Apple acquired a head begin on WWDC 2025 by asserting the winners of its annual Apple Design Awards at the moment (June 3), because it appears to spotlight a few of greatest apps and games obtainable in its App Retailer.
This yr’s version options 12 winners picked by the App Retailer’s editorial crew, curated from a listing of 36 finalists. The classes have modified through the years, however the 2025 iteration has the identical classes as final yr minus the spatial computing class for Apple Imaginative and prescient Professional apps. Returning classes embody Delight and Enjoyable, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interplay, Social Influence, Visuals and Graphics.
Every class sees two winners — an app and a recreation, so the six classes end in 12 awards. The winners aren’t outlined by downloads or income however by a dedication to innovation and ingenuity, Apple says.
The 2025 winners can be recognized throughout WWDC 2025, which begins subsequent Monday (June 9). This is the total checklist of winners, in addition to a number of our favorites we advocate you try.
Apple Design Award 2025 checklist of winners
Our prime 7 favourite Apple Design Award 2025 winners
Balatro — Deckbuilding, rogue-like Poker
Balatro took the gaming world by storm final yr. It was even one in every of our picks for the very best video games of 2024. If you have not performed, the sport fuses poker, solitaire and deck constructing the place you mix joker playing cards with skills to attain factors.
Do not let the poker scare you, the twists on the foundations make it a familiar-but-fresh tackle the cardboard recreation. It is “another spherical” in your iPhone or iPad.
Honorable Point out: CapWords turns photos of objects into stickers that can assist you study new languages. Should you’re practising a brand new language this might be a enjoyable strategy to change issues up.
Play – accessible app improvement
Play is an app designed that can assist you create iPhone apps by letting you construct prototypes within the Apple SwiftUI code. It was chosen for its intuitive interface to assist app makers of all ranges of expertise collaborate and design. It may be synced between your Mac and your iPhone so you’ll be able to transfer between units as wanted.
Honorable Point out: PBJ — The Musical is an interactive music recreation based mostly on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet. It options handcrafted paper figures and voice appearing. It is intelligent and creative.
DREDGE — existential horror while fishing
Dredge is an existential slow-burn horror recreation that has been obtainable on different platforms for awhile. In reality, it was one in every of our favourite games that you just may need missed in 2023. It solely simply acquired a wonderful cell port final yr.
Within the recreation, you play as a contract fisherman who catches regular fish by day for a distant island settlement, however by night time the horrors of the deep fill your nets. It is a haunting thriller with an eerie world to discover.
And don’t be concerned, it isn’t a gory or overly tense horror recreation, extra disquieting.
Honorable Point out: Taobao is a procuring expertise app design for the Imaginative and prescient Professional that permits you to examine 3D fashions of merchandise aspect by aspect.
Artwork of Fauna – stunning puzzles
Artwork of Fauna is a comfy, stunning, illustrated puzzle recreation the place you resolve puzzles by shifting round visible parts or texts.
The puzzles are coupled with descriptions of the animals they depict. You may resolve both the picture or the textual content. It additionally promotes animal conservation and inclusivity.
Honorable Point out: Speechify is an app that reads textual content and turns it into audio. The app is supposed to assist individuals with dyslexia, ADHD and low imaginative and prescient, or for those that study higher by listening.
Watch Obligation – maintain secure from fires
In the course of the devastating California wildfires in the beginning of the yr, the Watch Obligation app was indispensable for monitoring what was occurring with the Palisades and Eaton fires as they unfold by way of these Los Angeles neighborhoods.
By means of person and company stories, the app exhibits fireplace perimeters and progress and evacuation orders.
Plus, it is free and subsists on donations.
Honorable Point out: Neva is completely attractive 2D platformer the place a woman and her wolf, Neva, journey the world and combat towards corrupted seasons. It is heartbreaking and stunning and you must play it.
Feather: Attract 3D – remodel 2D into 3D
On one degree, Feather is supposed for designers and artists. On the similar time, it is a pleasant app that takes 2D photos and renders them in 3D.
It is meant for individuals of all expertise and allows you to create 3D fashions on the iPad utilizing contact or the Apple Pencil options to create photos.
You needn’t have a picture to begin as you’ll be able to create issues from scratch within the app as nicely.
Honorable Point out: Infinity Nikki is a comfy open-world recreation that continues the Nikki collection which focuses magical outfits. Fight within the recreation is predicated on fashion duels and not bodily.
