Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 secured eight D.I.C.E. Awards nominations on January 8, positioning the turn-based RPG for another potential Game of the Year victory. The Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences revealed the 29th annual awards slate, with Expedition 33 and PlayStation 5 exclusive Ghost of Yōtei leading all titles with eight nominations each.
The Game of the Year category includes five contenders: Arc Raiders, Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Dispatch, and Ghost of Yōtei. This lineup diverges significantly from December's Game Awards, where Expedition 33 defeated Hollow Knight: Silksong and Death Stranding 2 to claim the top prize. Neither Silksong nor Death Stranding 2 appear in D.I.C.E.'s Game of the Year category.
Expedition 33's nominations span eight categories including Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction, Role-Playing Game of the Year, and Outstanding Achievement in Story. The French-developed RPG launched in April 2025 and won nine awards at The Game Awards, setting a record for that ceremony. Developer Sandfall Interactive shadow-dropped a free "Thank You Update" in December with new endgame content and Spanish localization.
The D.I.C.E. Awards ceremony will stream live from the Aria Resort in Las Vegas on February 12 at 8:00 PM Pacific Time. IGN serves as official media partner for the broadcast, with Kinda Funny Games founder Greg Miller and media personality Stella Chung returning as co-hosts. Voting remains open to all 30,000 AIAS members through confidential balloting.
Beyond the top contenders, Arc Raiders and Dispatch each earned six nominations, while Blue Prince received five. Death Stranding 2: On the Beach secured four nominations despite missing the Game of Year category. The awards recognize 64 total games released in 2025 across 23 categories, with winners determined by industry peer panels.
Expedition 33 maintains a 92/100 OpenCritic average with 97% critic recommendation since its April 2025 launch. The game previously lost Game of the Year at the Indie Game Awards but won Best Soundtrack at the Steam Awards. Sandfall Interactive continues development on new projects while maintaining its philosophy of following creative instincts over commercial pressures.
