How Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Accidentally Became Steampunk
Behind the Parisian elegance of the Belle Époque and its triumph at The Game Awards 2025 lies a surprising truth: the game that captivated the world with its unmistakably French identity was originally… a steampunk London populated by zombies and aliens. A revelation that sheds new light on the origins of this modern masterpiece.
Crowned the big winner at The Game Awards 2025, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has established itself as the defining video game phenomenon of the year. With 12 nominations and an impressive haul of awards — including the highly coveted Game of the Year (GOTY) — Sandfall Interactive’s title overwhelmingly outshone the competition. But if Expedition 33 resonated so strongly with both players and juries, it is not only thanks to the depth of its gameplay or the power of its storytelling. The game also stands out for an instantly recognizable aesthetic, blending a reimagined steampunk sensibility with a dreamlike vision of the Belle Époque — an identity that has left a lasting impression on the collective imagination. Paradoxically, this striking visual signature did not emerge from a long-planned artistic vision, but from a simple technical constraint that would go on to define the DNA of a future video game landmark.
Image credit: Sandfall Interactive
A steampunk genesis born of necessity
During a discussion with Fred, better known as Joueur du Grenier, game director Guillaume Broche revealed the true origins of his steampunk fantasy universe. At the outset, it was not a deliberate artistic choice, but a practical solution. Working alone on the earliest prototypes, the developer relied on what was readily available: steampunk assets that were easy to find.
“When I was working on my own, I needed assets, and finding steampunk assets was much easier than finding assets for Paris.”
— Guillaume Broche
The result: skies filled with airships, an unintentional London-like atmosphere, and a game then titled We Lost. Paris? France? Not part of the plan at all.
The transformation toward a Belle Époque steampunk
The true creative turning point came when Sandfall Interactive became a fully fledged studio with a complete team. It was then that Broche, alongside art director Nicholas Maxson-Francombe, made a bold decision: to rethink everything from the original steampunk foundations, while completely reinventing them. Their ambition? To explore a truly original era rarely used in video games: Paris during the Belle Époque as the basis for a unique steampunk fantasy world.
Lead writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen confirmed the scale of this transformation: while the original setting was “a Victorian steampunk England with zombies, aliens, and various other elements,” the gameplay remained similar, but the narrative was completely reimagined. A call with potential investors pushed Broche to “think bigger,” triggering a redesign that transformed classic steampunk into something entirely new.
Multiple and fully embraced artistic influences
Nicholas Maxson-Francombe’s contribution was pivotal in shaping this distinctly French steampunk fantasy. His unconventional background — with experience in theater and circus arts, including Cirque du Soleil — infused the project with a sense of spectacle and dreamlike theatricality that sets Clair Obscur apart from conventional steampunk. Maxson-Francombe blended several influences to create this hybrid aesthetic:
- The Belle Époque as a historical anchor, a golden age of Parisian culture between 1871 and 1914, replacing the Victorian era typical of traditional steampunk
- Art Deco motifs, though historically later, chosen for their geometric sophistication that enhances the retrofuturistic feel
- Circus-inspired aesthetics, bringing a surreal and theatrical touch absent from conventional steampunk
- Fantastical elements that transcend simple steam-powered mechanics to create a unique dreamlike world
This unlikely fusion gave rise to a reinvented steampunk, where art plays a central role in atmosphere and environments. Each artist who joined the project enriched this vision with their own influences, resulting in a cohesive whole that escapes the genre’s usual clichés.
A French identity turned global strength
What began as a collection of utilitarian assets has become one of the most striking symbols of French creative audacity. By uprooting steampunk from its Victorian English origins and anchoring it in Belle Époque Paris, enriched with fantasy and surrealism, Sandfall Interactive forged a singular universe: a French steampunk aesthetic — elegant, poetic, and instantly recognizable on the international stage.
This confidently embraced identity — blending self-irony, cultural references, and artistic sophistication — has greatly contributed to the global reach of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. The success was such that even French President Emmanuel Macron praised the game as “a shining example of French audacity”, elevating it far beyond the boundaries of the video game industry. Ultimately, this anecdote about the origins of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 serves as a powerful reminder of a fundamental truth in game development: the greatest masterpieces often emerge from constraints turned into creative opportunities.
Clair Obscur, PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
