Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Lead Writer Approaches Storytelling Like an HBO Drama, Not an RPG

The acclaimed writer behind Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Jennifer Svedberg-Yen, shared that her approach to the game wasn’t typical for an RPG.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is shaping up to be the standout title of 2025, with its impressive award show wins becoming a running joke in the gaming community. A significant factor in its success is the captivating narrative, which has already garnered accolades at major award events. Interestingly, Svedberg-Yen’s unique perspective as a writer contributed to this distinctive storytelling.

In a recent interview, she was asked if the diverse backgrounds of the Expedition 33 team played a role in shaping the game. She noted, “I think it obviously has challenges, because we’re new. [But] we were able to bring in our own tastes and our own perspectives that we’d built up through life outside of gaming, and bring the best of other worlds into the game.”

She elaborated, “A lot of times, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. There are some things that [other] people wouldn’t even think about, but for us we can just [say], ‘Yeah, why not?’ and challenge each other.” Svedberg-Yen admitted she “never really played video games” and drew inspiration from television series and literature. “I love science-fiction and fantasy epics which have massive, immersive worlds and vibrant societies, so I took a lot of that and put that into the backdrop of the game.” She emphasized, “I didn’t think of it as writing an RPG. I thought of it almost like writing an HBO drama.”

The lead writer encourages “anyone who’s a fan of our story” to explore one of the RPG’s key inspirations, but you’ll need to brush up on your French first.