Sandfall Interactive’s budget for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 was reported as less than $10 million. That is a ceiling attributed to Sandfall—not an exact figure. The available report does not establish whether the amount includes marketing, publishing, outsourcing, or post-launch work.
What was the reported budget?
GameSpot reported in December 2025 that The New York Times put the game’s budget at less than $10 million and credited the figure to Sandfall Interactive. The report does not give a precise total, so “under $10 million” is the most specific defensible answer. GameSpot’s December 2025 report
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Clair Obscur Expedition 33 PS5 | $45.00 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (PS5) | $41.74 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
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The Art of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | $55.91 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
![Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Deluxe Edition - PC Steam [Online Game Code]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51q7UwoLdTL._SL160_.jpg)
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Deluxe Edition - PC Steam [Online Game Code] | $59.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Original Soundtrack) | $42.39 | Buy on Amazon |
The amount’s accounting scope is not established in that reporting. It should not be treated as a confirmed all-in cost covering marketing, publishing, outsourcing, or updates, nor as an independently audited figure.
Why did an earlier report say the budget was undisclosed?
In May 2025, Kepler Interactive portfolio director Matthew Handrahan declined to reveal the actual budget in an interview with PC Gamer. He said, “I would guarantee if you got 10 people to guess, I think all 10 wouldn’t guess the actual figure.” That was a publisher representative’s earlier refusal to disclose the number, not a conflicting estimate; the later report attributed a ceiling to Sandfall. PC Gamer’s May 2025 report
#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
What is known about the team behind the game?
Sandfall’s co-founder and CTO Tom Guillermin described an early development effort that began with creative director Guillaume Broche making the first versions alone in his bedroom, with occasional help from Guillermin. The team had grown to twelve people when it went to GDC in 2022 to seek a publisher. Guillermin says Kepler Interactive’s support enabled the studio to build an Alpha version and add artists and programmers. Guillermin’s PlayStation Blog account
In an Official Xbox Podcast interview, Broche described Sandfall as a studio founded in 2020 with about 30 people, mostly in Montpellier, and a small Paris team working on cinematics. That is an interview-era estimate, not an audited current headcount. Official Xbox Podcast transcript
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
Sandfall describes Expedition 33 as its first game: a turn-based RPG for PC and new-generation consoles, published by Kepler Interactive. This production context helps explain the team’s growth, but it does not specify which costs the reported budget counts. Sandfall’s official game site
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the budget figure does—and does not—tell you
- It gives a reported upper bound: less than $10 million, according to GameSpot’s account of The New York Times report.
- It is not an exact disclosed sum: the reporting cited here does not provide one.
- It is not a breakdown: the sources do not specify which development or release costs are included.
- It does not support a like-for-like comparison: no comparable game budgets with matching cost scope were established.
Broche told GameSpot, in remarks about the game’s technology and smaller-team production, “Games like this are coming. We are lucky to be early.” The comment offers perspective on the studio’s approach, but it is not an additional budget detail.
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Best Value
Rank #4
- Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a ground-breaking turn-based RPG with unique real-time mechanics, making battles more immersive and addictive than ever.
- Explore a fantasy world inspired by Belle Époque France in which you battle devastating enemies.
Rank #3
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