If you’ve ever gone looking for the best iPhone apps, you’ve probably been a little overwhelmed with the amount of choice there is. There are millions of apps out there, with more being added all the time, so it seems like something of an impossible task. Thankfully Apple’s App Store Awards can help you filter out the gold in a river of shovelware.
Apple has just announced the finalists for this year’s awards, with Apple nominating 45 “outstanding apps and games”. Apparently these apps represent "some of the best user experience, design and innovation of the year on the App Store” across 12 different categories that cover the entirety of Apple’s product portfolio. Plus, Vision Pro apps will be getting a look-in for the first time, after the spatial computing headset launched back in spring..
Apple hasn’t said exactly when the winners will be announced, only that they’ll be revealed at some point “in the coming weeks”. In the meantime, you can check out the nominees below.
Best iPhone Apps
Finalists for this category include Kino, a Pro video app that is packed with all kinds of tools and presets to help users shoot the best possible video. There’s also Runna, which offers tailored training plans for runners of all levels, and travel itinerary organization app Tripsy.
Best iPhone game finalists include strategy role-playing game AFK Journey, which is set in a fantasy world of magic and monsters, and The WereCleaner which puts you in the shoes of a janitor who needs to complete his shifts without anyone spotting he’s a werewolf. Finally there’s Zenless Zone Zero, a 3D action game set in a disaster-ridden world plagued by something called “Hollows”.
Best iPad Apps
In contention for Best iPad apps are Bluey: Let’s Play, an interactive game for kids set in the world of Bluey, and ProCreate Dreams which has all the tools you need to create your own 2D animations. Also nominated is Moises, a music app that uses AI for editing and remixing songs — including the ability to isolate and remove certain instruments.
Best iPad game nominees include critically acclaimed Assassin’s Creed Mirage, arcade racing game Disney Speedstorm and Squad Busters —a brawling game featuring characters and monsters from games like Clash of Clans.
Best Apple Arcade Games
If you’re an Apple Arcade subscriber looking for something new to play, then these 3 finalists might be worth considering. First up is Balatro Plus which mixes up different card games and lets you mess up the rules into something unique, while Sonic Dream Team takes you into a brand new 3D Sonic adventure. Finally, there’s Outlanders 2, a town-building simulator that puts you in charge of building your own civilization.
Best Mac Apps
The first nominee for Mac App of the year is Adobe Lightroom, with Apple highlighting its new AI-powered editing abilities. This is followed by Shapr3D, which is designed to improve the development of 3D designs covering all steps from the initial sketches to actual manufacturing. Finally, there’s OmniFocus 4, a task management app to help you keep on top of what work needs doing when.
Macs may not be known for gaming, but there are still 3 next Mac game nominees you’ll want to check out. First up is Frostpunk 2, a city-builder that blends survival mechanics that forces you to help your city through a frozen apocalypse. Next up is viral hit Stray, that puts you in the shoes of a stray cat, followed by Thank Goodness You’re Here — an absurd and cartoonish game set in the fictional and overly-stereotypical North English town of Barnsworth.
Best Apple Vision Pro Apps
Apple Vision Pro may not have as many apps as other Apple products, but there are still plenty of great apps for the headset. Apple’s top three include JigSpace, which is built for looking at 3D and augmented reality models though the headset, and the official NBA app which lets you stream NBA games and keep up to date with the league with spatial computing. There’s also Marvel's immersive What If..? which puts you in an episode of the show, sending you out across the multiverse.
If you’d rather be using your Apple headset for gaming, then there’s a category for that too. First up is Loóna, a spatial puzzle game that tasks you with building dioramas. Then there’s THRASHER, a first person survival game that pits you against wild bosses with nothing more than your hands. Finally Apple has nominated Vacation Simulator, from the creators of Job Simulator, which sends you off on a simulated vacation with floating TV robots as companions.
Best Apple Watch and Apple TV Apps
Wearable loves will want to check out these Apple Watch app nominees, starting with LookUp — an app designed to help you improve your vocabulary with new words and definitions every day. Then there’s Lumy which keeps you up to date with the rhythms of the sun and moon, plus Watch to 5K which helps you start running from nothing and get you running 5km/3.1 miles non stop.
Over on the Apple TV, your best app nominations include Dropout — streaming service for what used to be College Humor, F1 TV for Formula 1 fans and Zoom — in case you want to take video calls on your TV instead of your computer or phone.
Cultural Impact Finalists
Finally there’s the Cultural Impact category, whose nominees have "brought users powerful stories and helped them bring out their best selves to create a lasting impact”. The nominees include:
Arco: A tactical RPG where your decision during the game affect the story going forward
The Bear: An interactive bedtime story, where you lead the titular bear through a “friendship-forming adventure”.
Better Sleep: A white noise app that lets you play various sounds for better sleep, while also tracking and recording sleep so you know how well your nighttime activities are going.
Brawl Stars: Another nomination for the brawling game, featuring characters from a range of Supercell-made mobile games.
DailyArt: Learn new facts about art history every day and join a community of art lovers in the process.
Do You Really Want to Know 2: An interactive story to help educate and clear up misconceptions about HIV
EF Hello: An AI-powered tool for helping people learn English and have anxiety-free conversations
NYT Games: Your portal to the New York Times’ many different puzzle games, including everyone’s favorite: Wordle.
Oko: An AI-powered navigation app to help pedestrians get around, with detailed directions and information on where and when you should cross the street.
Partiful: Create digital party invites in seconds, and share them across platforms to make sure people actually show up.
Pinterest: The digital pin board service, letting you explore and shop for new ideas — and save them for later reference.
The Wreck: A 3D visual novel following a failed screen writer on the most important day of her life.
