Apple’s 2025 App Store Awards: 17 Apps and Games Worth Downloading
Apple has announced the winners of the 2025 App Store Awards, celebrating 17 apps and games that stand out for smart design, clever use of AI, and real cultural impact.
The winners were selected from a shortlist of 45 finalists and span every corner of the Apple ecosystem, from iPhone and iPad to Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Arcade.
Use this as your “what should I install next?” list. Each winner below includes a quick description and a direct App Store link.
Apps of the Year
iPhone App of the Year: Tiimo
Tiimo – AI Planner & To-Do
Developer: tiimo
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tiimo-ai-planner-to-do/id1480220328
Tiimo is a highly visual daily planner that turns your schedule into something you can actually follow. Instead of long text lists, it uses timelines, icons, colour, and gentle prompts that are especially helpful for people with ADHD or anyone who finds traditional to-do lists overwhelming.
Recent AI features help turn vague goals into actual steps, so your “I should really do that” ideas become real tasks with time blocks.
Suggested image block: iPhone mockup showing the Tiimo interface.
Alt text: “Tiimo app on iPhone showing a colourful visual daily planner.”
iPad App of the Year: Detail
Detail – AI Video Editor
Developer: Detail Technologies B.V.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detail-ai-video-editor/id1673518618
Detail turns your iPad into a small production studio. It uses AI to help with things like framing, editing, and cutting long recordings into short, shareable clips. There is built-in teleprompter support, multicam tools, and export options tailored for social media creators.
The goal is simple: make studio-quality video editing feel possible on a tablet, without needing a full desktop setup.
Suggested image: iPad showing Detail’s editing timeline.
Alt text: “Detail video editing app on iPad with AI-powered tools.”
Mac App of the Year: Essayist
Essayist – Academic Writing App
Developer: Essayist Software Inc.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/essayist-academic-writing-app/id1537845384
Essayist is built for students, researchers, and anyone who has ever lost an evening to formatting references. You choose your citation style, and Essayist handles the layout, references, tables of contents, and bibliography.
It also includes a built-in reference manager so you can store and reuse sources, search your library, and keep everything consistent across multiple papers.
Suggested image: MacBook screenshot of an academic paper in Essayist.
Alt text: “Essayist academic writing app on Mac with formatted references.”
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year: Explore POV
Explore POV
Developer: James Hustler
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/explore-pov/id6479555991
Explore POV uses Apple Immersive Video to drop you into stunning real-world locations using Apple Vision Pro. Think travel experiences you step into, not just watch. With high-end immersive footage and 180-degree video, it feels like standing on a beach, trail, or city street instead of sitting on your couch.
Suggested image: Vision Pro user standing in a living room with a landscape scene around them.
Alt text: “Apple Vision Pro user immersed in an Explore POV environment.”
Apple Watch App of the Year: Strava
Strava – Run, Ride, Hike
Developer: Strava, Inc.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/strava-run-ride-hike/id426826309
Strava has become the default fitness app for runners, cyclists, and weekend outdoor adventures. On Apple Watch, it focuses on clean design and real-time segment tracking so you can chase personal records without pulling out your phone.
Your workouts sync into Strava’s global community, where you can see routes, join challenges, and keep up with friends and clubs.
Suggested image: Apple Watch showing a Strava run in progress.
Alt text: “Apple Watch on a runner’s wrist displaying a Strava activity.”
Apple TV App of the Year: HBO Max (Max)
Max – Stream Movies & TV Shows
Developer: WarnerMedia Global Digital Services, LLC
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-stream-movies-tv-shows/id971265422
HBO Max, now branded as Max in many regions, takes Apple TV App of the Year for pairing a huge content lineup with stronger accessibility features. Apple highlighted its American Sign Language content alongside the usual mix of prestige dramas, documentaries, and comfort-rewatch shows.
Suggested image: Apple TV interface showing the Max app home screen.
Alt text: “Max app on Apple TV displaying a grid of movies and shows.”
