Expedition 33 blew me away. I’m not alone in that–in fact, it’s the overwhelming consensus. Sandfall Interactive’s debut game combines a heartfelt narrative, a unique twist on turn-based RPG combat, and a world that’s as thematic as it is beautiful into one outstanding experience. It was my Game of the Year for 2025, and now you can grab it at its lowest price yet.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played. Sure, there will always be people who don’t enjoy it, but its widespread acclaim speaks for itself. As someone who doesn’t usually play many games in the genre beyond older Final Fantasy entries and Atlus RPGs, Expedition 33 feels like decades of role-playing game design refined into one essential adventure.
The opening immediately gives you a reason to keep playing. The people of Lumière live under the constant threat of the Paintress, a giant, godlike figure who paints a new number every year. Everyone at or above that age disappears forever. In response, the people of Lumière send a new expedition of those nearing that age in a final attempt to stop her, though every previous expedition has failed.
It’s an extinction-level threat that still feels deeply personal thanks to a cast of memorable characters. Charlie Cox’s Gustave is determined to succeed where everyone before him has failed, but beneath that determination is a vulnerability that Cox captures brilliantly. Jennifer English’s Maelle serves as a younger, sister-like companion to Gustave, willingly risking the little time she has left in the hope that Expedition 33 can finally succeed.
I won’t go any further than that. The story introduces plenty of surprising ideas that make Sandfall Interactive’s debut feel fresh and distinctive. The combat reinforces that originality by taking traditional turn-based battles and adding active dodges and parries, creating a satisfying risk-and-reward system. Rather than simply watching attacks play out, you’re constantly engaged in every encounter.
Since launching last year, the biggest discount the game had seen was 20% off on Steam. For one day only, however, Fanatical has increased that to 29%, meaning you can grab a Steam key for just $35.49 / £29.79. It’s the lowest price the game has ever reached, making now an excellent time to finally see what all the praise is about.
Disclosure: GameSpot and Fanatical are both owned by Fandom. This story was created in collaboration with Fanatical’s deals team.
