adminClair Obscur: Expedition 33 took home the Game of the Year award at the 15th Annual New York Game Awards, earning two honors at the ceremony. Jennifer English was also recognized for her performance as Maelle, taking the Best Acting in a Game award.
Image credit: Sandfall Interactive
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 leads the New York Game Awards 2026
Sandfall Interactive’s game received the ceremony’s top prize, while English’s portrayal of Maelle brought it a second win. Together, the awards recognized both the game overall and an individual performance within it.
The results also highlighted a wide range of games and categories, from independent and mobile releases to writing, music, world design, and journalism. For readers comparing the winners, the category list below shows the full set of recipients and the studios or publishers named in the awards announcement.
Other notable winners
Blue Prince, developed by Dogubomb, won Best Indie Game. Poti Poti Studio’s This Seat Taken received Best Mobile Game, while Nintendo’s Donkey Kong Bananza was named Best Kids Game.
Ball x Pit won the newly introduced Best New York Game category. The award recognizes games developed by studios in New York City. The Pokémon Company received the Andrew Yoon Legend Award. New York Videogame Critics Circle founder and president Harold Goldberg said the Pokémon franchise had become one of the world’s most recognizable game series over its 30-year history. Last year’s Andrew Yoon Award recipient was Remedy creative director Sam Lake.
Elsewhere, Hades 2 won Best World, News Tower was named Best Hidden Gem, and People Make Games received the Best Games Journalism award. These categories offer a quick way to explore the ceremony beyond its headline prize.
Full list of New York Game Awards 2026 winners
- Best Game of the Year: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Sandfall Interactive/Kepler Interactive)
- Best Indie Game: Blue Prince (Dogubomb/Raw Fury)
- Best Mobile Game: Is This Seat Taken? (Poti Poti Studio/Wholesome Games Presents)
- Best AR/VR Game: Lumines Arise (Enhance, Monstars)
- Best Kids Game: Donkey Kong Bananza (Nintendo EPD/Nintendo)
- Best New York Game: Ball x Pit (Kenny Sun/Devolver Digital)
- Best Writing in a Game: Blippo+ (Telefantasy Studios, Noble Robot, Yacht/Panic Inc.)
- Best World: Hades 2 (Supergiant Games)
- Best Music in a Game: South of Midnight (Compulsion Games/Xbox Game Studios)
- Best Acting in a Game: Jennifer English as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Best Remake: The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered (Virtuos, Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks)
- Best Hidden Gem: News Tower (Sparrow Night, Twin Sails Interactive)
- Best DLC: Lies of P: Overture (Neowiz, Round8 Studios)
- Best Games Journalism: People Make Games
- Andrew Yoon Legend Award Recipient: The Pokémon Company
What the awards mean for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
With both Game of the Year and Best Acting in a Game, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was among the ceremony’s most recognized titles. The complete winners list also shows the breadth of work celebrated, including games from independent studios and major publishers.
For anyone following Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the New York Game Awards 2026 results offer a concise overview of its two honors and the other games recognized across the event’s categories.
