Sandfall's game, Expedition 33, was highlighted at the Summer Game Fest 2025 for its outstanding achievement by a small development team. The game, lauded for its ambitious scope despite a core team of around 30 developers, has become a benchmark for indie game development.
Development Insights
Despite being developed by a compact team, Expedition 33's success relied on additional support from various outsourcing firms in animation, QA, and localization. Sandfall's CEO, Guillaume Broche, emphasized their commitment to remain small and agile while focusing on strong creative visions. According to Broche, current technology empowers small teams to create expansive gaming experiences.
Inspirations and Influence
Sandfall's COO, Francois Meurisse, cited inspiration from games like Hellblade and A Plague Tale: Innocence, which demonstrated that teams smaller than 50 can produce high-quality, realistic 3D games. This approach encourages new, risk-taking projects by smaller developers.
The game was acknowledged during the event by Geoff Keighley as a "monumental achievement", further solidifying its impact within the gaming industry.
