Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 won its second “Game of the Year” award on Dec. 11. Sandfall Interactive’s RPG not only became a strong indie leader, it also shows what AAA companies are lacking. The gaming industry falters due to generative AI, business malpractice, and overambition. Yet, many indie developers kept it afloat through passionate visions, integrity, and effective communication.

Expedition 33 is Built on Pure Inspiration

From the finalized development and release phase, Sandfall Interactive was transparent throughout all their interviews as they prepared to release Expedition 33. Lead programmer Tom Guillermin and creative director Guillame Broche expressed that their dark fantasy is inspired by two key elements: Japanese RPGs and French culture.

The Belle Époque, or the Beautiful Era, was the French cultural movement that expressed various perspectives of peace and stability. Between the 17th and 18th centuries, the rich and the middle class increased their job and living securities, but the lower classes did not benefit from the Franco-Prussian War. That age romanticized France as a country while attempting to bury social tensions. Broche noticed that rarely any games have touched on the subject, making it the perfect foundation for Expedition 33.

He explained to PlayStation.Blog, “It influenced the game’s artistic direction, and also refers to the overarching world.” Broche then expanded that aspect with the antagonist, the Paintress. “For years, [she] has painted a number on her monolith and erased everyone in that age known as the Gommage, and each year a new Expedition group ventures out to try and destroy her and stop the cursed cycle.”

Guillermin added that the French novel, La Horde du Contrevent, inspired Expedition 33’s adventuring concept. The French RPG’s presentation and story fused well with its reactive turn-based combat. Every parry, dodge, and swing draws a brush stroke through the E33 members’ and enemy animations. Guillermin talked about the inspirations behind this decision.

“The art deco movement was a big inspiration for us in building the look of our world,” he explained in an Unreal Engine interview. “A lot of fans can see the similarities to JRPGs like Persona, Final Fantasy, or Lost Odyssey, too. I think some of these games, including action games like Sekiro, helped inspire our battle system by combining traditional turn-based combat with more reactive timing-based counters and parries.”

Sandfall Interactive and Indies Loves Cooperation

Indie developers like Sandfall Interactive have dedicated their time to perfecting their games by using effective communication. Expedition 33 is a shining example of how criticism can affect the gaming experience. Guillermin mentioned that team members played the battle showcase demo to test their reactive combat.

“Finding the right balance for those real-time elements took a while, especially timings for the dodge and parry, and I think we hit a sweet spot (especially when successfully landing a counterattack after a series of parries felt so good),” the programmer exclaimed excitedly. “Everyone was trying to beat a boss in turns, passing the controller at a failed attempt. At that moment, we felt things really clicked together, and we managed to create something unique that would define the game.

Supergiant Games shared the same philosophy when it came to Hades and Hades II. By granting their players early access, they received feedback to improve gameplay and weed out technical difficulties. Some small and solo developers showcase their projects’ progress through platforms like Itch.io and post videos on social media.

REPO developer Semiwork and Megabonk developer Vedinad are two great examples. Semiwork’s filmmaker, Pontus Sundström, interacts with the community by posting scripted blogs and reaction content on their official YouTube channel. Meanwhile, the development team handles REPO updates on Steam, which is fantastic marketing for an early access game. Vedinad does the same for Megabonk, but uses a meme format through YouTube Shorts.

Why AAA Developers Struggle to Keep Up?

Expedition 33 is fortunate to be published under Kepler Interactive, as more AAA game companies are changing to questionable business practices. Since 2024, 90% developers are using generative AI tools for projects globally.

One of the latest disappointments is Activision’s Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. The developer officially admitted to using AI to “empower their creatives in enhancing the player experience.” Not only did the news disappoint the franchise’s community, but it also upset US Congressman Ro Khanna, fueling demands for AI guardrails.

The technology has also caused numerous layoffs throughout the gaming industry. Other reasons for the layoffs include project abandonment and failures. Build A Rocket Boy’s MindEye is a prime example of overambition. The action-adventure title was intended to be GTA 6’s competitor. Instead, its launch revealed a rushed product plagued with bugs, glitches, and Unreal Engine crashes. The results led to over 250 employees exiting the studio.

The Perfect Dark series was intended to return after it was announced back in 2020. The Microsoft partner studio, The Initiative, set its sights on reviving the popular Rare (formerly Rareware) spy game. They featured the development’s progress at Summer Game Fest 2024. It appeared to be nearly completed with gameplay, voice acting, and story. Unfortunately, Microsoft canceled the project on July 2, 2025.

Finally, there’s the latest market price for games and consoles. Nintendo is seen as the catalyst for charging above the average retail price. Gamers fumed when they learned Mario Kart World would sell for around $80. Despite negative criticism, the Nintendo Switch 2 version sold over 3.5 million units during its launch week in June. Its AAA competitors soon followed suit, resulting with mixed results on unit sales.

Expedition 33 is a 2-Time GOTY Winner

A well-crafted game must have replayability, enjoyment, and most importantly, an immersive experience for gamers. Broche and Guillermin’s team offered all three, feeling confident and proud of themselves for earning those achievements. Expedition 33 brought in a refreshing take on RPGs that can satisfy veterans and newcomers to the genre. Their passion for their French culture and history inspired the emotionally driven narrative.

Best of all, Sandfall Interactive persevered alongside other indie developers as award nominees. Two of the biggest gaming award shows, Golden Joystick and the Game Awards, watched closely as Expedition 33 blossomed with its audience. Thanks to their fantastic cooperation, the French dark fantasy won two “Game of the Year” awards.

Sandfall Interactive took home seven awards from the 2025 Golden Joystick Awards, while winning nine at the Game Awards. And to the players who followed these former Ubisoft employees, the team surprised them with a game update.

The team posted on Dec. 11, “Congratulations to all our fellow nominees and winners [at the Game Awards]-we’re so happy to be a part of this incredible evening! To celebrate this amazing year, and as a sincere ‘Thank You’ to the community, we are rolling out the free major update, adding new content and a few fun surprises!”

Expedition 33’s Thank You Update offers a brand-new environment for players to explore. It comes with Lorien Testard’s additional score called Verso’s Draft, a new photo mode, 7 new languages, new quality of life improvements, and enhanced handheld PC compatibility.