App Design Awards logo.
Credit: Apple
To encourage creativity and innovation among developers, Apple rewards app companies with annual App Design Awards.
This year too, the Cupertino-based technology major has picked the top 14 best-in-class applications and games in seven categories-- delight and fun, inclusivity, innovation, interaction, social impact, visuals and graphics, and a new spatial computing category.
Under the delight and fun category, Bears Gratitude and New York Times Games won the top honours.
Developed by Isuru Wanasinghe (Australia), Bears Gratitude is wellness-cum journaling app. It has thoughtfully crafted characters that help create a sense of warmth and routine to support users in building happiness, one day at a time.
Bears Gratitude app.
Credit: Apple
Recently, New York Times Games introduced a new refreshing interface and expanded its gaming catalogue. "New titles like Connections are calibrated for maximum replay value, with elegant design and ease of use that results in an experience that encourages everyone to join in on the fun.," said Apple.
New York Games app.
Credit: Apple
Under the Inclusivity segment, oko (by AYES, Belgium) and Crayola Adventures (by Red Games Co., US) were declared winners.
The oko helps people with visual impairment to walk on roads. It alerts pedestrians to the state of signal lights through haptic and audio feedback.
oko app.
Credit: Apple
With Crayola Adventures, users create virtual life characters with different skin tones, abilities, body types, and pronouns. The game offers a mix of activities that include making decorations, solving puzzles, and reading storybooks.
Developed by Procreate (Australia), Procreate Dreams was awarded the best Innovative productivity app.
It is a versatile design tool that allows creatives of all kinds to create 2D animations using the extensive and familiar library of brushes, gestures, and PencilKit-enabled behaviours. It supports Apple Pencil, and offers animated effects, audio, and video to enhance digital artwork.
Lost in Play app.
Credit: Apple
The 'Lost in Play' developed by Happy Juice Games (Israel) was also awarded best innovate gaming app. It is a point-and-tap journey game and comes with hand-drawn graphics, easy-to-learn interactions, and compelling gameplay.
Under the Interaction category, the Crouton app won the top honour. Developed by Devin Davies (New Zealand), Crouton is a really good interactive note-taking app. It is best suited to add shopping lists and offer a step-by-step guide on kitchen recipes.
Rytmos was declared the best interactive game. Developed by Floppy Club (Denmark), Rytmos is a lovely puzzle game. Here, players to have to solve puzzles by creating pathways using simple drag gestures, and every completed level adds a new element to an evolving song.
Gentler Streak Fitness Tracker (by Gentler Stories, Slovenia) and The Wreck (by The Pixel Hunt, France) were chosen as the best app and game under the social impact category
Under the Visuals and Graphics category, Rooms (by Things, Inc., US) and Lies of P (by NEOWIZ, South Korea were declared the winners.
Under the new Spatial Computing segment, the djay pro - DJ App & AI Mixer app (by algoriddim GmbH, Germany) for Vision Pro won the top honors. It is an immersive music-playing tool. It allows users to play as a DJ in his/her virtual space. It also features high-quality turntables, a cool interactive effects panel, and an array of environments, from a nighttime desert scene to a space lounge populated by dancing robots.
djay pro - DJ App and AI Mixer app.
Credit: Apple
Blackbox by It offers engaging puzzles and has clever easter eggs at every turn. The gameplay is like learning a new magic trick as puzzles gently unfold around the player and curiosity is rewarded.
The winners will be rewarded at World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024, which is scheduled to kick off next week on June 10 and conclude on June 14.
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