What Sandfall Interactive does

Sandfall Interactive is a French video game studio founded in 2020 in Montpellier by Guillaume Broche, a former Ubisoft narrative lead and associate producer. The studio develops premium single-player 3D games for PC and current-generation consoles, with a stated philosophy of using modern development tools to enable small teams to deliver AAA-quality production values. Its debut title, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, is a turn-based RPG featuring real-time offensive and defensive commands (dodging, parrying, countering), set in an original fantasy world mixing European Belle Époque art influences with JRPG storytelling traditions. The game was built on Unreal Engine 5 using approximately 95% Blueprints visual scripting rather than traditional C++ coding, with only four programmers contributing to a development budget of under $10M — a fraction of the $100M–$300M typical for comparable-quality AAA titles.

The studio operates with a team of approximately 30–40 people across offices in Montpellier (a town mansion nicknamed 'Le Manoir', inaugurated July 2023) and Paris (established in 2024 with a dedicated motion capture cinema room). Its commercial model is built on premium one-time-purchase unit sales across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, Steam, and Epic Games Store, supplemented by day-one availability on Xbox Game Pass, ancillary revenue from a limited 'Alicia' Collector's Edition (€79.90) and an official art book, and partnership-driven distribution and marketing through publisher Kepler Interactive under its co-ownership model. The game achieved a Metacritic score of 92, surpassed 8 million units sold within its first year (April 2025–April 2026), and won Game of the Year at all five major gaming awards shows — only the second title after Baldur's Gate 3 to complete that sweep.

The studio serves individual consumers in the global RPG and single-player narrative gaming market, with particular resonance among JRPG enthusiasts and players fatigued by AAA live-service models. Its go-to-market is product-led, relying on critical acclaim and word-of-mouth rather than heavy marketing spend, and amplified by social media, earned media coverage, and award-season activations. Following Expedition 33's success, Sandfall is expanding its footprint with a new project codenamed 'Project W' (led by writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen) and a film adaptation developed in partnership with Story Kitchen. The entire ~30-person development team was awarded France's Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in February 2026.

Name

Sandfall Interactive

Legal name

SANDFALL SAS

Website

https://sandfall.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sandfall Interactive is a French video game studio founded in 2020 that develops premium single-player 3D RPGs for PC and consoles. Its debut Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold over 8 million copies and swept all five major gaming awards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Video Games / Role-Playing Games

NAICS

Software Publishers (5132)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Social/UGC & Sandbox Game Studios (Roblox-like) (MPAFAAAF)

Keywords

• Video game development
• Turn-based RPG
• Unreal Engine 5
• Single-player games
• Indie game studio

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Premium Game Sales: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is sold as a premium title at retail price (below the typical £70 AAA price point per publisher Kepler Interactive). Revenue is generated through unit sales across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, Steam, and Epic Games Store, with additional revenue from collector's editions and merchandise.
2. Game Pass / Xbox Day-One Availability: The game launched day-one on Xbox Game Pass, generating revenue through the subscription service in addition to retail sales.
3. Collector's Edition and Merchandise: Limited 'Alicia' Collector's Edition sold at €79.90 (pre-order March-May 2026, releasing November 25, 2026), and art books ('The Art of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33') generate ancillary revenue.
4. ZEvent Fan Art Contest: Sandfall Interactive organized a fan art contest in collaboration with ZEvent (French charity Twitch event), distributing prizes including customized Xbox Series X consoles and signed PS5 games, indicating supplementary brand-building and community engagement rather than direct revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sandfall Interactive develops and publishes premium single-player 3D video games for PC and next-generation consoles, with its flagship product being Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, a turn-based RPG featuring real-time offensive and defensive combat mechanics set in a Belle Époque-inspired fantasy world. The studio monetizes through one-time digital game sales across PlayStation, Xbox, Steam, and Epic storefronts, day-one Xbox Game Pass inclusion, physical collector's editions, and ancillary merchandise such as art books.

