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The winners of this year's App Store Awards for apps and games have been officially announced, with 16 titles recognized for their excellence and cultural impact.
Each year, App Store editors from around the world select a selection of outstanding apps and games. As always, the 2022 App Store Awards are spread across Apple's various platforms and divided into the categories of apps and games, with a new category of "Cultural Significance." Tim Cook commented on the awards as follows: follows:
This year's App Store Awards winners have reshaped our experience with apps with fresh, thoughtful, and real perspectives. From self-taught lone wolves to international teams spanning the globe, these entrepreneurs are making a significant impact and representing the way apps and games are impacting our communities and our lives.
App Store Awards 2022
Some of the award-winning apps are new, while others are an integral part of the Apple ecosystem, such as GoodNotes 5. Founder Steven Chan said the app, now named iPad App of the Year 2022, originally launched in 2011.
The big moment for us, however, came when Apple Pencil was announced in 2015, as it made handwriting on iPad a real alternative to pen and paper thanks to its accuracy and low latency. That was a turning point for us, taking GoodNotes from a niche product to a mainstream one. Almost immediately after Apple Pencil was announced, I started hiring people because I had so many ideas but couldn't do everything myself. Thanks to Apple Pencil and iPad, our company has grown very quickly since then.
In contrast, Apple Arcade Game of the Year, Wylde Flowers, was brand new to the App Store in 2022. Studio Drydock began work on the engaging farming simulation in 2019, which has already won an Apple Design Award.
App Winner 2022
- iPhone App of the Year: BeReal
- iPad App of the Year: GoodNotes 5
- Mac App of the Year: MacFamilyTree 10
- Apple TV App of the Year: ViX: Cine y TV en Espanol
- Apple Watch App of the Year: Gentler Streak
Games Winners 2022
- iPhone Game of the Year: Apex Legends Mobile
- iPad Game of the Year: Moncage
- Mac Game of the Year: Inscryption
- Apple TV Game of the Year: El Hijo
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Wylde Flowers
- China's Game of the Year: League of Legends Esports Manager (only in the Chinese App Store)
Cultural influence
In addition to the regular awards for apps and games across the Apple platform, this year's App Store editors highlighted five other apps that have had a significant impact. Apple says each has had a "lasting impact on people's lives and culture."
How We Feel
How We Feel, for example, is an app by Pinterest co-founder Ben Silbermann, developed in collaboration with a scientific team led by Dr. Marc Brackett at the Yale University Center for Emotional Intelligence. "The app is about checking in on your feelings," Dr. Brackett explains to US media, "so there's a little button that says 'Check In,' and you tap that. The app then asks users to provide general and then more specific details about their feelings. The app tracks feelings over time and helps people identify patterns in their mental well-being.
Winner of “Cultural Influence”
- How We Feel
- Dot's Home
- Locket Widget Waterllama
- water tracker
- Inua – A Story in Ice and Time
The winners of the App Store Awards receive a trophy in the shape of the aluminum App Store icon. Apple has not yet announced when the winners will receive their awards. In previous years, they were presented about a week after the announcement – to the full press release. (Image: Apple)