Games of the Year
iPhone Game of the Year: Pokémon TCG Pocket
Pokémon TCG Pocket
Developer: The Pokémon Company
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pok%C3%A9mon-tcg-pocket/id6479970832
Pokémon TCG Pocket brings Pokémon card collecting and battling to iPhone. You get free booster packs every day, unlock beautifully illustrated digital cards, build decks, and jump into quick battles that feel designed for phone sessions.
For long-time card fans, it is a hit of nostalgia. For new players, it is an easy way into the trading card world without needing physical decks.
Suggested image: In-game card pack opening screen.
Alt text: “Pokémon TCG Pocket booster pack opening animation on iPhone.”
iPad Game of the Year: DREDGE
DREDGE
Developer: Black Salt Games
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dredge/id6526463862
DREDGE looks cosy at first glance: you sail a small fishing boat, catch fish, upgrade your gear, and chat with locals across a scattered island chain. The longer you play, the stranger it gets. There is a slow-burn horror story under the surface, with mysterious catches, rumours, and things best left in the deep.
On iPad, the combination of touch controls and moody art style works especially well.
Suggested image: Fishing boat at night with eerie lights under the water.
Alt text: “DREDGE game scene showing a fishing boat on dark, mysterious waters.”
Mac Game of the Year: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Developer: CD PROJEKT S.A.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cyberpunk-2077-ultimate/id6633429424
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition brings Night City, the Phantom Liberty expansion, and all the updates to Apple silicon Macs. It is a big, dense open-world RPG packed with storylines, side quests, and character builds, and it doubles as a showcase for how far Mac gaming has come in the last few years.
Suggested image: Wide shot of Night City skyline at night.
Alt text: “Cyberpunk 2077 Night City skyline running on a Mac laptop.”
Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year: Porta Nubi
Porta Nubi: Immersive Puzzles
Developer: Michael Temper
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/porta-nubi-immersive-puzzles/id6503628155
Porta Nubi is a spatial puzzle game that uses Apple Vision Pro to turn your real surroundings into part of the level. You guide beams of light through portals and obstacles, moving your head and body to find angles and solutions.
Instead of playing on a flat screen floating in front of you, the puzzles feel like they live in the same room.
Suggested image: Vision Pro view of a light-beam puzzle spanning the room.
Alt text: “Porta Nubi puzzle with beams of light inside an Apple Vision Pro environment.”
Apple Arcade Game of the Year: WHAT THE CLASH?
WHAT THE CLASH?
Developer: Triband ApS
App Store (Apple Arcade): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/what-the-clash/id1668359542
WHAT THE CLASH? is pure chaos in a good way. It is a collection of absurd, fast mini-games built for quick sessions and group “you have to try this” moments. As an Apple Arcade title, it avoids ads and in-app purchases, focusing entirely on gameplay and replayable silliness.
Suggested image: Group of characters mid-mini-game in WHAT THE CLASH?
Alt text: “WHAT THE CLASH? characters in a chaotic mini-game scene.”
Cultural Impact Winners
Beyond pure fun and productivity, Apple also named six Cultural Impact winners. These apps and games were chosen for the ways they support accessibility, tell underrepresented stories, or help people build healthier habits.
Art of Fauna
Art of Fauna – Cozy Puzzles
Developer: Klemens Strasser
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/art-of-fauna-cozy-puzzles/id1630468596
Art of Fauna turns wildlife illustration from around the world into relaxing jigsaw-style puzzles. It is full of accessibility options, including dyslexia-friendly fonts, adjustable colours, and strong support for assistive technologies. Some proceeds support wildlife conservation, which ties the cosy gameplay back to real animals and habitats.
Suggested image: Animal illustration puzzle partly completed.
Alt text: “Art of Fauna puzzle featuring a colourful wildlife illustration.”
Chants of Sennaar
Chants of Sennaar
Developer: Playdigious
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chants-of-sennaar/id6566195667
Chants of Sennaar is a language-driven puzzle adventure. You explore a towering city divided by language barriers and slowly decode symbols and scripts to connect different groups of people.
