The French game “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” triumphs at the Bafta video games

This is the recognition for this game which won the biggest awards this year in the sector. The French game “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33”, the first title developed by the Montpellier studio Sandfall Interactive, was crowned best video game this Friday at the annual Bafta Games Awards ceremony in London.

It had already won the title of “game of the year” at the Game Awards in Los Angeles in December, a first for a French production. In March, he also triumphed in Paris during the 7th edition of the Pégases, which rewards the best French creations in video games. “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” also won the Bafta on Friday for “first play” and Jennifer English, for actress in a leading role.

A role-playing game set in a postapocalyptic universe, “Clair Obscur” narrates the tragic odyssey of a group of characters who set out to challenge a supernatural entity threatening Lumiere, a city reminiscent of Belle Époque Paris.

The title, which is inspired in particular by the famous Japanese saga Final Fantasy, has seduced players with its touching story and its endearing characters, all sprinkled with original gameplay requiring a dose of reflexes to parry the attacks of your opponents.

With a reduced team and budget

Sold more than 5 million copies, “Clair Obscur” has become a global phenomenon since its release in April 2025. It won nine titles – a record – during the Game Awards ceremony, often considered the equivalent of the Oscars of gaming video, in Los Angeles. The game’s soundtrack has hundreds of millions of streams online.

Published by the British publisher Kepler Interactive, “Clair Obscur: Expedition 33” was largely developed by a team of around thirty people, a relatively modest size compared to blockbusters in the sector, for a budget of less than 10 million euros.

It is the second French game to be crowned best game at the Bafta, after “Dishonored” from Lyon studio Arkane in 2013.

Facing him for the award for best game, was notably in competition “Ghost of YÅ tei” from the Japanese giant Sony. This is the sequel to a very popular samurai video game released in 2020, “Ghost of Tsushima”. This game won the Bafta for best music. Also in the running: “Dispatch,” “Arc Raiders,” “Blue Prince” and “Indiana Jones and the Ancient Circle.”