Apple has announce the winners of the 2023 App Store Awards, listing the 14 best apps and games across different categories. Fitness-focuss hiking and biking app AllTrails has emerge as the best app on iPhone in 2023 and miHoYo’s latest RPG gacha title Honkai: Star Rail has name as the iPhone Game of the Year.
Other winners include machine learning-power editing app Photomator, souls-like action RPG Lies of P, and curate film streaming platform Mubi.
In November, Apple had announce a list of 40 finalists, based on their technical and creative achievements, for its annual App Store Awards.
AllTrails beat competition from the likes of language coaching app Duolingo and flight tracking app Flighty for the title of iPhone App of the Year.
The app includes detaile guides and maps for hiking trails around the world.
For 2023’s best game on iPhone, Honkai: Star Rail was picked over the roguelike sensation Vampire Survivors and retro RPG Afterplace.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in the newsroom post announcing the 2023 App Store Awards winners :
“This year’s winners represent the limitless potential of developers to bring their visions to life, creating apps and games with remarkable ingenuity, exceptional quality, and purpose-driven missions,”.
On iPad, digital makeup sketch pad app Prêt-à-Makeup was name as app of the year.
The app’s Face charts feature is helps makeup artists test out, plan, or register looks and combinations.
While on the gaming part, puzzle adventure title Lost in Play triumphed over Eggy Party and Pocket City 2 to emerge as the best iPad game of 2023.
On Mac, photo editing software Photomator was name as app of the year, while critically acclaim souls-like action RPG Lies of P won in the gaming category, beating competition from open-world RPG title ELEX II and classic point-and-click adventure title Return to Monkey Island.
Rounding up other Apple platforms, workouts app SmartGym and streaming platform Mubi emerge as the best apps on Apple Watch and Apple TV, respectively.
Cozy adventure title Hello Kitty Island Adventure was name as the best game on Apple Arcade, the company’s subscription-based gaming service.
In addition to apps and games on all its devices, Apple also recognise five winners in Cultural Impact category, which acknowledges apps and games that spread a positive message.
As per Apple’s post :
“This year's winners encouraged users to learn and grow in an inclusive and accessible space, contribute toward a more sustainable future, and explore self-reflection and connection across generations,”.
Cultural Impact winners include digital toy room for kids Pok Pok, accessibility app Proloquo, surplus food sustainability app Too Good to Go, meditative puzzle app Unpacking, coming-of-age, hidden-object game Finding Hannah.
Apple also recognise generative AI apps as the trend of the year.
From chatbots to planners, AI-power apps have flood the App Store over the past year.
As per Apple’s post :
“Although many features are still in their infancy, they gave users a chance to see, firsthand, the technology in action and come to their own conclusions about the benefits and risks,”.
2023 App Store Award Winners
Apps
| Awards Name | Winner Name |
| iPhone App of the Year | AllTrails, from AllTrails, Inc. |
| iPad App of the Year | Prêt-à-Makeup, from Prêt-à-Template. |
| Mac App of the Year | Photomator, from UAB Pixelmator Team. |
| Apple TV App of the Year | MUBI, from MUBI, Inc. |
| Apple Watch App of the Year | SmartGym, from Mateus Abras. |
Games
| Awards Name | Winner Name |
| iPhone Game of the Year | Honkai: Star Rail, from COGNOSPHERE PTE. LTD. |
| iPad Game of the Year | Lost in Play, from Snapbreak Games. |
| Mac Game of the Year | Lies of P, from NEOWIZ. |
| Apple Arcade Game of the Year | Hello Kitty Island Adventure, from Sunblink. |
Cultural Impact Winners
In addition to recognizing the best apps and games on iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV, Apple’s App Store Editors also select five Cultural Impact winners, recognise for their ability to drive positive change through apps and games.
In 2023 winners encourage users to learn and grow in an inclusive and accessible space, contribute toward a more sustainable future, and explore self-reflection and connection across generations.
| Winner Name | About App |
| Pok Pok from Pok Pok | Designed with inclusivity in mind, Pok Pok is a digital toy room for kids, offering a universal space for preschoolers of all backgrounds and abilities to play, explore, and see the world as one. |
| Proloquo from AssistiveWare | An accessibility app pioneer for over a decade, AssistiveWare’s Proloquo is creating augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools that help the world communicate in new ways. |
| Too Good To Go from Too Good To Go | Too Good to Go enables users to minimise food waste by connecting them with restaurants and stores that have a surplus of unsold food at an affordable cost. |
| Unpacking from Humble Bundle | Unpacking mixes meditative puzzles to create a soul-soothing triumph around familiar experiences of change and connection. |
| Finding Hannah from Fein Games GmbH | Finding Hannah is a colourful coming-of-age, hidden-object game with inclusive and heartfelt tales that explores the power of healing and self-discovery. |
