Critically acclaimed and a commercial juggernaut, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has captivated players, racking up top ratings and selling over a staggering 3.3 million copies. But here’s the truly remarkable part of this success story: developer Sandfall Interactive and publisher Kepler Interactive achieved this phenomenal feat on a surprisingly lean budget – one that many in the industry might find hard to believe.
Just how lean? Kepler’s Portfolio Director, Matthew Handrahan, is keeping the exact figure under wraps, but he’s confident most guesses would be way off. “Everybody’s desperate to know what the budget is, and I won’t tell them,” he shared with GamesIndustry.biz. “But I would guarantee if you got 10 people to guess, I think all 10 wouldn’t guess the actual figure.” François Meurisse, producer at Sandfall Interactive, echoed this, stating, “I would say that I’ve seen a lot of budget estimations that are all higher than the real budget.”
To offer some perspective, Handrahan playfully hinted, “I’m sure Mirror’s Edge and Vanquish cost more, put it that way.” While these titles are fitting comparisons for Expedition 33’s creative, risk-taking spirit, they were released over a decade ago for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Back in 2010, M2 Research estimated that AAA games for those consoles cost between $18 to $28 million. If Expedition 33 – developed by a core team of around 30 people over four years, plus publisher support and outsourcing – managed to come in well below such figures, it’s an inspiring testament to efficient and smart game development, especially in the often costly “triple-I” (high-end indie) space.
Beyond the impressive sales figures, Handrahan believes Expedition 33’s success offers a crucial lesson for the wider games industry: sustainable success is possible without astronomical budgets. He advocates for a greater appreciation of what focused teams can achieve with smart resource management.
“I think that there’s been a lot of irresponsible practices in the industry,” Handrahan commented. “Some games can make it work. Grand Theft Auto 6 is going to make it work, I think we can all say with great confidence. But there are plenty of games made with very large teams and for huge amounts of money that don’t land, and there is a human cost to running things that way. People lose their jobs.”
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 stands as a shining beacon, proving that incredible creativity, widespread appeal, and massive sales don’t always require nine-figure investments. It’s a powerful reminder that thoughtful, efficient development can lead to outstanding results, offering a more sustainable and hopeful model for game creation.
