After the critical and commercial success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the indie studio behind it, Sandfall Interactive, is dropping hints that their next game might not follow the RPG path. Creative director Guillaume Broche told The Washington Post they don’t want to be boxed into story rules, art style, or gameplay systems. While they haven’t outright confirmed a shift, Broche made it clear: the studio’s priority is authenticity, not genre labels. He admitted they could return to RPG elements, but they won’t feel compelled.

This Shift Matters More Than You Think

Clair Obscur meshed turn-based strategy with timed actions and parries. It was a gamble that paid off—over 5 million copies sold in just months. Now, Sandfall seems to believe that sticking to one genre could limit their creative freedom. For fans, this could mean surprises: action games, narrative experiments, hybrids. Or it could mean deeper evolution of their visual or storytelling identity, even within familiar systems.

Sandfall Interactive team

What We Know So Far

The studio remains tight-lipped. No screenshots, no titles, no assets. Broche emphasized the next project will be made with love, not obligation. Sandfall also plans to stay small, keeping creative control rather than scaling up like typical AAA studios. Meanwhile, Clair Obscur continues to get support. A free “thank you” update is in the works with new locales, bosses, and quality-of-life fixes.

Looking Forward To A New Experience

Sandfall’s next move is still a mystery—but that’s part of the excitement. If they abandon RPG tropes, they might surprise us all with something fresh. Or they might reinvent the genre. Either way, the only promise is that they want to remain free to make something true to their vision.