Apple has announced the winners of its prestigious Apple Design Awards ahead of WWDC 2024, honoring 14 outstanding apps and games across seven categories. These awards recognize stellar design, technical achievement, and innovation, celebrating the developers who use Apple’s technology to create exceptional user experiences.
“It’s inspiring to see how developers are using our technology to create exceptional apps and games that enhance the lives of users,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “This year’s winners have demonstrated how apps can create powerful and moving experiences — and we’re excited to celebrate their hard work and ingenuity at WWDC this year.”
Delight and Fun
Bears Gratitude
- Developer: Isuru Wanasinghe (Australia)
- Description: Bears Gratitude encourages self-reflection through daily gratitude practices. Its thoughtfully crafted characters and welcoming design create a sense of warmth and routine, supporting users in building happiness.
NYT Games
- Developer: The New York Times Company (United States)
- Description: NYT Games offers a compelling mix of titles with redesigned navigation and expanded gaming catalog. Titles like Connections provide maximum replay value, encouraging fun and engagement.
Inclusivity
oko
- Developer: AYES (Belgium)
- Description: oko assists visually impaired pedestrians by alerting them to the state of signal lights through haptic and audio feedback, leveraging Apple technologies like VoiceOver and Dynamic Type for a critical safety solution.
Crayola Adventures
- Developer: Red Games Co. (United States)
- Description: Crayola Adventures features a wide range of creation options, supporting diverse character choices and full game narration. It offers a delightful experience for all ages through various creative activities.
Innovation
Procreate Dreams
- Developer: Procreate (Australia)
- Description: Procreate Dreams is a design tool for creating 2D animations, utilizing an extensive library of brushes, gestures, and PencilKit-enabled behaviors. It offers intuitive controls and powerful animated effects to bring artwork to life.
Lost in Play
- Developer: Happy Juice Games (Israel)
- Description: Lost in Play is a charming adventure game filled with endearing characters and thoughtfully crafted puzzles. Its hand-drawn graphics and easy-to-learn interactions ignite a childlike sense of discovery.
Interaction
Crouton
- Developer: Devin Davies (New Zealand)
- Description: Crouton provides a clean interface for managing recipes, grocery lists, and cooking instructions. Its effortless interactions allow users to focus on cooking rather than the screen.
Rytmos
- Developer: Floppy Club (Denmark)
- Description: Rytmos challenges players with puzzles that create pathways using simple drag gestures. Each completed level adds new elements to an evolving song, making gameplay clear and fun even as complexity increases.
Social Impact
Gentler Streak Fitness Tracker
- Developer: Gentler Stories (Slovenia)
- Description: Gentler Streak focuses on improving lifestyles through optimistic reminders that consider both physical fitness and mental wellbeing. Its smartly organized health data helps users track exercise, rest, and wellness.
The Wreck
- Developer: The Pixel Hunt (France)
- Description: The Wreck is a visual novel following the story of Junon, a writer facing a life-changing decision. Its eloquent narrative and intimate gameplay invite players to reflect on their choices in a nuanced and powerful way.
Visuals and Graphics
Rooms
- Developer: Things, Inc. (United States)
- Description: Rooms offers a platform for building imaginative scenes, cozy gaming, and social interactions. Its delightful details and balanced interactions make it both quirky and compelling.
Lies of P
- Developer: NEOWIZ (South Korea)
- Description: Lies of P reimagines a classic tale, allowing players to control a robotic puppet in a beautifully textured world. Stunning effects and customization options like MetalFX upscaling enhance the visual experience.
Spatial Computing
djay pro – DJ App & AI Mixer
- Developer: algoriddim GmbH (Germany)
- Description: djay pro offers a new way to interact with music in a spatial environment. It features high-definition sound quality, interactive effects, and a variety of immersive environments, making music mixing creative and fun.
Blackbox
- Developer: Shapes and Stories (United States)
- Description: Blackbox challenges users with engaging puzzles in a spatial canvas. Each solution feels like learning a new magic trick, rewarding curiosity with clever easter eggs and wonderful details.
As WWDC 2024 kicks off, we look forward to seeing how these and future apps continue to leverage Apple’s technologies to create exceptional user experiences.
