There Are Still Secrets Waiting to Be Discovered in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Says Its Creator
Fans of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 thought they had uncovered all its mysteries… but director Guillaume Broche insists that a few secrets still lie hidden beneath the surface.
As Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 celebrates five million copies sold, Guillaume Broche – the creative director at Sandfall Interactive – reveals in an interview that a handful of puzzles remain tucked away within its world. Enough to reignite the curiosity of the most dedicated explorers!
Image credit: Sandfall Interactive
Secrets Still Waiting to Be Found
In an interview with Eurogamer, Guillaume Broche admits with a smile: “There are still secrets left, but I can’t talk about them—otherwise, they wouldn’t be secrets anymore!” His teasing remark instantly rekindles the spark among digital explorers, ever on the lookout for hidden clues in the game’s universe. Even after months of thorough digging, some mysteries remain out of reach—and Broche seems to take great pleasure in that.
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has a rare kind of elegance: it hides its treasures where players least expect them. Fans will remember the legendary Trashcan Man—a delightfully absurd Easter egg discovered by chance in a back alley. But the nods don’t stop there: in the village of Gestral, players stumbled upon a subtle tribute to Final Fantasy VIII’s Triple Triad, reborn here as “Double Dyad.” A touch of nostalgia woven in with care, like an invisible thread linking this French JRPG to its Japanese predecessors.
Sometimes, though, the line between a secret and a simple detail gets blurry. Broche admits with humor: “Players sometimes find secrets that weren’t meant to be… so we just tell them, ‘Okay, cool, it’s a secret now!’” A playful way to nurture the game’s legend—and a reminder that in Clair Obscur, discovery comes as much from player imagination as from developer intent.
When the Community Pushes the Game’s Limits
While Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 continues to intrigue with its hidden secrets, it also fascinates through the way players have embraced its combat system. True gameplay alchemists, they experiment, test, and twist its mechanics—pushing them far beyond what was expected. A phenomenon that Guillaume Broche both anticipated and encouraged.
Even before the game’s release, the director urged the community to explore every possible combination within the combat system, even if it meant creating “broken builds” worthy of the best speedrunners. A devoted fan of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Broche expected impressive feats—and he wasn’t disappointed: “They smashed my own records in less than a week!”
Faced with such creativity, the team at Sandfall Interactive had to step in to tone down one of Maelle’s overpowered abilities, fixed through a balance patch. But that’s the exception rather than the rule, Broche clarifies: “Aside from that, I’m thrilled that players came up with crazy builds I never even imagined. That’s exactly why we designed the system this way!” His philosophy is clear: give players the freedom to experiment—even if it means rewriting the developers’ plans.
An Update to Thank the Fans
To celebrate the tremendous success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which has now surpassed five million copies sold, Sandfall Interactive is preparing a major free update packed with new content:
- A brand-new area to explore
- Additional endgame bosses to extend the challenge
- New outfits for deeper customization
- Fresh story scenes full of surprises
Guillaume Broche emphasizes that this update is a direct thank-you to the players who have supported the project from day one. “We hope the content we’re working on will feel like a gift to our fans: please be patient while our team works hard to make it worth the wait,” he says. A heartfelt gesture that speaks volumes about the French studio’s connection to its ever-growing community.
After four years of intense development, Sandfall Interactive’s dream has come true beyond all expectations. The French JRPG has conquered the global stage, winning over both players and some of the industry’s most respected creators. Neil Druckmann, creator of The Last of Us, praised the game, while Japanese director Ryosuke Yoshida called it his favorite game.
And the success story doesn’t end there: a Hollywood film adaptation of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is already in the works, further cementing the project’s growing influence. Meanwhile, the French developers are hard at work on new content and future announcements. It’s safe to say that Sandfall Interactive is on the verge of writing one of the most memorable chapters in modern RPG history.
