The creators of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 are outspoken defenders of small teams, and after their game’s success, they’re predicting a surge in mid-budget “AA” projects. The team behind Expedition 33 is committed to avoiding AAA development, insisting that their independence is what makes their games shine.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has emerged as one of the year’s most unexpected hits. Sandfall Interactive’s turn-based RPG has shattered expectations and stands tall as a Game of the Year contender. With its artful direction, emotional storytelling, and finely tuned gameplay, this turn-based RPG has outshone some of the genre’s biggest names. But the impact of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 extends far beyond millions of copies sold – it could change how games are made going forward.

That’s the vision shared by creative director Guillaume Broche and lead programmer Tom Guillermin at CEDEC 2025. In an interview with Automaton, the duo explained that a team of around 30 developers is the “sweet spot” for a game like Expedition 33. “For now, I’d rather work in a small team. I’m not sure what the perfect size is, but this feels right.”

The secret? Assembling a small but brilliant team through more than 200 interviews. While they partnered externally for tasks like localization, marketing, and QA, the team stayed lean and nimble. Thanks to tools like Unreal Engine, even compact teams can deliver world-class games, they say. Expedition 33 proves that there’s room for mid-budget AA games with a distinct personality and focus on quality.

“As development costs rise, I think we’ll see more studios like ours making AA-class games.” Broche points to another French studio, Sloclap (makers of Rematch and Sifu), which also prefers to stay small and bet on creative risks. For the industry, this means taking AA games more seriously – not just chasing the next $150-million blockbuster.

“Only Rockstar Games can really deliver blockbusters. So developers will have to limit budgets, and more and more will turn to our kind of development model.”

Source: 3djuegos