The best of App Store: Apple revealed the 2026 Apple Design Award winners

If you’re wondering what app you should check out on your iPhone next, Apple has some suggestions. The company just revealed the winners of its annual Design Awards, and there are dozen apps and games worth the space in your phone’s memory.These 12 champions were handpicked from 36 global finalists. There’s one app and one game in six categories, so there is both fun and useful software for everyone in the Apple ecosystem.

The six categories are as follows: Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics.

“This year’s Apple Design Award winners are a remarkable reflection of how developers are creating exceptional experiences,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “Whether delivering intuitive features or exciting gameplay, these apps and games represent the very best of what our platform makes possible. We are incredibly proud to celebrate these developers and are grateful for their commitment to enriching the lives of people everywhere.”

Here are the 2026 Design Award winners:

Delight and Fun

Solve puzzles and ride the public transport for fun and delight. | Image by Apple

Both grug and Is This Seat Taken rely on humor and wittiness to win the public. grug is a feel-good app that delivers words of wisdom in the form of neolythic quotes. Is This Seat Taken is a puzzle game that will test your wit and logic with a stylish and minimalistic UI. The goal is to successfully navigate the quirks and turbulences of public transport.

Winners:

Is This Seat Taken? (game)

Inclusivity

Guitar Wiz offers all the necessary tools and guidance for new and veteran guitarists. | Image by Apple

Guitar players will be delighter by the new Guitar Wiz app, which comes with everything you need, not only for beginners, but for advanced players as well. From voiced guided instructions, to chords, finger placements, and more.

Pine Hearts, on the other hand, is a feel-good game in which you’re rewarded for the good deeds you’re doing in this world. The game is accessible to players of all skill levels and won’t put additional pressure on you in this fast-moving world.

Winners:

Pine Hearts (game)

Innovation

NBA fanatics now have the ultimate app to fuel their obsession! | Image by Apple

The NBA app is for Vision Pro and takes watching basketball to a whole new level. You can watch up to five games at once, look at virtual leaderboards, see all players on a 3D tabletop model of the court, and hear their shoes screeching as they play. You need the Vision Pro headset to enjoy this one, though.

Blue Prince is an old school adventure puzzle game, reimagined for modern hardware. The puzzles are really cool, and the story itself is so engaging, the game’s worth playing solely for the plot itself.

Winners:

Blue Prince (game)

Interaction

You can plant seeds, grow crops and even cook meals in this Apple Arcade game. | Image by Apple

Moonlitt is a Moon phase tracker and it’s so beautifully done, you will forget to look at the real moon. It uses Liquid Glass UI and helps you plan your next astronomy trip or just enjoy the Moon and everything around it, literally.

Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden is a gardening simulator (sort of), but it lets you not only plant seed and grow stuff from them, but also harvest the crops and cook them into different dishes. The interface is pretty intuitive and if you have Apple Arcade you can enjoy this little game.

Winners:

Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden (game)

Social Impact

Watching the news on your Vision Pro using the News in Depth app is a completely different experience. | Image by Apple

News in Depth is designed specifically for the Vision Pro headset and will take you right in the center of the action. It features news pieces from experienced editors curated and organized for maximum convenience. It’s a completely new way to watch the news!

Consume me is a very interesting slice-of-life roleplaying game that touches on some sensitive subjects such as body image, love, school goals and pressure, and more. The game has a dark sense of humor and 13 different endings.

Winners:

Consume Me (game)

Visuals and Graphics

Cyberpunk 2077 is becoming a classic. The Ultimate Edition is a visual masterpiece. | Image by Apple

While Tide Guide may look like a simple tide level tracker, the app offers much more, and also in a very easy to understand way. From full-screen charts, custom animations, and hour-by-hour forecast to the Liquid Glass integration, aquatic theme, and sky-matching palette – this app is just gorgeous.

The heavy hitter in the gaming world – Cyberpunk 2077 – is the winner in the Visual and Graphics category and for good reasons. The game takes full advantage of the silicon in Mac machines to immerse you in a vibrant post-apocalyptic world.

Winners:

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (game)

The winners will have their spotlight during the WWDC this Monday, so stay tuned. Meanwhile, you can try these right now and share your thoughts in the comments below. Which one’s your favorite?

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