Best of 2022: Top-rated apps and games on Apple App Store

With just a few weeks left before the end of 2022, Apple has revealed the best apps and games of the year on its App Store.

This year, the winners' list has a lot more diversity and has been well-represented from across the world.

“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,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

BeReal app for iOS. Credit: Apple

Top-rated apps on Apple App Store in 2022:
1) The iPhone App of the Year: BeReal (by BeReal)
2) The iPad App of the Year: GoodNotes 5 (by Time Base Technology Limited)
3) The Mac App of the Year: MacFamilyTree 10 ( by Synium Software GmbH)
4) Apple TV App of the Year: ViX (by TelevisaUnivision Interactive, Inc.)
5) Apple Watch App of the Year: Gentler Streak (by Gentler Stories LLC.)

Gentler Streak (by Gentler Stories LLC) for Apple Watch. Credit: Apple

Top-rated games on Apple App Store and Arcade in 2022
1) The iPhone Game of the Year: Apex Legends Mobile (by Electronic Arts)
2) The iPad Game of the Year: Moncage (by X.D. Network Inc.)
3) The Mac Game of the Year: Inscryption (by Devolver)
4) Apple TV Game of the Year: El Hijo, (by HandyGames)
5) Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Wylde Flowers, from Studio Drydock Pty Ltd.

Wylde Flowers (by Studio Drydock Pty Ltd) was awarded the best game on Apple Arcade. Credit: Apple

Besides the best apps and games, Apple also announced a special award for apps that had a cultural impact on the world. Here are the winners:
1) How We Feel (by How We Feel Project, Inc): The app prompts users to tap into their emotional well-being with the ease of daily check-ins. It helps users put difficult emotions into words and presents strategies to address these emotions at the moment.
2) Dot’s Home ( by Rise-Home Stories Project): It received honours for bringing valuable changes to society. The app highlights systemic housing injustices and the subsequent impact within communities of colour through a compelling and thoughtful time-traveling tale.
3) Locket Widget (by Locket Labs, Inc): The app allows users to send live photos right to family and friends’ Home Screen, Locket Widget, helps users develop closer connections with loved ones, free from traditional social media pressures.
4) Waterllama (by Vitalii Mogylevets): The helps users meet their hydration goals for the day with fun and creative challenges, reminders, and cuddly characters to keep users on track.
5) Inua - A Story in Ice and Time (by ARTE Experience): The app offers an engaging, mystical adventure for users to explore historical events that weave in elements of Inuit traditions, folklore, and breathtaking tales.

There was also China Game of the Year. The League of Legends Esports Manager developed by Shenzhen Tencent Tianyou Technology Ltd. won the special award.

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