Apple has announced the finalists of its Apple Design Awards.
The awards celebrate 12 “standout apps and games” Apple believes “set a high bar in design,” with this year’s winners – consisting of one app and one game across six categories – selected for “excellence in innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.”
Here’s the list of winners:
Delight and Fun Award
- App: CapWords (HappyPlan Tech)
- Game: Balatro (LocalThunk)
Innovation Award
- App: Play (Rabbit 3 Times)
- Games: PBJ – The Musical (Philipp Stollenmayer)
Interaction Award
- App: Taobao (Zhejiang Taobao Network)
- Games: Dredge (Black Salt)
Inclusivity Award
- App: Speechify (Speechify)
- Game: Art of Fauna (Klemens Strasser)
Social Impact Award
- App: Watch Duty (Sherwood Forestry Service)
- Game: Neva (Devolver Digital)
Visuals and Graphic Award
- App: Feather: Draw in 3D (Sketchsoft)
- Game: Infinity Nikki (Infold Games)
“Developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating apps and games that are not only beautifully designed but also deeply impactful,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s VP of worldwide developer relations. “We’re excited to celebrate this incredible group of winners and finalists at WWDC and spotlight the innovation and craftsmanship they bring to each experience.”
Apple updated its business terms in the EU to allow developers to link to external payment systems in August, but it was not enough to satisfy the European Commission, which claimed in a judgment last month that Apple had breached its anti-steering obligations under the DMA. The EC also fined Apple $568.6 million (€500m) for its violations. Apple now has less than 30 days to update the App Store and enable app developers to link to external shops and payment methods.