Apple has officially announced the winners of the 2024 Apple App Store Awards. This year, a total of 17 apps and games were recognised for their contributions, enhancing user experiences across Apple devices. The winners were selected from a pool of 45 finalists, showcasing a diverse range of offerings. There are a diverse set of apps and games that won, including apps that track the sun’s position on the Apple Watch to choice-driven games for the iPad and iPhone, and even pro-grade apps that have helped creatives. Read on for the details.
Here are the 2024 Apple App Store Awards Winners
Apps
- iPhone App of the Year: Kino, from Lux Optics Inc.
- iPad App of the Year: Moises, from Moises Systems Inc.
- Mac App of the Year: Adobe Lightroom, from Adobe Inc.
- Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: What If…? An Immersive Story, from Disney
- Apple Watch App of the Year: Lumy, from Raja V.
- Apple TV App of the Year: F1 TV, from Formula One Digital Media Limited
Kino is a camera app for the iPhone that emulates film, removing the friction from making digital footage more film-like. Moises helps artists develop their craft using the power of AI. Lightroom has been the go-to app for photo editing and excels on Mac. Lumy tracks the sun’s patterns, making it ideal for photographers and outdoor enthusiasts.
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Games
- iPhone Game of the Year: AFK Journey, from Farlight Games
- iPad Game of the Year: Squad Busters, from Supercell
- Mac Game of the Year: Thank Goodness You’re Here!, from Panic, Inc.
- Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: THRASHER: Arcade Odyssey, from Puddle, LLC
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Balatro+, from Playstack Ltd.
Apple also selected six Cultural Impact Winners, which this year celebrated accessibility, intellectual curiosity, and fostering connections between family and friends. The Cultural Impact Winners are:
- The Wreck from The Pixel Hunt
- Oko from AYES BV
- EF Hello from Signum International AG
- DailyArt from Zuzanna Stanska
- NYT Games from The New York Times Company
- Do You Really Want to Know? 2 from Gamtropy Co., Ltd.
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What the Developers Shared with Us
At HT Tech, we engaged with some of the developers to understand their journey and the core of their creations. Here are some edited transcripts:
One of the Cultural Impact Award winners, The Pixel Hunt, developer of The Wreck told us how having a game like The Wreck is quite accessible on a mobile device like the iPad or iPhone. “The Wreck is very accessible. The controls are not complicated, and nothing in the game requires advanced skills. It’s really about interacting with the story, which makes it easy to play and perfectly suited for a touchscreen,” Florent Maurin said.
He added, “The most important aspect of being on mobile is the audience. What we love about being on iOS, for instance, is that we can reach an audience that isn’t defined as “gamers”. Many of them might have never played a video game in their lives, but they all have an iPhone in their pocket. If they’re curious, they can try the game and realise that there are games out there for them—games that tell very interesting stories. That accessibility and inclusiveness are some of the greatest things about being on mobile.”
Supercell, whose Squad Busters won the iPad Game of the Year award, told us that audiences should be open to surprises, as the developer is open to bringing IPs other than Supercell’s own into the game in the future, as it already has with Transformers. “We might look at sports, pop stars, and other areas—anywhere where there are distinctive characters and fandoms that we can potentially bring into the game. Kind of anything, you know, that could be ‘squadified,’ as we call it in our team.”
Celebrating the winners, Apple CEO, Tim Cook, said: “We are thrilled to honor this impressive group of developers who are harnessing the power of Apple devices and technology to deliver experiences that enrich the lives of users and have a profound impact on their communities,” He added, “The remarkable achievements of this year’s winners demonstrate the incredible ingenuity that can be unlocked through apps.”
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