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Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 sells 3.3 million copies in 33 days, in case you needed any more evidence we're living in a simulation

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33.3 percent, recurring, of course, chance of good sale figures.

Maelle, a character in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, kneels in deference to a monolith of the paintress, which holds a 33 emblazoned on its center.
(Image credit: Sandfall Interactive)

It's my feeling that we live in a meaningless and random universe, at the whim of scattershot physical forces so varied we might as well not try to predict anything—but occasionally, some trick of mathematics forces me to consider whether I'm actually in a simulation, painting, or videogame. Such as the absolute mind-melter that is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's recent sales figures.

As explained on the game's official X account: "33 days ago, we released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Since then, we’ve sold 3.3 million copies. Seriously. As of today. We couldn’t make that up."

Just to reiterate—a game called Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, made by a team of almost 33 people, on its 33-day anniversary, sold 33 hundred thousand copies. There's some sort of geometric math sorcery going on here, or something. I can think of no other explanation.

"Another entry on the long list of surreal moments that your support has made real," the post continues. "Thank you ALL. Tomorrow comes." As if to drive the point home further—or to complete some dark occult ritual, it's anybody's guess—the account posted this celebration at 3:03 PM.

Dark magic or no, Sandfall certainly deserves both the praise and the sales figures. Clair Obscur is a tightly-written and paced adventure made by a studio and director with a clear, enduring love for RPGs of all stripes.

It's also a fitting cherry on top of a sundae of successes for Sandfall. Despite coming out under the all-consuming shadow of Oblivion Remastered, Expedition 33 struck out to the tune of one million sales in three days, managing to outpace JRPGs from other, more storied studios on Steam. Given the critical acclaim that's ensued, it's one hell of a debut.

I haven't really come back to it after my 67 hours of pure, unfiltered absorption—but I've certainly been given a bag of very fond memories to carry on with, and you know I'm still listening to that soundtrack, which is sticking with me long after.

Expedition 33 tipsExpedition 33 lost GestralsExpedition 33 mime locationsExpedition 33 old keyExpedition 33 weird pictos

Expedition 33 tips: Conquer the continent
Expedition 33 lost Gestrals: Runaway kids
Expedition 33 mime locations: Beat the buskers
Expedition 33 old key: What it opens
Expedition 33 weird pictos: Where to use them

Harvey Randall
Harvey Randall
Staff Writer

Harvey's history with games started when he first begged his parents for a World of Warcraft subscription aged 12, though he's since been cursed with Final Fantasy 14-brain and a huge crush on G'raha Tia. He made his start as a freelancer, writing for websites like Techradar, The Escapist, Dicebreaker, The Gamer, Into the Spine—and of course, PC Gamer. He'll sink his teeth into anything that looks interesting, though he has a soft spot for RPGs, soulslikes, roguelikes, deckbuilders, MMOs, and weird indie titles. He also plays a shelf load of TTRPGs in his offline time. Don't ask him what his favourite system is, he has too many.

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