Golden Lance Best Expansion Category
We live in a post-launch world. Games are rarely, if ever, finished when they arrive in our download queue. The content in this category is a celebration of the games that gave us more of what we love. These expansions provided new and novel takes on base games that, in many ways, improved on what came before them. Maybe that is due to developers finally having some breathing room from under the pressure of meeting a launch deadline. Or maybe it is because of the freedom that comes with having a successful base game. Regardless, these meaty chunks of downloadable content were perfect to sink our teeth into and return us to worlds we had left but not forgotten. With that said, here are the winners of Lords of Gaming’s 2025 Golden Lance Award for Best Expansion Content.
Best Expansion Content Winner – Lies of P Overture
Despite the growing number of Soulslike games released in recent years, Lies of P distinguished itself as one of the strongest entries in the genre. That high level of quality continues with the release of the Overture DLC, which expands the experience in meaningful and exciting ways.
The DLC introduces a wealth of new content, including challenging boss encounters, additional weapons, and fresh locations that enhance both gameplay variety and world-building. The newly added areas are particularly impressive, offering diverse environments that maintain the game’s dark, gothic atmosphere while introducing new visual and mechanical twists. Together, these additions ensure that Overture feels like a substantial expansion rather than a minor add-on, reinforcing Lies of P as one of the best Soulslike experiences available.
Runner Up – Kirby & The Forgotten Land – Star-Crossed World
HAL Laboratory proves that Nintendo Switch 2 upgrades can be more than technical polish with Star-Crossed World, a meteoric expansion that transforms Kirby and the Forgotten Land into something grander while respecting everything that made the original special. Launching alongside improved performance at 1440p resolution and 60fps frame rate, the expansion introduces twelve visually stunning Starry Stages spread across familiar worlds now warped by crystalline meteor fragments, creating entirely new platforming challenges in locations players thought they knew.
The addition of three exclusive Mouthful Modes—Spring Mouth, Gear Mouth, and Sign Mouth—alongside crystal-empowered enemies and the imposing new Galactal foe breathes fresh life into the combat and exploration systems. The narrative centered around sealing away the Star of Darkness delivers the series’ signature cosmic escalation fans have come to love.
Star-Crossed World also introduces the brutal Ultimate Cup Z EX, featuring tougher boss variants that will test even the most skilled players, and expands the collectible figure system through Astronomer Waddle Dee and Starry Coins found throughout the new stages. While you can argue the roughly two-hour expansion feels brief for its price point, the quality of the content—from the thoughtful level design that encourages exploration to the satisfying progression—demonstrates HAL Laboratory at their best. For taking one of 2022’s best platformers and elevating it with substantial new content that introduces genuinely fresh gameplay mechanics, Star-Crossed World earns its place as runner-up for the Golden Lance Award for Best Expansion Content of the Year.
