Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a turn-based role-playing video game set in a dark fantasy Belle Époque world. The story centers on the isolated island of Lumière, where every year an event called the "Gommage" occurs: an entity known as the Paintress paints a number on a monolith, and all people at or above that age vanish into smoke. This number decreases yearly, erasing more people over time. Expedition 33 is the latest group of volunteers sent from Lumière to the mainland to try to slay the Paintress and stop this cycle of death. The main characters include Gustave, who has only one year left to live; Maelle, his foster sister and the youngest member; Lune, a scholar and mage; and Sciel, a warrior. Their journey involves battling monsters, uncovering the fate of previous expeditions, and confronting the Paintress herself

. Gameplay combines turn-based combat with real-time elements like dodging and parrying. Players control a party exploring a richly detailed world inspired by Belle Époque France, engaging in strategic battles that reward skill and timing

. The narrative explores themes of mortality, hope, and perseverance as the expeditioners face overwhelming odds to end the Paintress's deadly cycle once and for all

. In summary, Expedition 33 is about a desperate mission to destroy the Paintress who causes the yearly erasure of people by age, with the goal of breaking a fatal cycle that has plagued their society for decades