If you’ve ever used Duolingo, you’ll be well aware of the app’s persistent green bird (and resulting memes) if you miss a lesson. Unfortunately, the relentless feathered character hasn’t paid off for the language app, with Apple today announcing the App Store Award Winners and while Duolingo was a finalist, the hiking app AllTrails took out the top spot for 2023.
In contrast, another immediately recognisable cartoon character did claim a first prize, with Hello Kitty Island Adventure winning the Apple Arcade Game of the Year category. Now a decade and a half old, the App Store from Apple currently hosts 1.8 million apps and has more than 650 million visitors on a weekly basis, translating to US$1.1 trillion in transactions in 2022.
“This year’s winners represent the limitless potential of developers to bring their visions to life,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, “creating apps and games with remarkable ingenuity, exceptional quality, and purpose-driven missions.”
Let’s get into the winners.
2023 App Store Award Winners
Apps:
- 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:
- 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:
- Pok Pok from Pok Pok
- Proloquo from AssistiveWare
- Too Good To Go from Too Good To Go
- Unpacking from Humble Bundle
- Finding Hannah from Fein Games GmbH
For all the details on each of the games and apps, head below.
