The French role-playing game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has been awarded “Best French Video Game of the Year” at the Pégases awards, recognizing excellence in the French video game industry. The game, developed by Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, launched on April 24, 2025, for Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series, and PlayStation 5.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is set in a dark fantasy universe inspired by the Belle Époque. The game centers around a mysterious entity known as “La Peintresse,” believed to be responsible for the ills of civilization. Each year, La Peintresse marks a decreasing number on a giant monolith, causing anyone who reaches or exceeds that age to disappear. The city of Lumière, populated only by young people, sends out an expedition to break this cycle.
Sandfall Interactive, a French studio, created Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as its first title. The game utilizes the Unreal Engine 5 and currently supports English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Czech, Ukrainian, Latin American Spanish, Turkish, Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesian languages.
As of October 2025, the game had sold 5 million copies. A version 1.5.0 update was released on December 12, 2025. Despite its success, reports indicate challenges behind the scenes for the French video game.
Notably, a player recently completed the game without using dodging or parrying, demonstrating that quick reflexes aren’t essential for success. One player shared their experience on Reddit, highlighting the importance of effective character builds and party health. This approach to gameplay underscores the depth of the game’s buildcraft system, which some players feel has been overshadowed by comparisons to other action RPGs. The game’s developers emphasized that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is not intended to be as demanding as games like Elden Ring.
The Pégases awards, often referred to as the “Césars of video games,” celebrate the best in French video game development. The recognition for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 comes as the French gaming industry continues to gain international attention.
