Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 could have been marketed very differently if Shuhei Yoshida had not warned its developers about the perception surrounding turn-based RPGs. During a lecture for indie developers at Busan Indie Connect Festival 2026, the former PlayStation executive recalled advising Sandfall Interactive against prominently describing the game as a turn-based RPG.
Yoshida shared the story while discussing how developers should present their games to publishers and audiences. His comments, reported by 4Gamer, offer an interesting look at how genre labels can influence expectations before players even try a game.
Yoshida Feared the Turn-Based RPG Label Could Hurt Expedition 33
Yoshida was advising Expedition 33 publisher Kepler Interactive when he played an early demo roughly two years before launch. He was particularly impressed by its mixture of traditional JRPG structure and real-time actions, comparing the concept to The Legend of Dragoon, which he previously produced.
However, Yoshida believed turn-based JRPGs were being viewed negatively at the time. He therefore advised the developers:
“It’s incredibly well-made, but it would be better not to call it a turn-based RPG. That alone might cause players to overlook it.”
Sandfall Interactive subsequently emphasized the phrase “reactive turn-based” when describing its combat. The official Expedition 33 website now uses that terminology, explaining that players combine strategic turn-based commands with real-time dodges, parries, counters, and timed attacks.
The approach ultimately became one of the game’s defining features. PlayStation’s official developer interview also confirms that Sandfall intentionally designed the combat to combine turn-based strategy with real-time reactions.
Following Expedition 33’s breakout success, Yoshida said publishers have begun receiving significantly more pitches for turn-based RPGs. His story consequently serves as an example of why developers may need to distinguish their games rather than simply following whatever genre happens to be popular.
