2025 Apple Design award winners

Apple has announced the winners and finalists of the 2025 Apple Design Awards, honoring 12 exceptional apps and games for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement. These accolades, presented during WWDC25, celebrate creative excellence across a diverse set of development teams from around the globe.

Apple recognizes 2025 Apple Design award winners and finalists for innovation and excellence

Susan Prescott, Apple’s Vice President of Worldwide Developer Relations, remarked on the achievements: "Developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating apps and games that are not only beautifully designed but also deeply impactful. 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."

The awards highlight one app and one game in each of six categories: Delight and Fun, Innovation, Interaction, Inclusivity, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics. Winners were chosen from 36 finalists who demonstrated outstanding design and user experience across platforms.

Delight and Fun

This category highlights apps and games offering engaging and satisfying experiences enhanced by Apple technologies.

• App Winner: CapWords by HappyPlan Tech (China) - A language learning tool that turns everyday images into interactive stickers to help users absorb new vocabulary in nine supported languages.
• Game Winner: Balatro by LocalThunk (Canada) - A unique blend of poker, solitaire, and roguelike deck-building, known for its strategic depth and satisfying gameplay.
   

Finalists: Lumy by Raja V; Denim by Feel Good Tech; Thank Goodness You’re Here! by Panic; Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Ubisoft Montpellier.

Innovation

This category honors developers that provide novel, state-of-the-art experiences through creative use of Apple technologies.

• App Winner: Play by Rabbit 3 Times (USA) - A powerful design tool for creating SwiftUI-based interactive prototypes with real-time syncing across Mac and iPhone.
• Game Winner: PBJ - The Musical by Philipp Stollenmayer (Germany) - A quirky, rhythm-based narrative game reimagining Romeo and Juliet with condiments, humor, and musical charm.
   

Finalists: Moises by Music.AI; Capybara by Digital Workroom Ltd; Pawz by Bootloader Studio; Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB.

Interaction

Apps and games in this category deliver intuitive controls and interfaces that feel natural on Apple platforms.

• App Winner: Taobao by Zhejiang Taobao Network (China) - A shopping experience designed for Apple Vision Pro that incorporates lifelike 3D models and immersive product comparisons.
• Game Winner: DREDGE by Black Salt Games (New Zealand) - A horror-meets-exploration game that invites players to uncover eerie secrets at sea using seamless interactions across Apple devices.
   

Finalists: iA Writer by Information Architects AG; Mela - Recipe Manager by Silvio Rizzi; Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB; Skate City: New York by Snowman.

Inclusivity

Recognizing apps and games that reflect diverse backgrounds, languages, and abilities.

• App Winner: Speechify by Speechify (USA) - A text-to-speech app supporting over 50 languages and hundreds of voices, designed for accessibility and helping users with dyslexia, ADHD, and vision challenges.
• Game Winner: Art of Fauna by Klemens Strasser (Austria) - A puzzle game with vintage wildlife artwork and interactive accessibility features, emphasizing conservation and inclusion.
   

Finalists: Evolve by GTA Solutions; Train Fitness by Train Fitness; puffies. by Lykke Studios; Land of Livia by Split Atom Labs.

Social Impact

Apps and games in this category are recognized for making meaningful contributions to users’ lives and highlighting important societal issues.

• App Winner: Watch Duty by Sherwood Forestry Service (USA) - An essential resource for wildfire updates and evacuation alerts, especially during Southern California’s most active fire events.
• Game Winner: Neva by Devolver Digital (USA) - An emotionally charged adventure exploring themes of connection and environmental loss through the journey of a girl and her wolf companion.
   

Finalists: Ground News by Snapwise; Opal by Opal OS; Ahoy! From Picardy by Daniel Jones; Art of Fauna by Klemens Strasser.

Visuals and Graphics

This category celebrates titles with outstanding artistic direction, animations, and graphical quality.

• App Winner: Feather: Draw in 3D by Sketchsoft (South Korea) - A creative tool for 3D drawing that empowers users of all skill levels to model visually rich designs using touch and Apple Pencil on iPad.
• Game Winner: Infinity Nikki by Infold Games (Singapore) - A visually mesmerizing open-world game full of fantastical outfits, magical creatures, and richly detailed environments.
   

Finalists: Vocabulary by Monkey Taps; CellWalk by Timothy Davison; Control Ultimate Edition by Remedy Entertainment PLC; Neva by Devolver Digital.

Infinity Nikki by Infold Games, Apple Design Award winner for Visuals and Graphics.