Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Takes Best Game of the Year at the 2026 New York Game Awards
The New York Videogame Critics Circle revealed the winners of the 2026 New York Game Awards during its live ceremony, with Sandfall Interactive’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 taking the Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year. The show also recognized Jennifer English for her performance as Maelle, giving the title a second major win on the night.
Beyond the headline trophy, the full results underline how broad this year’s field was across indie, writing, music, world building, and expansions. It also reinforces how Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is continuing to convert critical momentum into awards season outcomes, including high visibility recognition at other major industry events and strong placement across season wide tracking.
All nominees and winners from the 2026 New York Game Awards
Big Apple Award for Best Game of the Year
Winner: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Nominees: Blue Prince
Nominees: Split Fiction
Nominees: Despelote
Nominees: Sword of the Sea
Nominees: Silent Hill f
Nominees: Hades II
Nominees: Ghost of Yōtei
Off Broadway Award for Best Indie Game
Winner: Blue Prince
Nominees: Ender Magnolia: Bloom in the Mist
Nominees: Despelote
Nominees: Deltarune Chapters 3+4
Nominees: Consume Me
Nominees: No, I’m not a Human
Nominees: Tiny Bookshop
Nominees: Hollow Knight: Silksong
Herman Melville Award for Best Writing in a Game
Winner: Blippo+
Nominees: Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Nominees: Avowed
Nominees: The Hundred Line Last Defense Academy
Nominees: Mafia: The Old Country
Nominees: Ghost of Yōtei
Statue of Liberty Award for Best World
Winner: Hades II
Nominees: Split Fiction
Nominees: Hollow Knight: Silksong
Nominees: Baby Steps
Nominees: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
Nominees: Keeper
Tin Pan Alley Award for Best Music in a Game
Winner: South of Midnight
Nominees: Lumines Arise
Nominees: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Nominees: Mario Kart World
Nominees: Deltarune Chapters 3+4
Nominees: Sword of the Sea
Nominees: Hades II
Nominees: Ghost of Yōtei
Great White Way Award for Best Acting in a Game
Winner: Jennifer English as Maelle in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Nominees: Adriyan Rae as Hazel in South of Midnight
Nominees: Amelia Sargisson as Nora in Lost Records: Bloom & Rage
Nominees: Alex Jordan as Jan Dolski in The Alters
Nominees: Judy Alice Lee as Melinoë in Hades II
Nominees: Erika Ishii as Atsu in Ghost of Yōtei
Excelsior Award for Best NY Game
Winner: Ball x Pit
Nominees: Despelote
Nominees: Baby Steps
Nominees: Consume Me
Nominees: Old Skies
Nominees: Skate Story
Coney Island Dreamland Award for Best AR/VR Game
Winner: Lumines Arise
Nominees: Ghost Town
Nominees: V Racer Hoverbike
Nominees: The Midnight Walk
Nominees: Marvel’s Deadpool VR
Nominees: Arken Age
Central Park Children’s Zoo Award for Best Kids Game
Winner: Donkey Kong Bananza
Nominees: Sunderfolk
Nominees: Koira
Nominees: Lego Party!
Nominees: Pokémon Legends: Z A
Nominees: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
A Train Award for Best Mobile Game
Winner: Is This Seat Taken?
Nominees: Skate City: New York
Nominees: What The Clash?
Nominees: Umamusume: Pretty Derby
Nominees: Spooky Express
Nominees: Chaos Zero Nightmare
High Line Award for Best Remake
Winner: The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
Nominees: The Talos Principle: Reawakened
Nominees: Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar
Nominees: Trails in the Sky 1st Chapter
Nominees: Dragon Quest I & II HD 2D Remake
Nominees: Mortal Kombat: Legacy Kollection
Chumley’s Speakeasy Award for Best Hidden Gem
Winner: News Tower
Nominees: Keep Driving
Nominees: Nubby’s Number Factory
Nominees: Many Nights a Whisper
Nominees: Xenotilt: Hostile Pinball Action
Nominees: and Roger
Nominees: Look Outside
Nominees: Shujinkou
NYC GWB Award for Best DLC
Winner: Lies of P: Overture
Nominees: Sea of Stars: Throes of the Watchmaker
Nominees: Kirby and the Forgotten Land: Star Crossed World
Nominees: The Sims 4 Adventure Awaits
Nominees: Star Wars Outlaws: A Pirate’s Fortune
Nominees: Hello Kitty Island Adventure: Wheatflour Wonderland
Knickerbocker Award for Best Games Journalism
Winner: People Make Games
Nominees: Duncan Fyfe
Nominees: Felipe Pepe
Nominees: Jackson Tyler
Nominees: Joseph Earl Thomas
Nominees: Lewis Gordon
Nominees: Nicanor Gordon
Andrew Yoon Legend Award
Recipient: The Pokémon Company
From a gamer and reviewer perspective, this is a clean sweep of categories that signals strong critical alignment around both premium single player craftsmanship and the kind of experimental, smaller scale projects that keep the ecosystem fresh.
Which winner felt like the most deserved pick to you, and which category do you think should have gone a different way?
