Clair Obscur Developer Sandfall Interactive Resists Expansion Despite Success

Despite the overwhelming success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, developer Sandfall Interactive has no plans to expand. In an interview with Edge, Guillaume Broche, the studio's co-founder, creative director, and CEO, stated that growing the company is not appealing to him, as he finds making games more enjoyable than managing people. Broche emphasized the importance of limitations in the creative process, saying, "It's good to have limitations when you are creative... It's the best way to be the best version of yourself." He also expressed his desire to continue making games rather than managing, citing the past five years as some of the best of his life. When asked about the secret to the game's success, Broche attributed it to adapting the game to the team's talents and creating a game that the developers themselves would want to play. He believes that sincerity and a strong identity are key to making a game that resonates with players. Since its launch in April, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold over 5 million units and received critical acclaim, including a record nine wins at The Game Awards. However, the game was recently disqualified from The Indie Game Awards due to its use of generative AI content, which violates the show's rules.