If you love JRPGs, turn-based strategy, and beautifully strange worlds, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 might just be 2025’s must-play indie gem. Developed by French studio Sandfall Interactive and published by Kepler Interactive, this game combines classic inspirations with fresh mechanics to deliver something memorable.
A Premise with Mortality, Mystery, and Paint
The world of Clair Obscur is Belle Époque meets magical horror. Each year, a mysterious entity called the Paintress wakes and paints a cursed number on a Monolith. Anyone whose age matches that number vanishes. The ritual is called the Gommage, and as the number decreases, fewer people are left.
You play as Expedition 33, a group of volunteers who decide it’s time to stop the Paintress. Among them are Gustave, whose own beloved lover disappears when she hits the number; Maelle, young, idealistic, foster sister of Gustave; Lune, scholar/mage; and Sciel, the warrior. Their journey is both a quest and a reckoning with time, choices, and identity.
Mechanics That Merge Strategy with Tension
Combat is primarily turn-based but has real-time elements that make battles more dynamic and tense. Dodging, parrying, timed actions (quick time events) aren’t just window dressing, but integral to making fights feel alive.
There’s also a “stamina” / “ability points” system, where doing basic moves builds up towards more powerful skills, as well as ways to “break” enemies (stun them), which introduces good strategic depth. Players are encouraged to master timing and rhythm, not just raw stats.
Art, Atmosphere & Audio — A Beautifully Dark Tapestry
One of the strongest features is the game’s art direction. Think of shadows, light contrasts, decadent period style, surreal creature designs, and haunting locales. It’s visually rich in a way that often makes you pause just to soak in a scene.
The soundtrack matches—Lorien Testard’s score, along with vocal work for certain themes, adds a layer of melancholy and awe. Voice acting helps anchor the narrative and make the characters feel real and human amid the strange horror and fantasy.
What Works Especially Well
- Emotional stakes: Because characters face mortality not as a distant idea but as an unavoidable, ticking threat, every decision has weight.
- Balanced challenge: With real-time elements tacked on to turn-based combat, battles feel more interactive than purely menu-driven RPGs while retaining that classic feel.
- Narrative structure: The lore of previous expeditions, the mystery around the Paintress, and the personal stories of each expeditioner give both breath and heart.
- Critical & commercial success: Universal acclaim, strong reviews, strong sales (e.g. 3.3 million units sold within 33 days post-release) show it hit the mark with many players.
Where It Stumbles or Needs Patience
- Navigation and orientation: Some areas, especially open/exploratory ones, can feel confusing. Without a detailed mini map early on, players may get disoriented.
- Learning curve for real-time layers: Dodges, parries, timing, stamina — adding them enriches combat but can also be punishing for players not used to them. Sometimes you’ll die or get a fight wrong because of timing rather than strategy, which can be frustrating.
- Story pace: In its attempts to build its lore and character arcs, sometimes slower narrative beats make parts feel sluggish. If you’re playing for nonstop action, you might feel impatience in quieter sections.
Final Thoughts
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a rare modern RPG that manages to combine dark fantasy, emotional depth, and strategy into an experience that feels both nostalgic and fresh. It honours the influences of older JRPG classics, while carving its own identity through mechanics, story themes, and stellar worldbuilding.
If you’re looking for a game where every moment counts because time really is running out, this is one to play.
Platform: Steam, Xbox Game Pass
Developer: Sandfall Interactive
Publisher: Kelper Interactive
Played On: PC, Xbox Game Pass
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