As if winning nearly every Game of the Year award wasn't enough, fans of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are now debating whether or not it's good enough to be a worthy contender for Game of the Decade.
2025 may not have been as groundbreaking for gaming as 2023, but it was still packed with stellar releases. Of course the one that everyone since it was released, it's none other than Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which came out with little fanfare and ended up winning almost everyone over with its fantastic writing, combat, style, and so much more.
Considering all the love for Clair Obscur, it was no surprise that it ended up at every year-end awards show, earning it a slew of Game of the Year awards. In fact, it was such a hit that it managed to break the record for most wins at The Game Awards. As if all that wasn't enough, fans are now questioning whether the Game of the deserves it Decade.
Clair Obscur fans debate whether it's worth the Game of the Decade
He's definitely a worthy contender, but the competition is fierce
Ever since Clair Obscur released and spoiled us all, the phrase “Game of the Decade” has been thrown around a lot. On the Clair Obscur subreddit, Virtually_Hidden asked fans about this sentiment, noting that the other contenders for the throne are The Witcher 3, Baldur's Gate 3, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Elden Ring, with Clair competing with most of those games for them.
With 2025 at an end, Baldur's Gate 3 is still the undefeated champion of 2020
Elden Ring and Tears of the Kingdom came close, but Baldur's Gate 3 has yet to be surpassed.
Virtually_Hidden wonders if we'll ever see a game that “surpasses the combination of E33's unique and brilliant story along with fluid and compelling gameplay,” all of which make it a Game of the Decade contender. The big question sparked quite a debate on the subreddit, with fans sharing how close they thought Clair was to landing such a massive prize.
While Clair fans will obviously have very nice things to say about it, the general opinion is that the game is a worthy contender and is part of the top 10, but maybe not in the top spot. One of the most upvoted comments in the thread came from Redditor DrGev, who simply said “top 10.” To the point, but most seem to agree.
Redditor DorothyDrangus said that Clair Obscur definitely belongs in the conversation for games released in the 1920s, but that it gets a little trickier if we go back to games like Super Mario Odyssey, Breath of the Wild, and Disco Elysium. There are actually games that directly inspired Sandfall, like Persona 5, that are in this lineup, so actually winning is a little harder.
Of course, the real challengers for Game of the Decade are mentioned throughout the thread – Elden Ring and Baldur's Gate 3. While Clair Obscur is beloved, many fans agree that these two games are too hard to beat, and probably what would hold Clair back from the crown. Even with that in mind, it's clear that Clair deserves a place in the conversation, even if the Game of the Decade is perhaps a bit far away.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
- Released
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April 24, 2025
- ESRB
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Older 17+ / Blood and gore, violent language, obscene themes, violence
- Developers
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Sandfall Interactive
- Publishers
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Interactive Kepler
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