Danial Norjidi
A total of 16 apps and games across a variety of genres were named as winners of the 2022 App Store Awards.
The App Store Awards honour standout apps and games at the end of each year. According to an Apple press statement, the winning apps and games of 2022 “inspired users to engage more deeply with the world, expand their imaginations, and stay connected to friends and loved ones”.
The statement added that the winners represent a diverse community of developers from around the world whose apps and games were selected by Apple’s global App Store editorial team for delivering exceptional experiences and making a profound cultural impact.
Apple Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said, “This year’s App Store Award winners reimagined our experiences with apps that delivered fresh, thoughtful, and genuine perspectives.
“From self-taught solo creators to international teams spanning the globe, these entrepreneurs are making a meaningful impact, and represent the ways in which apps and games influence our communities and lives.”
Here’s a look at the winners of the 2022 App Store Awards:
APPS
The award for iPhone App of the Year went to photo sharing app BeReal, which Apple described as an innovative social app that gives users an authentic look into the lives of their family and friends.
The app notifies its users simultaneously every day at a different time to capture and share a photo in two minutes.
The iPad App of the Year was won by digital note-taking app GoodNotes 5, which Apple said “takes digital note-taking to the next level with best-in-class Apple Pencil support”.
MacFamily Tree 10, which Apple said “sparks the exploration of genealogy through stunning visual family trees and collaboration with loved ones around the world”, won Mac App of the Year, while the Apple TV App of the Year went to ViX, an app that “elevate(s) Spanish-language stories to the forefront of entertainment”. Meanwhile, the award for Apple Watch App of the Year went to Gentler Streak, an exercise and fitness tracker app that aims to help users balance fitness and rest to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
GAMES
The award for iPhone Game of the Year went to Apex Legends Mobile, a battle-royale shooter title that features character-based gameplay, squad battles and fast-paced combat, with multiplayer gameplay that allows players to join forces with two friends and compete with other mobile players.
Moncage, a vignette puzzle adventure game, won iPad Game of the Year.
“The game takes place inside a mysterious cube, with each side of the cube housing a unique world: be it an old factory, a light tower, an amusement park, or a church, etc.
“At first sight, they may seem random and unrelated, but upon closer look, you will become mesmerised by the subtle and intricate ways of how these worlds connect.”
Mac Game of the Year went to rogue-like deck-building title Inscryption, while Apple TV Game of the Year was won by stealth game El Hijo.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year went to Wylde Flowers, a life and farming sim where the player, as Tara, explores “a wholesome world of magical realms, beautiful beaches, secretive forests and the friendly town of Fairhaven”.
League of Legends Esports Manager, which allows players to manage the most influential esports leagues in the world, won China Game of the Year.
CULTURAL IMPACT
Also awarded were five Cultural Impact winners, which were selected by Apple’s App Store editors for having “made a lasting impact on people’s lives and influenced culture”.
According to the statement, “This year’s winners encourage users to engage more deeply with their emotions, authentically connect with others, and pay homage to their heritage and the generations that came before them while envisioning how to create a better world today.”
One of the Cultural Impact winners was How We Feel, an app created by scientists, designers, engineers and therapists “to help people better understand their emotions and find strategies to help them navigate their emotions in the moment”. It is described as helping “people find the right word to describe how they feel while tracking their sleep, exercise, and health trends using HealthKit in order to spot patterns over time”.
A second Cultural Impact winner was Dot’s Home, a single-player, 2D narrative-driven video game which “follows a young black woman as she travels through time to relive key moments in her family’s history where race, place and choice collide”.
Also among the winners was Locket Widget, which “shows live photos from your best friends, right to your Home Screen.
“You and your best friends will see new pictures from each other every time you unlock your phone. It’s a little glimpse of what everyone’s up to throughout the day.”
Another recipient was Waterllama, a water tracker app that provides reminders to drink water regularly, “to hydrate properly and maintain the balance of your body fluids by drinking water”.
The fifth Cultural Impact winner was Inua – A Story in Ice and Time, a point and click narrative adventure game in which the player sets off on “a mystical journey to the Canadian Far North”.
