Tom Guillermin, co-founder of Sandfall Interactive and CTO of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, revealed he actively hoped his game would lose out on Game of the Year honors to champion the industry’s more experimental and “weird” titles.
A Preference for Creative Diversity
While most developers dream of sweeping major award ceremonies, Guillermin took a different stance. Speaking to Game Informer at the Game Developers Choice Awards, he admitted, “I was crossing fingers that we wouldn’t get [Game of the Year] because there are so many super creative games and weird games.”
Guillermin emphasized that while big-budget blockbusters are essential for driving technological advancement in gaming, the health of the industry relies on the ability of developers to express creativity in unexpected ways. For him, seeing audiences react positively to unconventional concepts is a benchmark of a thriving, diverse market.
A Historic Sweep
Despite Guillermin’s humble wishes, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 dominated the awards circuit. The title secured the Game of the Year honor at the Game Developers Choice Awards, alongside wins for Best Audio, Best Debut, Best Narrative, and Best Visual Art. The game’s momentum continued as it captured the BAFTA award for Best Game, becoming only the second title in history to secure all five major Game of the Year awards.
Proving the Market for Fresh Ideas
The success of Expedition 33 is particularly notable given its status as a debut project. Competing simultaneously for “Best Debut” and “Game of the Year” categories, the game challenged the industry standard that studios require multiple attempts to produce a high-caliber hit.
Reflecting on this duality, Guillermin noted that the warm reception proves there is a significant appetite for innovation from new studios. He recalled the skepticism the team faced early on: “When we were saying that we were working on a JRPG turn-based game, [they were like,] ‘No, that’s not my jam.'”
Ultimately, the game’s widespread adoption serves as a positive signal for developers working outside of traditional, expected genres. “Seeing such openness and having our game embraced by such a large group of players, I think it’s a great signal that we can be innovative,” Guillermin concluded.
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