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UNCOVERED: Sandfall | History Defined

Clair Obscur: how an indie game about loss became the biggest success story of 2025

Ahead of the BAFTAs, lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen breaks down the biggest twists of Sandfall’s runaway success story

Evening Standard

4 times game devs got called out for leaving AI assets in a game

Ooopsie

Destructoid

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 star worries the industry will learn the wrong lessons from the J'RPG's success: "Capitalism is unwilling to ask the why because they’re interested in the how"

"I think when the opportunistic fingers of capitalism try to take apart this game and its success, I fear they will ask the wrong questions."

GamesRadar

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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 studio drops legal action against L’Académie Clair-Obscur comic: 'Sorry for dragging our feet'

A "super move on the studio's part", says comic creator.

PC Gamer

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 studio say they're seeking a 'fair solution' in dispute with comic artist who named his book after the same 15th century painting technique

Chiaroscur-oh no.

PC Gamer

"The first track spoils the whole game": Clair Obscur Expedition 33 devs confirm they were filling your ears with spoilers the entire time

Luckily, it's very hard to understand what's being said

GamesRadar

Sandfall Interactive continues its Larian-like ways as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 wins Game of the Year and four other trophies at the DICE Awards

Other big winners at this year's event include Ghost of Yotei, Death Stranding 2, and Blue Prince.

PC Gamer

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Knowing what's happening off camera in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 brings some levity to those dramatic cutscenes

I don't think limbs are supposed to do that.

PC Gamer

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs receive rare honor from French Ministry of Culture, previously won by Shigeru Miyamoto and the creator of Rayman

Sandfall's historic run continues

GamesRadar

After Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was snubbed at the Grammys, legendary Journey composer Austin Wintory dedicates his win to Sandfall's "once-in-a-generation-level rarity"

"It is an amazing album that people love in its own right"

GamesRadar

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs shout out fellow French studio's climbing sim launching on Steam and PS5 with clever nod to their J'RPG: "Expedition 69's favorite game is out!!"

Montpellier studios are sticking together

GamesRadar

Painkiller's creator jokes that Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's team of newbies has 'ruined' his worldview: 'I don't know what to believe anymore'

"There's an incredible amount of smart decisions that allow them to make a game that looks AAA."

PC Gamer

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads say "our vision is to ship quality games," and "we don't believe you need to have a lot of people to do that"

"Expanding for the sake of expanding is not our vision"

GamesRadar

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 overtakes The Last of Us 2 for the second most Game of the Year nods ever, but the J'RPG has a ways to go before beating Elden Ring's record

Sandfall Entertainment's debut is still racking up the wins

GamesRadar

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GamesRadar

"You can't do GTA for $10 million": Split Fiction director worries “AA games are taking over” after Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's success, as he “would not be able to live without a AAA title"

The industry should have Sandfall Entertainment and Rockstar Games

GamesRadar

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is an indie game "at heart," even if its devs know it got a "lot of support" from its publisher

Sandfall Entertainment enjoyed considerable backing from Kepler Interactive

GamesRadar

Final Fantasy 7 Remake lead says he and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director agree "games are meant to be diverse": "Both action games and turn-based games should evolve for the better"

We can enjoy the best of all worlds at the moment

GamesRadar

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director blames Final Fantasy 10 for letting you nuke the RPG's final boss, but admits it might have been "a little bit too easy to get overpowered"

"We think it's OK – more or less what we wanted"

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PC Gamer

'There is a bit of pressure': Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 devs will stay true to themselves for their next game despite expectations—'we need to trust our instincts'

I'd be excited no matter what happens, honestly.

GamesRadar

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 director admits Sandfall "tried" AI during the J'RPG's development, but "didn't like it" and "everything in the game is human made"

Guillaume Brioche is setting the record straight

TechRadar

‘It’s good to have limitations’: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's creative director says Sandfall Interactive's next game won’t on a bigger scale despite huge success

Sandfall Interactive's CEO and creative director, Guillaume Broche, has said the studio won't be expanding the scale of its next game, despite Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's success, because it loves "making games more than we love managing."

Windows Central

Expedition 33 devs won't "scale up" for their next game because they embrace "limitations," want to create — "We love making games more than we love managing"

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 developer Sandfall is looking ahead to future projects, but doesn't intend to "scale up" for them despite their huge success.

PC Gamer

Clair Obscur's famously small (but not that small) developer isn't interested in becoming less not-that-small: 'I think it's good to have limitations when you are creative'

"We love making games more than we love managing, so we want to keep doing that."

GamesRadar

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's controversial GOTY wins at The Indie Game Awards retracted after the RPG's use of generative AI

"When it was submitted for consideration, a representative of Sandfall Interactive agreed that no gen AI was used"

GamesRadar

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's celebratory DLC bosses and nerfs are so brutal that players are having to retool their months-old endgame builds

Community members are being good sports and trying to find new workarounds now

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