How Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Was Made - Documentary

How Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Was Made and Started as a Solo Project

This Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 documentary details the development of turn-based RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and goes behind the scenes of its creation. Discover how the debut title from developer Sandfall Interactive became Game of The Year at The Game Awards in 2025. The team grew from one person to a team of about 30 people. One day, Guillaume Broche, a former Ubisoft employee, decided to teach himself how to use Unreal Engine. After some experimentation he decided to create a game he would love to play himself: a turn-based RPG with realistic visuals. Originally titled ‘We Lost”, it was set in a steampunk, Victorian-era England filled with zombies, aliens, and various other elements. At this stage, he began assembling a team by browsing websites like ArtStation and posting messages on Reddit.

The documentary also explores all the design decisions that Sandfall Interactive made and shows why the team decided to do a complete reboot. It also takes a close look at all the hurdles the team had to go through. After the team decided to do a full reboot, they struggled to find a publisher. They were declined by every single one until Kepler Interactive showed up. When it came to defining the central conflict, the force that would propel both the characters and the player forward, the team struggled to land on the right idea. Additionally, the biggest gameplay challenge was finding the right balance between the turn-based attacks and the real-time elements like dodging and parrying, especially the timing windows. Furthermore, the documentary looks towards the future and shows how Sandfall Interactive is far from done with Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Lastly, Guillaume shares some advice for aspiring indie developers.