Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Director Was Bored at Ubisoft So He Made a 2025 GotY Contender

Dive into the story of how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's director, fueled by boredom and a dream, crafted 2025's highest-rated game. Discover the journey of Sandfall Interactive and the creative spark behind this groundbreaking title.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Was Made Out of Boredom

Doing Something Different

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has quickly cemented its status as an instant classic, achieving the highest ratings in 2025 and selling over 1 million copies in just three days. Remarkably, this game-of-the-year contender was born from a moment of boredom and the urge to innovate.

In an interview with BBC News on May 4, Guillaume Broche, the director from Sandfall Interactive, shared the origins of the project. While working at Ubisoft during the peak of the 2020 pandemic, Broche felt a restlessness that led him to envision a new game. Inspired by his childhood love for the Final Fantasy series, he set out to create a similar JRPG experience. This journey began with a simple post on Reddit.

A Stroke of Luck

Broche's vision started to take shape when he reached out on Reddit and various online forums, seeking like-minded individuals to join his project. At the time, the concept of a Belle Époque-inspired, classic turn-based gameplay was not widely celebrated. Yet, undeterred, Broche persisted in his search for collaborators.

Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, who was under lockdown in Australia, responded to one of Broche's Reddit posts looking for voice actors. Intrigued by the opportunity, she auditioned and was initially cast as a major character. Her role soon expanded to lead writer for Expedition 33. "I was like: 'I've never done that, it sounds kinda cool', so I sent him an audition," Svedberg-Yen recalled.

Broche eventually left Ubisoft to focus entirely on Expedition 33, founding Sandfall Interactive. With funding from publisher Kepler Interactive, the team grew to about 30 members. Many were found through unconventional channels, such as composer Lorien Testard, who connected via Soundcloud.

Thanks to Kepler Interactive's backing, the team was able to attract renowned actors like Charlie Cox (Daredevil), Ben Starr (Final Fantasy XVI), Jennifer English (Baldur’s Gate 3), and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings), among others.

Despite the expanding team, Broche and Svedberg-Yen emphasized their versatility in roles during production. The core team often worked beyond their designated roles, with Svedberg-Yen handling translations into multiple languages. Broche praised the team, saying, "We have, I think, an amazing team mostly of junior people but they are so incredibly invested in the project and talented."

The origin story of Expedition 33 is as enchanting as the game itself. Driven by boredom and blessed with serendipity, Sandfall Interactive has created a generational masterpiece that promises to captivate players for years. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is now available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay updated with the latest news by clicking on our article below!