We Love It's Guide to…
Lead a doomed expedition to stop a Paintress who erases people by age, using turn-based tactics and timed dodges and parries.
Released 24 Apr 2025
Parry Enemy Strikes
Target Enemy Weaknesses
Uncover Expedition Logs
Lead the members of Expedition 33 on their quest to destroy the Paintress so that she can never paint death again. Explore a world of wonders inspired by Belle Époque France and battle unique enemies in this turn-based RPG with real-time mechanics.
Developed by Sandfall Interactive · Published by Kepler Interactive
Each year, the Paintress marks a number on a monolith, and people older than that number vanish. As the Paintress prepares to mark 33, you lead Expedition 33 on a mission to reach her and break the cycle.
Explore surreal landscapes inspired by Belle Époque France, following routes through dangerous regions and searching for secrets, side quests, and traces of earlier expeditions. Talk with fellow Expeditioners and recruit legendary companions who open new ways to travel and reach hidden areas.
Combat combines turn-based choices with real-time actions: dodge, parry, and counter enemy attacks, time attacks for stronger effects, and aim at weak points. Develop characters with gear, stats, and skills, then shape team synergies around their distinct fighting styles.
In the supplied reviews, players often praise the story and cast, the distinctive visual design, and the soundtrack, describing how these elements make the journey emotionally affecting and memorable. Many also enjoy the turn-based combat’s timed dodges and parries alongside its character builds. Opinions on combat are mixed: some find the timing demanding or repetitive, while others value the added challenge and action.
Once a year, the Paintress wakes and paints upon her monolith. Paints her cursed number. And everyone past that age turns to smoke and fades away. Year by year, that number ticks down and more of us are erased. Tomorrow she’ll wake and paint “33.” And tomorrow we depart on our final mission - Destroy the Paintress, so she can never paint death again.
We are Expedition 33.
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.
In this evolution of JRPGs, real-time actions enhance the heart of turn-based combat. 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.
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.
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. Recruit special companions to access new travel methods and discover 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.
| Platforms | Windows |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 55 |
| Age ratings |
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| Controller support | PlayStation, Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DLC / extras | 4 listed on Steam |
| Content notices |
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| Metacritic | 91/100 View on Metacritic |
| Website | Official website |
