As the year comes to an end, Apple has listed the best iPhone and iPad apps on its website to organize a competition whose purpose is to find the best app of 2024. Although the winning app will gain more popularity, all the apps that made it to this list are remarkable. The purpose of this competition is to make people aware of new apps and services available on the Apple platform. Read below to find out if your favorite app or game is in the list or to discover new apps and games you never heard of.
Apps That Made It to the Final List of iPhone App of the Year
- Kino: A video editing app to create cinematic-style videos.
- Runna: A routine management app.
- Tripsy: A travel planning and expense recording app.
Games That Reached the Final List of iPhone Game of the Year
- AFK Journey: An idle RPG game.
- The WereCleaner: A popular comedy game where you act as a werewolf janitor.
- Zenless Zone Zero: An action game based on an urban fantasy environment, created by the makers of Genshin Impact
iPad App of the Year Finalists
- Bluey: Let’s Play: An interactive toy box where kids can create scenes starring their favorite Bluey characters.
- Moises: Helps create karaoke tracks by removing vocals from songs.
- Procreate Dreams: A 2D animation app for beginner animation enthusiasts.
iPad Game of the Year Finalists
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage: The latest Assassin’s Creed release, following its popularity on consoles.
- Disney Speedstorm: An arcade-style kart racing game featuring Disney and Pixar characters.
- Squad Busters: A MOBA-inspired game from the creators of Clash of Clans.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year Finalists
- Balatro+: A mobile version of the popular digital card game Balatro.
- Outlanders 2: A city-building game about surviving on the frontier.
- Sonic Dream Team: A 3D platformer featuring six playable characters, reminiscent of Sonic Adventure and Sonic Generations.
Mac App of the Year Finalists
- Adobe Lightroom: A photo editing app to enhance image quality affected by poor lighting.
- OmniFocus 4: A productivity task management app that syncs across all Apple devices.
- Shapr3D: A CAD tool for collaborating on 3D renders across Mac, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro.
Mac Game of the Year Finalists
- Frostpunk 2: A city-builder where players manage resources while struggling with a climate disaster.
- Stray: A cyberpunk story about a stray cat navigating a city full of robots.
- Thank Goodness You’re Here!: A comedy-adventure game with cartoony hand-drawn art.
Apple Watch App of the Year Finalists
- LookUp: A quick tool to translate words across languages.
- Lumy: Tracks the sun and moon for activities like camping, astronomy, or photography.
- Watch to 5K: A marathon training app with a nine-week routine.
Apple Vision Pro App of the Year Finalists
- JigSpace: View and adjust detailed, to-scale 3D models in augmented reality.
- NBA: Watch NBA games as if you’ve got courtside seats.
- What If…? An Immersive Story: A Marvel game inspired by Disney+’s What If…? animated series.
Cultural Impact Finalists
- Arco: A Western-themed tactics game with a unique pixelated aesthetic and an anticolonial message.
- The Bear: A meditative interactive storybook designed to help you fall asleep.
- BetterSleep: Features ASMR, ambient noise, and short meditations to aid sleep.
- Brawl Stars: A MOBA and battle royale hybrid from the creators of Clash of Clans.
- DailyArt: An art history app offering daily introductions to historically significant works.
- Do You Really Want to Know 2: A text-adventure game that destigmatizes HIV and AIDS.
- EF Hello: An AI-powered English tutor that helps with pronunciation, conversation, and grammar.
- NYT Games: Access the New York Times suite of puzzle games, including Connections and Wordle.
- Oko: An AI-powered, pedestrian-first navigation app with real-time walk signal identification.
- Partiful: Plan in-person or virtual gatherings without relying on Facebook or other social media.
- Pinterest: The classic mood-board app.
- The Wreck: A 3D visual novel where a failed screenwriter reconnects with her estranged mother after the latter suffers an aneurysm.