It is a smart, thoughtful game about translation, identity, and communication that goes far beyond simple word puzzles.
Suggested image: In-game shot of the tower with glyphs and symbols.
Alt text: “Chants of Sennaar scene showing a character in a stylised tower with unknown symbols.”
despelote
despelote
Developer: Panic, Inc.
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/despelote/id6747992743
despelote is a slice-of-life story set in Quito, Ecuador, told through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy and his love of soccer. You wander the city, kick a ball around, talk to neighbours, and feel the mood shift as the national team pushes toward the World Cup.
It is intimate, political in a very human way, and feels more like living through memories than playing a traditional game.
Suggested image: Kids playing soccer in a Quito street in the game’s art style.
Alt text: “despelote game scene of children playing football in a colourful city street.”
Be My Eyes
Be My Eyes
Developer: Be My Eyes
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/be-my-eyes/id905177575
Be My Eyes connects blind and low-vision users with sighted volunteers and AI support. Through live video calls or AI image descriptions, people can get help with things like reading labels, navigating spaces, or solving small daily problems that rely on sight.
It is one of the best examples of technology and AI being used for practical accessibility instead of novelty.
Suggested image: Screenshot of a Be My Eyes video assistance session.
Alt text: “Be My Eyes app interface showing a live assistance call.”
Focus Friend by Hank Green
Focus Friend, by Hank Green
Developer: B-Tech Consulting Group LLC
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/focus-friend-by-hank-green/id6742278016
Focus Friend turns a simple focus timer into a cosy little world. You start a focus session, put the phone down, and your Bean character gets to work knitting or decorating their space. If you break focus and pick up the phone, your Bean loses progress.
It has resonated with people who struggle with distraction and doom-scrolling, especially those with ADHD, and has even topped the App Store charts.
Suggested image: Bean character working during an active focus session.
Alt text: “Focus Friend Bean character earning rewards during a focus timer.”
StoryGraph
StoryGraph – Reading Tracker
Developer: The StoryGraph
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264
StoryGraph is a reading tracker and recommendation app built around mood, pacing, and representation. You can import your Goodreads data, track detailed stats, and discover new books based on how you want to feel, not just genre.
The app emphasises diverse authors and includes filters and tags that help readers find books that match their lived experience or stretch beyond it in meaningful ways.
Suggested image: StoryGraph reading stats dashboard.
Alt text: “StoryGraph app showing reading statistics and mood tracking charts.”
Quick download list: all 17 winners
If you want a simple list to bookmark or use in internal links later, here it is:
Apps
- Tiimo – iPhone App of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/tiimo-ai-planner-to-do/id1480220328 - Detail – iPad App of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/detail-ai-video-editor/id1673518618 - Essayist – Mac App of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/essayist-academic-writing-app/id1537845384 - Explore POV – Apple Vision Pro App of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/explore-pov/id6479555991 - Strava – Apple Watch App of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/ca/app/strava-run-ride-hike/id426826309 - Max (HBO Max) – Apple TV App of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/max-stream-movies-tv-shows/id971265422
Games
- Pokémon TCG Pocket – iPhone Game of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/pok%C3%A9mon-tcg-pocket/id6479970832 - DREDGE – iPad Game of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dredge/id6526463862 - Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition – Mac Game of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/cyberpunk-2077-ultimate/id6633429424 - Porta Nubi: Immersive Puzzles – Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/porta-nubi-immersive-puzzles/id6503628155 - WHAT THE CLASH? – Apple Arcade Game of the Year
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/what-the-clash/id1668359542
Cultural Impact
- Art of Fauna – Cozy Puzzles
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/art-of-fauna-cozy-puzzles/id1630468596 - Chants of Sennaar
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/chants-of-sennaar/id6566195667 - despelote
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/despelote/id6747992743 - Be My Eyes
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/be-my-eyes/id905177575 - Focus Friend, by Hank Green
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/focus-friend-by-hank-green/id6742278016 - StoryGraph – Reading Tracker
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/storygraph-reading-tracker/id1570489264
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