While opening last night's Summer Game Fest showcase, host and Game Awards founder Geoff Keighley noted how 2025 has been marked by the surprise successes of smaller game projects. Alongside "indie creations" that "stand side by side with heavyweights," Keighley shouted out Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from Sandfall Interactive, which he called "a monumental achievement" made by "a team of under 30 developers."
Given Clair Obscur's critical reception and its millions of sales, it's compelling to think that fewer than three dozen people could produce such a success. That "under 30 developers" figure has circulated in conversation and coverage—it's a claim we quoted from the game's creative director in our own pre-release reporting. It's an inspiring idea.
