According to Eurogamer.net, the 2024 Game of the Year winner, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, is being championed as proof that smaller, focused games are what players truly want. The game’s director, Guillaume Broche of Sandfall Interactive, led a core team of about 30 developers, intentionally crafting a shorter, more tightly-paced JRPG that avoids open-world bloat. This vision was echoed by Astro Bot director Nicolas Doucet at GDC 2025, who stated that his own hit game was built on “smart AA-sized ambition” with a smaller team and no voice acting. Expedition 33’s success, supported by publisher Kepler and investment from Microsoft, culminated in it winning the top prize at The Game Awards. Broche’s passionate, singular vision resulted in a game celebrated for its deep, turn-based rhythm combat, surreal painterly aesthetics, and award-winning performances.
The AA Advantage: Focus Over Scale
Here’s the thing: “small” is a relative term in gaming today. Expedition 33 wasn’t made in a garage by three people. It had publisher backing and Microsoft investment. But the core philosophy was decidedly anti-AAA. Broche openly talked about loving games that “take a lot of shortcuts,” like classic JRPGs, and designing a scope that matched his team’s size. They tried adding more dungeons and puzzles, but it broke the rhythm. So they cut it. That’s a level of discipline you almost never see in a blockbuster project where the mandate is often “more.” The result? A game that’s packed with what they do best—story, cutscenes, and that incredible combat system—without a single ounce of filler. Isn’t that what we’re all supposedly craving?
Passion As A Selling Point
What’s really fascinating is how the game’s success is tied directly to the team’s palpable love for the genre. Broche gushes about Lost Odyssey making him cry, and fans have found references to JRPG classics woven throughout Expedition 33. This isn’t a cynical product built by a committee to hit market trends. It’s a love letter. And players are responding to that authenticity in a huge way. It reminded me, and Eurogamer, of Swen Vincke’s speech at The Game Awards, where he said the magic formula is simply making a game the developers themselves want to play. It sounds obvious, right? But in an industry chasing live-service gold and dealing with mass layoffs, that pure creative drive feels radical. Expedition 33 proves it’s also a winning strategy.
A Hopeful Blueprint
So, does this mean every studio should downsize and make tight, 20-hour RPGs? Of course not. But Expedition 33 and Astro Bot together create a powerful narrative. They show there’s a massive audience for games with a bold, distinct vision that isn’t diluted by the need to be everything to everyone. It’s a model that values craft and creativity over sheer scale and monetization. For developers, it’s a beacon—proof that you can build a passionate, mid-sized team, focus on your strengths, and achieve both critical and commercial success. For players, it’s a promise of more unique, memorable experiences that respect our time. Let’s hope the industry is paying attention, because this feels like the future a lot of us actually want to play.
