Why Expedition 33 Studio is Not Tempted to Expand

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Sandfall Interactive, the studio behind the critically acclaimed game Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, isn’t planning to grow despite its rapid success. Founded just five years ago, the French indie developer achieved widespread recognition with its first title, which became one of the most celebrated games of 2025. Surprisingly, the team believes that maintaining limitations is a good thing and doesn’t want to expand, even though they now have the resources and reputation to do so.

Despite some pre-awards season debate, Sandfall’s first game has been hugely successful. At the Game Awards, Expedition 33 won nine awards from a record-breaking twelve nominations – a feat even recognized by French President Emmanuel Macron. This impressive collection of awards gives Sandfall plenty of resources and encouragement to expand, but the studio is determined to maintain its independent spirit.

Expedition 33 Studio Says Limitations are the ‘Best Way to Be the Best Version of Yourself’

So, I was reading an interview with the Creative Director of Expedition 33, Guillaume Broche, and he was talking about their next game. He basically said they’re not aiming for a huge, blockbuster-style project, and honestly, he thinks that’s a good thing! It sounds like they really value keeping things focused. The Lead Programmer, Tom Guillermin, said something similar before – they don’t want to get bigger as a studio because they’re already the perfect size for the kind of games they want to make. Broche explained it further, saying these limitations actually help everyone on the team – even the leads – stay involved and hands-on with everything. It’s not about some distant corporate goal, but about everyone actually doing the work, which is awesome.

There’s some debate about whether Expedition 33 can truly be called an “indie” game, considering its budget and publisher. However, the game was created by a small core team of only about 30 people, many of whom were new to game development. According to Lead Game Designer Michel Nohra, this inexperience actually brought a lot of innovative ideas to the project, likely contributing to its success. Sandfall Studios also benefits practically from being a small team; the leadership prefers focusing on game creation over management, and a smaller team allows everyone to concentrate on the game itself.

Image via Sandfall Interactive

Sandfall Interactive isn’t alone in believing that creative restrictions can actually boost innovation. John Romero, the famous developer behind Doom, suggests games like Expedition 33 demonstrate a potential shift, arguing that some of the best recent games have come from smaller independent studios. These indie developers often aren’t held back by the demands of investors or strict corporate goals, allowing them to take more creative chances. When those risks pay off, a game can really stand out. Sandfall Interactive seems to understand this advantage, and it’s why they’re currently focused on staying small, even if it means facing certain limitations.

Image via Sandfall Interactive

Honestly, thinking about how limited we were back then, and how much creativity that sparked, those last five years were some of the best I’ve ever had. It sounds like the whole Sandfall team wants to keep that feeling going – we want to keep making games the same way, with a small, focused team, just like we did with Clair Obscur. Broche’s already said we’re definitely planning more Clair Obscur games, and I’m super curious to see if they can live up to the first one. I’m really excited to see what comes next!

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2025-12-22 23:37