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

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33’s director was driven by boredom to create one of the highest-rated games of 2025. This article delves into the motivations behind the game's development and the inception of Sandfall Interactive.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Was Made Out of Boredom

Doing Something Different

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has quickly become an iconic title, earning the 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, which has become a favorite for Game of the Year, was born from the director's boredom and a yearning to explore new creative avenues.

In an interview with BBC News on May 4, the team at Sandfall Interactive shared the story behind the game's creation. Director Guillaume Broche explained that the project began as a way to alleviate his boredom. While working at Ubisoft during the peak of the 2020 pandemic, he felt restless and was inspired to start a new project.

A lifelong fan of the JRPG series Final Fantasy, Broche dreamed of creating a similar game. This dream set him on a journey that started on Reddit.

A Stroke of Luck

To turn his vision into reality, Broche reached out to potential team members via Reddit and online forums. At the time, the idea of a Belle Époque-inspired, classic turn-based game like Expedition 33 was not widely popular. Nevertheless, Broche's passion propelled him to keep searching for like-minded individuals.

During the lockdown in Australia, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen responded to one of Broche's posts on Reddit, looking for voice actors. Intrigued by the opportunity, she said, "I was like: 'I've never done that, it sounds kinda cool', so I sent him an audition." Initially cast as a major character, Svedberg-Yen eventually took on the role of the game's lead writer.

Broche left Ubisoft to focus entirely on Expedition 33, founding Sandfall Interactive in the process. With funding from publisher Kepler Interactive, the team grew to approximately 30 members. Many of these team members, including composer Lorien Testard, were found through unconventional channels like Soundcloud.

Thanks to Kepler Interactive's support, Sandfall Interactive was able 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 expanding team, both Broche and Svedberg-Yen emphasized the versatility required during production. "We wore many different hats," they noted. Core team members frequently stepped outside their usual roles; for instance, Svedberg-Yen also handled 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 magical origins of Expedition 33 mirror the enchanting nature of the game itself. Fueled by boredom and a bit of luck, Sandfall Interactive crafted a game that promises to captivate players for generations. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest updates on the game, check out the link below!