawn from representations of France during the Belle Époque. With its mysterious aspect, fantastic side, and polished artistic direction, the title presents itself as a refined work of art. Moreover, the studio used Unreal Engine 5, the latest game engine from Epic Games, for visuals that flatter the eyes. This is not to mention the enchanting soundtrack that accompanies every moment, adding just the right amount of magic, poetry, and epic moments to thrill players. Music enthusiasts can even listen to the entire OST just below.

An engaging story, immersive gameplay

Every year, inevitably, our life counter increases. We are one year older. In the world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the notion of age takes on vital importance. Indeed, each year, an entity named the Painteress awakens from her slumber to paint a cursed number on her Monolith. Each year, it decreases. Each year, the people who are the age written are erased. In the game, as the name suggests, this year, all the young people aged 33 are doomed to disappear. To try to break this curse, there seems to be only one solution: eliminate the Painteress. Thus, an expedition composed of several people, including Lune, Maelle, and Gustave, is organized by the inhabitants of Lumière. It is a true race against time for these young women and men who have nothing left to lose. For the rest, we can only invite you to enjoy the adventure to discover the narrative richness of the game. 

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based role-playing game. It obviously draws inspiration from the great names of the genre, particularly from Japanese titles well known to fans. Nevertheless, the studio wanted to bring its touch and offer gameplay that is more dynamic. In fact, it introduced real-time events, notably QTEs (Quick Time Events). The goal is to keep players constantly alert. The battles thus gain intensity, both in offensive and defensive phases. Indeed, dodges, parries, counters, targeting enemy weak points, all these actions are performed in real-time. Additionally, as an RPG, the title introduces a unique build system that allows everyone to adjust characters' attributes, equipment, and skills to optimize the team's efficiency. Of course, before reaching the Painter, a long path must be traversed. The world map is just waiting to be explored to let you uncover its secrets. 

It's the game of the year 2025 and not just

By the end of 2025, at the Game Awards ceremony, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 swept an impressive number of awards. Specifically, out of 12 nominations, which already sets a first record, the title was awarded 9 times. Notably, it received the most coveted trophy, namely Game of the Year (GOTY), nothing less. But that's not all... It was also named Best RPG of 2025, Best Independent Game. Additionally, it was awarded for its storyline, music, artistic direction, and for the performance of Jennifer English, the actress who plays Maelle.  With such critical success and charm, the game found its audience, surpassing five million copies sold by the end of 2025. The story is so beautiful, the title showcases French expertise so well, that the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, named all members of the Sandfall Interactive team Knights of the Order of Arts and Letters. 

The team then wanted to thank the players in its own way. It simply deployed a free update introducing several new features. This "Thank You" update notably allowed the discovery of a brand new playable environment, added a Photo mode and several new locations, and included FSR 4 support to enhance visuals and smooth gameplay with compatible graphics cards. Additionally, it provides access to new musical tracks by Lorien Testard, as well as formidable bosses offering unique loot. 

Finally, to help you immerse yourself even more in the adventure, to challenge the Painter and her infernal cycle, you can take a look at the new official Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 collection from Fulllife. Let yourself be tempted by the Lumière t-shirt with its specific representation of the Iron Lady or by the Esquie t-shirt, this soft and caring companion that instantly reassures. For a more dressed-up evening, you can opt for the shirt displaying the mysterious symbols discovered in Esquie's nest. For cooler moments, it's better to wear the Expedition 33 hoodie which notably features the number 33 in golden thread on the shoulder. 

Cover image: Sandfall Interactive®