And the winners are… Apple have just announced the winners of their App Store Awards for 2023, highlighting their pick of the best apps across 10 categories.
Having previously picked the 37 games, apps and developers worthy of recognition from the 1.8million currently available across their iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch stores - apps that it described as “delivering exceptional experiences and making a profound cultural impact” - here, at last are the 10 winners.
"This year’s winners include developers from across the world, whose apps and games were chosen by the App Store’s Editorial team for providing users with meaningful experiences and inspiring cultural change," said the company in a statement.
“It’s inspiring to see the ways developers continue to build incredible apps and games that are redefining the world around us,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “This year’s winners represent the limitless potential of developers to bring their visions to life, creating apps and games with remarkable ingenuity, exceptional quality, and purpose-driven missions.”
App Store Awards 2023 Winners
iPhone App of the Year
- Winner: AllTrails from AllTrails, Inc. "for helping the world find their way outside"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Duolingo "for bringing learning to the masses"
- Flighty "for keeping travelers on time and stress-free at the airport"
iPad App of the Year
- Winner: Prêt-à-Makeup from Prêt-à-Template "for bringing makeup designs to life for all beauty enthusiasts"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Concepts "for creating innovative drawing tools and dynamic color palettes"
- DaVinci Resolve "for creating a more portable video editing experience"
Mac App of the Year
- Winner: Photomator from UAB Pixelmator Team "for making the photo editing workflow faster and simpler"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Linearity Curve "for crafting innovative design tools for pros and aspiring designers"
- Portal "for immersing users in beautiful landscapes and spatial audio"
Apple TV App of the Year
- Winner: MUBI from MUBI, Inc "for bringing quality cinema to users’ homes"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Bugsnax "for capturing mystery and charm through its gameplay"
- FitOn "for offering a range of workout experiences with popular trainers and celebrities"
Apple Watch App of the Year
- Winner: SmartGym from Mateus Abras "for creating smart and targeted workouts at any skill level"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Planny "for intelligently helping users stay on top of tasks"
- Tide Guide "for offering water enthusiasts real-time marine conditions"
iPhone Game of the Year
- Honkai: Star Rail from COGNOSPHERE PTE. LTD "for building a space fantasy adventure with cinematic animation"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Afterplace "for creating a retro role-playing game with intuitive controls"
- Vampire Survivors "for inspiring a new roguelike action genre"
iPad Game of the Year
- Winner: Lost in Play from Snapbreak Games "for delivering charming visuals and gameplay for all ages"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Eggy Party "for crafting whimsical and joyful experiences for users"
- Pocket City 2 "for inviting players to build from their imagination"
Mac Game of the Year
- Winner: Lies of P from NEOWIZ "for delivering smooth gameplay with an alternative twist on a classic tale"
Shortlisted finalists:
- ELEX II "for transporting players to a dynamic Science Fantasy world"
- Return to Monkey Island "for building on its iconic point-and-click adventure"
Apple Arcade Game of the Year
- Winner: Hello Kitty Island Adventure from Sunblink "for taking players on a grand adventure with adorable creatures"
Shortlisted finalists:
- Cityscapes "for inspiring players with a sustainable and purposeful twist"
- stitch. "for bringing the meditative art of embroidery to more users"
Cultural Impact
- Winner: Pok Pok from Pok Pok "for helping kids learn, explore, and experiment in a digital playroom"
Shortlisted finalists:
- balance "for making menopause support more inclusive and accessible to all"
- Copilot "for simplifying personal finance"
- Endling "for inspiring players to focus on environmental impact"
- Finding Hannah "for connecting women across generations through gameplay"
- How to Say Goodbye "for helping users process difficult emotions"
- Proloquo "for supporting communication without speech"
- Rebel Girls "for turning bedtime stories into a discovery of heroic women throughout time"
- Too Good To Go "for helping to reduce food waste at restaurants, bakeries, and supermarkets"
- Unpacking "for crafting soul-soothing puzzles"
