Today, Apple announced the winners of the 2026 Apple Design Awards, honoring 12 outstanding apps and games. This year’s winners include development teams from around the world whose work demonstrates innovation, artistry, and technical achievement in app and game design. Winners were selected from 36 global finalists who all delivered exceptional app experiences. One app and one game were recognized across six categories, including 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.”
Meet the 2026 Apple Design Award winners and finalists.
Delight and Fun
Winners in this category provide memorable, engaging, and satisfying experiences that are enhanced by Apple technologies.
App: grug
Developer: Ocho (Netherlands)
grug is a playful way to discover and embrace daily wisdom. The affirmation app provides a delightful way to read daily neolithic grunts. With just a simple idea, each prompt is thoughtfully delivered to offer users a small but meaningful moment of reflection.
Game: Is This Seat Taken?
Developer: Poti Poti Studio (Spain)
Is This Seat Taken? is a fun way to experience and solve tricky logic puzzles. The cartoon-style game provides entertaining scenarios, helping players navigate the quirkiness of public transit. Playful interactive elements within the game create a sense of charm to support users in enjoying an unhurried ride, one seat at a time.
Finalists in this category are Blippo+ by Panic, Inc.; Metaballs by Apposite; BALL x PIT by Kenny Sun Studios; and PowerWash Simulator by FuturLab Limited (Apple Arcade).
Inclusivity
Winners in this category provide a great experience for all by reflecting a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and languages.
App: Guitar Wiz
Developer: Bijoy Thangaraj (India)
Guitar Wiz is an impactful app for new and experienced guitarists, an all-in-one toolkit that provides spoken instructions on everything from pitch to finger placement. It supports all musicians by taking advantage of Apple technologies, including Dynamic Type, Increased Contrast, and Differentiate Without Color.
Game: Pine Hearts
Developer: Hyper Luminal Games Limited (United Kingdom)
By rewarding good deeds in a wholesome world, Pine Hearts is a moving game for players of all abilities. The beautifully conceived experience makes use of accessibility settings, including enhanced text legibility, customizable controls, and adjusted motion and sensory feedback.
Finalists in this category are Hearing Buddy by Lilly Seay; Structured by unorderly GmbH; Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden by Sago Mini (Apple Arcade); and Sid Meier’s Civilization VII by Firaxis Games (Apple Arcade).
Innovation
Winners in this category provide a state‑of‑the‑art experience through novel use of Apple technologies that set them apart in their genre.
App: NBA: Live Games & Scores
Developer: NBA Media Ventures, LLC (United States)
The NBA app for Apple Vision Pro offers fans an immersive viewing experience with the ability to watch up to five live games at once, follow real-time player and game stats with floating leaderboards, and see player movements on a 3D court with tabletop mode. Users can also enjoy games in Spatial Audio and experience the future of sports broadcasting with Spectrum Front Row, featuring the Lakers in Apple Immersive.
Game: Blue Prince
Developer: Dogubomb (United States)
Blue Prince is a genre-defying adventure that delivers a deep narrative experience using a unique mix of exploration, puzzle-solving, and noncombat elements. The room-by-room structure is effortlessly engaging, with support for environmental storytelling found in hanging pictures and hand-scribbled notes. The game offers extraordinary depth, secrets, and an entire second game’s worth of story to bring the mysterious world to life.
Finalists in this category are D-Day: The Camera Soldier by TARGO; Detail: AI Video Editor by Detail Technologies B.V.; Pickle Pro by Resolution Games AB; and TR-49 by inkle.
Interaction
Winners in this category deliver intuitive interfaces and effortless controls that are perfectly tailored to their platform.
App: Moonlitt: Moon Phase Tracker
Developer: Flipping Hues Srls (Italy)
With broad platform support, Moonlitt: Moon Phase Tracker provides an elegant interface for tracking celestial events, planning photography, and exploring all things lunar. With its easy onboarding and best-in-class Liquid Glass integration, the app lets users keep their eyes on the skies in a simple and intuitive way.
Game: Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden
Developer: Sago Mini (Canada)
In Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden, young people can plant seeds, harvest vegetables, and cook meals using an intuitive interface. Available on Apple Arcade, the game provides effortless swipe-to-move controls, letting kids keep their focus on exploring the joyful garden rather than reading instructions.
Finalists in this category are The Outsiders: Athlete Tracker by Gentler Stories LLC; Tide Guide: Charts & Tables by Condor Digital; Grand Mountain Adventure 2 by Toppluva AB; and TR-49 by inkle.
Social Impact
Winners in this category improve lives in a meaningful way and shine a light on crucial issues.
App: Primary: News in Depth
Developer: Wood Metal Rocks LLC (United States)
Primary shines a spatial spotlight on the news. Powered by a global team of experienced editors, its spatial interface, designed for Apple Vision Pro, is smartly organized and seamlessly integrated to help users thoughtfully engage with news.
Game: Consume Me
Developer: Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson (United States)
A deeply personal and autobiographic experience of a sensitive and emotionally moving topic, Consume Me balances gameplay with profound care. Its clever mechanics help users thoughtfully connect with feelings words can’t always capture.
Finalists in this category are Katha Room by Parjanya Creative Solutions; Harvee by Peak Labs Ltd.; despelote by Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena; and Spilled! by Lente Cuenen.
Visuals and Graphics
Winners in this category feature beautiful imagery, skillfully drawn interfaces, and top-notch animations with a unique and cohesive theme.
App: Tide Guide: Charts & Tables
Developer: Condor Digital (United States)
Tide Guide is a top-tier tide tracker that offers hour-by-hour forecasts and a crisp presentation of weather data that anyone can easily understand. The app’s full-screen charts are filled with custom animations, and the Liquid Glass integration, aquatic theme, and sky-matching palette create a polished and practical experience.
Game: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Developer: CD Projekt S.A. (Poland)
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition is a visually ambitious open-world game that takes full advantage of Apple silicon on Mac and advanced Metal features. Its intricate interiors, character art, and vehicle designs feel technically demanding and genuinely lived-in.
Finalists in this category are Caradise by PSQV AB; (Not Boring) Camera by Not Boring Software LLC; Arknights: Endfield by Hypergryph; and SILT by Spiral Circus.
MacDailyNews Take: Congrats to all of the 2026 Apple Design Award winners!
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