Product overview

Sandfall Interactive is a French video game studio founded in 2020, developing premium 3D games for PC and next-gen consoles. The company's core product is Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, an innovative turn-based RPG with real-time combat mechanics set in a Belle Époque-inspired fantasy world. The studio has released multiple content updates including the 'Thank You' update and 'Verso's Drafts' DLC. Supplementary products include an official art book and a limited 'Alicia' Collector's Edition. The studio is currently developing a new project codenamed 'Project W' with Lead Writer Jennifer Svedberg-Yen attached.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Sandfall Interactive's debut turn-based RPG featuring innovative real-time offensive and defensive commands (dodging, parrying, countering), a ranged free-aim targeting system, and deep character customization including stat growth, skill trees, gear, and passive traits. Set in an original Belle Époque-inspired fantasy world. Available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox Game Pass.
• Verso's Drafts DLC Free downloadable content for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, featuring new quests, locations, enemies, and a photo mode that expand the game's whimsical world.
• Alicia Collector's Edition Limited physical collector's edition of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 priced at €79.90, featuring exclusive physical items from the game. Available for pre-order March-May 2026, releasing November 25, 2026.
• The Art of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Art Book Official art book for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 showcasing the game's visuals, development process, and exclusive content.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8 million copies sold within one year of launch (April 2025–April 2026)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Story KitchencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Sandfall Interactive is partnering with Story Kitchen to develop a movie adaptation of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Actor Charlie Cox, who voiced a character in the game, has publicly discussed casting preferences for the film adaptation.
• ZEventminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 September 2025Sandfall Interactive collaborated with ZEvent (a French charity gaming event organized by Adrien Nougaret and Alexandre Dachary on Twitch) to run a fan art contest for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 from September 5-7, 2025. Prizes included custom Xbox Series X consoles, signed PS5 and Xbox games, and branded merchandise.
• Kepler InteractivecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 June 2024Kepler Interactive is the global publisher of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, providing distribution, marketing, and publishing logistics. The publisher operates a unique co-ownership model and supported the game's release across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, Steam, Epic Games Store, and Xbox Game Pass day-one.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Obsidian Entertainment: US developer of Pillars of Eternity, The Outer Worlds, and Pentiment — premium single-player narrative RPGs with deep reactivity. Closely comparable on product, target audience, and emphasis on player choice; operates as a mid-sized studio within the Xbox Game Studios umbrella.
• Supergiant Games: Small (~30 people) independent US studio behind Hades, Bastion, and Pyre — premium single-player action-RPGs with strong narrative and art direction. Highly comparable on studio size, product category (narrative-driven RPGs), and indie-to-AAA quality positioning.
• Larian Studios: Belgian developer of Baldur's Gate 3, the closest comparable: a mid-sized European studio that achieved a five-awards sweep with a critically-acclaimed premium single-player RPG combining turn-based combat with deep reactivity. Directly comparable on product, business model, and target audience.
• Hello Games: Small UK studio behind No Man's Sky — a small team that shipped an ambitious single-player-adjacent game and recovered commercially through sustained post-launch updates. Comparable on small-team methodology and the pattern of post-launch redemption, though very different genre.

Broad incumbents

• FromSoftware: Japanese developer of Elden Ring, Dark Souls, and Armored Core — established leader in premium single-player action-RPGs with strong critical and commercial track records. Comparable on product category and player audience, though substantially larger and more established.
• CD Projekt Red: Polish developer of The Witcher series and Cyberpunk 2077 — premium narrative-driven RPGs targeting a similar player base. Comparable product category, though larger studio with broader portfolio and live-service ambitions.
• Santa Monica Studio: PlayStation Studios developer of God of War — premium single-player narrative action-RPGs with strong critical recognition. Comparable on product positioning and player base, though operates as a first-party AAA studio with substantially more resources.

Emerging players

• Team Cherry: Three-person Australian developer of Hollow Knight and Silksong — extreme example of small-team AAA-quality 2D action-adventure games. Comparable on small-team methodology, indie-to-AAA quality positioning, and long-development premium single-player philosophy, though 2D rather than 3D.
• Ember Lab: Small US indie studio behind Kena: Bridge of Spirits — premium single-player action-adventure with strong art direction. Comparable on small-team indie-AAA positioning, though different combat genre.

Others

• Kepler Interactive: Co-ownership publisher that publishes Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 globally. Comparable as a publishing partner (not a competitor), and a useful peer for understanding how Sandfall's commercial economics flow through Kepler's revenue-share structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sandfallgames
• Facebookfacebook.com/sandfallgames
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sandfall-interactive
• Instagraminstagram.com/sandfallgames

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sandfall Interactive