List of 2025 Apple Design Awards Winners and Finalists

In honor of 12 exceptional apps and games that raise the standard for design, Apple today revealed the winners and finalists of this year’s Apple Design Awards. Development teams from all across the world are among this year’s winners; their work was chosen for its superiority in technical accomplishment, inventiveness, and originality.

Apple recognizes and honors the top apps and games submitted to the App Store through the Apple Design Awards. As usual, the list was released shortly before WWDC and consists of 36 finalists and 12 winners. One game and one app won in each of the six categories.

All six of the 2024 awards categories are retained. Though it was first announced in 2024, the seventh category for “Spatial Computing” has not been reinstated for 2025.

“Developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating apps and games that are not only beautifully designed but also deeply impactful,” explained Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “We’re excited to celebrate this incredible group of winners and finalists at WWDC and spotlight the innovation and craftsmanship they bring to each experience.”

Delight and Fun, Innovation, Interaction, Inclusivity, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics are the six categories in which the awards honor one app and one game. The 36 international contenders, who all showed exceptional design skills across applications and games, were used to select the winners.

Below is a list of the 2025 Apple Design Award winners, with one game and one app chosen for each category:

Delight and Fun – CapWords (App) and Balatro (Game)
Innovation – Play (App) and PBJ – The Musical (Game)
Interaction – Taobao (App) and Dredge (Game)
Inclusivity – Speechify (App) and Art of Fauna (Game)
Social Impact – Watch Duty (App) and Neva (Game)
Visuals and Graphics – Feather: Draw in 3D (App) and Infinity Nikki (Game)

Delight and Fun

This category’s finalists and winners offer unique, captivating, and fulfilling experiences made possible by Apple technologies.

App: CapWords
Developer: HappyPlan Tech (China)

CapWords is a dynamic language learning tool that turns pictures of commonplace items into interactive stickers, making it easier for students to learn new words visually and intuitively. The software, which supports nine languages, is a fun way for users to study on their own while becoming fully immersed in their environment.

Game: Balatro
Developer: LocalThunk (Canada)

Balatro combines roguelike features with poker, solitaire, and deck-building pleasantly. Joker cards and poker hands, each with special skills, are combined by players to produce a variety of synergies. Characterized by ingenious intricacies, the captivating gameplay pushes players to create unique decks to defeat cunning blinds and win.

This category’s finalists are Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Ubisoft Montpellier, Lumy by Raja V, Denim by Feel Good Tech, and Thank Goodness You’re Here! by Panic.

Innovation

By using innovative Apple technology, the winners and finalists in this category offer a cutting-edge experience that distinguishes them in their genre.

App: Play
Developer: Rabbit 3 Times (United States)

Using SwiftUI frameworks, Play is an advanced yet user-friendly tool that enables users to create interactive prototypes. Its well-designed user interface is both robust and intuitive, enabling designers to work together on interactive prototypes and across Mac and iPhone devices, all of which are in real-time sync for uninterrupted innovation.

Game: PBJ — The Musical
Developer: Philipp Stollenmayer (Germany)

Shakespeare based on snacks, PBJ — The Musical, is a delightful game that uses condiments to narrate the tale of Romeo and Juliet. PBJ skillfully blends narrative storytelling, a fantastic soundtrack, and rhythm-based gameplay. And because of the tactile input, skillful camera work, and engaging dialogue, it’s immediately pleasant.

Moises from Music.AI, Capybara from Digital Workroom Ltd., Pawz from Bootloader Studio Holdings Private Limited, and Gears & Goo from Resolution Games AB are some of the finalists in this category.

Interaction

This category’s winners and finalists offer simple controls and user-friendly interfaces that are precisely suited to their platform.

App: Taobao
Developer: Zhejiang Taobao Network (China)

Taobao provides amazing 3D models that are similar to their real-life counterparts, making for a fun and easy buying experience on Apple Vision Pro. By considering location, position, controls, size, and function, as well as allowing users to compare things side by side from a wide range of products, the immersive experience improves user shopping.

Game: DREDGE
Developer: Black Salt Games (New Zealand)

DREDGE combines adventure, discovery, and slow-burning terror. To explore spooky islands, find odd creatures, and solve a chilling mystery, players assume control of a fishing boat. Across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, the game offers smooth interactions and an entertaining universe of hidden treasures.

Information Architects AG’s iA Writer, Silvio Rizzi’s Mela – Recipe Manager, Resolution Games AB’s Gears & Goo, and Snowman’s Skate City: New York are among the finalists in this category.

Inclusivity

Because they represent a range of backgrounds, skill levels, and languages, the winners and finalists in this category offer an amazing experience to everyone.

App: Speechify
Developer: Speechify (United States)

Speechify is a robust program that easily converts written text to audio, supporting hundreds of voices in more than 50 languages. With features like VoiceOver and Dynamic Type, the app’s accessibility-focused design makes it an invaluable tool for those who learn best by hearing, including those with dyslexia, ADHD, and limited vision.

Game: Art of Fauna
Developer: Klemens Strasser (Austria)

Art of Fauna is a puzzle game that combines vintage-inspired wildlife graphics with a strong dedication to inclusivity and conservation. It is beautifully decorated and thoughtfully developed. Rearranging informative text or visual components allows players to solve riddles, giving the game a distinctively participatory feel. Accessibility is integrated into every aspect of the experience with features like haptic feedback and complete VoiceOver support.

GTA Solutions’ Evolve, Train Fitness’ Train Fitness, Lykke Studios’ puffies, and Split Atom Labs’ Land of Livia are among the finalists in this category.

Social Impact

The candidates and winners in this category raise awareness of important issues and meaningfully benefit lives.

App: Watch Duty
Developer: Sherwood Forestry Service (United States)

Watch Duty was once again a lifeline during the horrific wildfires in Southern California, providing clear and dependable updates, evacuation guidance, and vital resources. Information such as evacuation orders, wind direction and speed, and active fire perimeters and progress is reported by the app.

Game: Neva
Developer: Devolver Digital (United States)

Neva is an action-adventure story that follows a girl and her wolf friend through a beautiful but declining planet. It is visually spectacular and emotionally impactful. Their relationship changes with the seasons, providing a peaceful reflection on connection, caring, and the price of environmental damage. Players take the two through beautiful scenery and a plot that is both poignant and relevant, all while including themes of friendship and leadership.

Snapwise’s Ground News, Opal OS’s Opal, Daniel Jones’ Ahoy! From Picardy, Klemens Strasser’s Art of Fauna is among the finalists in this category.

Visuals and Graphics

This category’s winners and finalists have beautiful graphics, expertly designed user interfaces, and excellent animations with a clear and consistent theme.

App: Feather: Draw in 3D
Developer: Sketchsoft (South Korea)

Users can create 3D masterpieces from 2D designs with this drawing tool. Feather, which was created with an emphasis on creativity and user experience, enables users of all ability levels to create sophisticated 3D modeling designs on the iPad. It uses touch and Apple Pencil interactions to help users realize their ideas.

Vocabulary by Monkey Taps, CellWalk by Timothy Davison, Control Ultimate Edition by Remedy Entertainment PLC, and Neva by Devolver Digital are among the finalists in this category.

Game: Infinity Nikki
Developer: Infold Games (Singapore)

Infinity Nikki is a remarkable visual accomplishment with its magical world of color, detail, and rendering. Players must gather amazing items in this charming open-world adventure, which is full of fantastical attire, fantastical animals, and surprising situations.