Apple has announced its best apps and games of the year. These selections reflect the breadth of artistic applications that have left a lasting cultural mark. Disability access is one of the most prominent categories featured on the list, alongside others that support increased productivity and serve the purpose of entertainment.
Hooray to Chants of Sennaar on winning a Cultural Impact Award! With distinctive art and an enticing story, this narrative-based puzzle adventure game hooks players in with its unique approach. This innovative title enraptures players by immersing them in its world, combining storytelling and intuitive yet difficult obstacles in an unforgettable experience. One of our other amazing Cultural Impact Winners is Be My Eyes. This creative new tool is intended to help blind people and those with low vision. This app provides users with access to pooled volunteers through live video calls. Combined, they hold the power to improve technology and enhance accessibility with visual aid.
Hank Green’s Focus Friend, a distraction blocking game that makes productivity social, was named a Cultural Impact Winner. It allows users to keep productivity high by minimizing distractions and improving intent focus. Most impressively, Focus Friend has been recognized as Google Play’s App of the Year, a testament to its widespread appeal and effectiveness.
Apple also included “Art of Fauna.” This peaceful brain-teaser offers players a serene diversion with its elegantly crafted puzzles. Next, despelote, a “slice of life” soccer game, won the “Excellence in Design” award for its honest portrayal of cultural relevance and gameplay. StoryGraph, which logs reading habits and provides an extensive range of personalized, data-driven book recommendations. It continues to fascinate bibliophiles and has most definitely earned its place among the Cultural Impact Winners.
Apple named “Tiimo” the iPhone App of the Year. This cutting-edge, app-based technology supports autism caregivers and education professionals in fostering independent living skills and positive daily routines through visual scheduling. The iPhone Game of the Year is Pokémon TCG Pocket. With vibrant illustrations and themes reminiscent of past Pokémon games, this engaging mobile trading card experience continues the Pokémon legacy with this new game.
In the iPad App category, “Detail” took home the coveted App of the Year award. In the other direction, “DREDGE” took home Game of the Year honors. Like the iPhone version of the app, both apps are meant to take advantage of the large screens on Apple’s tablets. For Mac users, “Essayist” was named the Mac App of the Year, providing a platform for writers to focus on their craft. The Mac Game of the Year award went to “Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition,” a title that has made waves in the gaming community.
Apple awarded “WHAT THE CLASH?” Apple Arcade Game of the Year. Critics hailed it as a masterpiece for its fresh take on gameplay mechanics and sheer, engrossing beauty. Explore POV went on to win the Apple Vision Pro App of the Year award. With this compelling app, users are propelled into a new world to discover thought-provoking, impactful experiences like never before.