Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 came together through a mix of personal connections, conventional hiring and unexpected online discoveries. Composer Lorien Testard was found on SoundCloud; Jennifer Svedberg-Yen answered a Reddit casting call for a demo and eventually became the game’s lead writer. Those stories illustrate Sandfall Interactive’s organic beginnings, but they were only two routes into a much broader team-building process.
How did Sandfall Interactive begin?
Creative director Guillaume Broche started Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 as a solo passion project while working at another video game company. In the official Xbox podcast, he described adding collaborators as the work demanded it: he asked Tom Guillermin for coding help and brought in Nicholas Maxson-Francombe for art. What began informally grew into a real studio project, and Sandfall Interactive was founded in 2020.
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33 PS5 | $46.00 | Buy on Amazon |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PS5) | $41.74 | Buy on Amazon |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - For PS5 | $45.68 | Buy on Amazon |
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![Clair Obscur Expedition 33 [Korean Edition] for PS5](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51aLPXPHeFL._SL160_.jpg)
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33 [Korean Edition] for PS5 | $69.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Monolith Set Collector's Edition | $550.00 | Buy on Amazon |
Co-founder and lead programmer Tom Guillermin told Unreal Engine that he joined when the effort was still a two-person project. The team used Unreal Engine tools including Blueprint to collaborate, even though Broche did not have a programming background. The story is less one of a studio launching with a complete staff than of a project gaining people as its needs became clearer.
How did the game find its composer?
PC Gamer reports that Broche discovered French composer Lorien Testard on SoundCloud. Testard had not worked on a video game before Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. SoundCloud’s artist profile identifies him as a composer and credits him with the game’s music; the account of how Broche found him comes from PC Gamer’s reporting.
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#1 Best Overall
- Reactive Turn-based Combat: Craft unique builds for your Expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and &character synergies
- Dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free aim system
- With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, & fellow Expeditioners as they embark on a desperate quest to break Paintress’ cycle of death
- Explore an enchanting realm populated by adversaries; Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield
- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack
That discovery became a major part of the game’s identity. PC Gamer describes Testard’s score as 154 songs running for eight hours and nine minutes. Those figures are PC Gamer’s description, not independently audited soundtrack metadata.
Was the lead writer found on Reddit?
Yes—but not through a writing-job post. PC Gamer reports that Svedberg-Yen saw Broche’s Reddit call for voice actors to record material for a demo. Although she had no previous voice-acting experience, she auditioned and was cast as a major character in an early version of the game.
Rank #2
- Reactive Turn-based Combat - In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. Build your party and level up six characters. Craft unique builds for your expeditioners that fit your playstyle via gear, stats, skills, and character synergies. Open an active dimension in combat - dodge, parry, and counter in real time, chain combos by mastering attack rhythms, and target enemy weak points using a free-aim system.
- “Tomorrow Comes” - With only one year left to live, join Gustave, Maelle, and their fellow Expeditioners as they embark upon a desperate quest to break the Paintress’ cycle of death. Follow the trail of previous expeditions and discover their fate. Get to know the members of Expedition 33 as they learn to work together against impossible odds.
- A Hauntingly Beautiful World - Explore an enchanting realm populated by surreal adversaries. Wander through breathtaking landscapes, from the Island of Visages to the Forgotten Battlefield, discovering secrets and hidden quests along the way. Find allies of fortune in creatures of legend and recruit a special companion who can access new travel methods and secret areas in the World Map.
- Experience the debut game from Sandfall Interactive, fully realized in Unreal Engine 5 with stunning graphics and a heartbreaking soundtrack.
- European/ UK version
As the project changed, rewrites and role changes led her from that initial performance role to lead writer. Her path shows how an early contribution can evolve into a different creative responsibility; Reddit was the route to the audition, not a listing for the writing position.
Were Reddit and SoundCloud the studio’s only recruiting routes?
No. The two platform stories are memorable examples, not a complete account of how the team formed. Broche first contacted people he already knew, and a GamesRadar+ report describes contributors discovered through ArtStation and obscure indie games as well as the Reddit connection. In another account reported by PC Gamer in August 2025, Broche said Sandfall conducted over 200 interviews while assembling its first team. The studio’s origin story therefore includes both informal discovery and more conventional recruiting.
Rank #3
- Engaging Storyline: Dive into a rich, narrative-driven adventure with unexpected twists.
- Complex Puzzles: Test your problem-solving skills with challenging puzzles.
- Immersive World: Explore a visually stunning alien planet with breathtaking details and treacherous terrain.
How large was the team behind the game?
In the Xbox podcast, Broche described Sandfall’s team at that time as about 30 people, mostly in Montpellier, with a small Paris team working on cinematics. That is an approximate snapshot of the studio team during the interview—not a headcount for everyone who contributed to the finished game. PC Gamer’s later coverage notes that contractors and additional studios also worked on production.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- COLLECTOR'S EDITION SET: Premium Monolith Set for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 featuring an exclusive collectible statue, expedition journal, and decorative outer box for fans and collectors
- DETAILED MONOLITH STATUE: Intricately designed collectible statue featuring the iconic Expedition 33 monolith with weathered stone textures, gold accents, and atmospheric detailing that captures the game's dark fantasy aesthetic
- EXPEDITION JOURNAL: Exclusive hardcover journal with themed artwork and design elements from the game, perfect for notes, sketches, or as a display piece alongside the statue
- PREMIUM PACKAGING: Comes in a striking collector's box featuring dramatic character artwork with rose petal effects and distressed design elements that reflect the game's mysterious atmosphere
- PERFECT FOR DISPLAY: The monolith statue serves as an impressive centerpiece for any gaming collection or display shelf, celebrating the unique world of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Rank #4
- This is KOEAN VERSION released in South Korea. Region Free title so you can play it on your system.
- Language: Korean, English, Japanese, Chinese, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
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