Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s director turned boredom into brilliance, crafting the highest-rated game of 2025. Discover the inspiring story behind its creation and the founding of Sandfall Interactive.
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 coveted title of the highest-rated game of 2025 and selling over 1 million copies within just three days. What's astonishing is that this game-of-the-year favorite stemmed from sheer boredom and a yearning to innovate.
In an interview with BBC News on May 4, the developers from Sandfall Interactive shared the origin story of the game. Director Guillaume Broche admitted that the project was born out of a desire to shake off the monotony he felt while working at Ubisoft during the peak of the 2020 pandemic. Inspired by his lifelong passion for the Final Fantasy series, Broche set out to create a game that echoed the JRPG genre he loved, embarking on his journey through the vast expanse of Reddit.
A Stroke of Luck
To bring his vision to life, Broche reached out to potential team members through random messages on Reddit and online forums. Despite the initial lack of enthusiasm for his Belle Époque-inspired, turn-based gameplay concept, his persistence paid off. While under lockdown in Australia, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen stumbled upon one of Broche's posts seeking voice actors. "I was like: 'I've never done that, it sounds kinda cool', so I sent him an audition," she recalled. Initially cast for a major character, Svedberg-Yen eventually became the lead writer for Expedition 33.
Broche's dedication led him to leave Ubisoft and focus entirely on Expedition 33, resulting in the formation of Sandfall Interactive. With funding from publisher Kepler Interactive, the team expanded to around 30 members, many of whom were found through unconventional means. For instance, composer Lorien Testard joined after connecting through Soundcloud.
Kepler Interactive's backing also enabled the team to collaborate with renowned actors such as 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 growing team, Broche and Svedberg-Yen had to juggle multiple roles during the game's development. Svedberg-Yen, for example, also handled translations in various 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 enchanting origins of Expedition 33 mirror the magic of the game itself. Fueled by boredom and serendipity, Sandfall Interactive created a timeless masterpiece that promises to captivate gamers for years to come. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest updates on the game, check out our article below!
