Clair Obscur: Expedition 33

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Developer(s)Sandfall Interactive
Publisher(s)Kepler Interactive
Director(s)Guillaume Broche
Producer(s)François Meurisse
Designer(s)
  • Guillaume Broche
  • Michel Nohra
Programmer(s)Tom Guillermin
Artist(s)Nicholas Maxson-Francombe
Writer(s)
  • Jennifer Svedberg-Yen
  • Guillaume Broche
Composer(s)Lorien Testard
EngineUnreal Engine 5
Platform(s)
Release24 April 2025
Genre(s)Role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a 2025 role-playing video game developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive. Taking place in a dark fantasy Belle Époque setting, the game follows the volunteers of Expedition 33 as they set out to destroy the Paintress, a being causing the yearly Gommage, which erases those at or above an ever-decreasing age. In the game, the player controls a party of characters from a third-person perspective, exploring areas and engaging in combat. Coupled with its turn-based mechanics are real-time aspects such as quick time events and timed actions in combat.

The developers sought to create a high-fidelity turn-based role-playing game, which they felt was neglected by AAA developers. They took inspiration from Japanese RPGs such as the Final Fantasy and Persona series. Development began with Unreal Engine 4 and later switched to Unreal Engine 5, providing rendering improvements.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S on 24 April 2025 to universal acclaim. The game was widely praised for its story, characters, music and mechanics, and has sold over 3.3 million units so far.