These are the winners of the 2025 Apple Design Awards

As anticipation builds ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) set to begin next Monday, the tech giant has unveiled the winners of the 2025 Apple Design Awards. These prestigious honors celebrate standout apps and games that demonstrate exceptional levels of creativity, technical excellence, and innovative design.

The annual awards highlight developers who are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on Apple platforms. This year’s winners span six distinct categories, with one app and one game recognized in each. The awards serve as a spotlight not only on groundbreaking technology but also on the power of thoughtful user experiences and visual storytelling in the digital space.

In the Delight and Fun category, the award for best app goes to CapWords, a playful and engaging application that turns everyday tasks into interactive challenges. On the gaming side, Balatro claims the honor, impressing with its clever mechanics and addictive gameplay loop that keeps users entertained and coming back for more.

The Innovation award recognizes cutting-edge ideas and technological breakthroughs. The Play app earned praise for its forward-thinking approach to content curation, while PBJ - The Musical, a game that blends rhythm, storytelling, and a unique visual identity, received top marks for its experimental spirit and creative execution.

For the Interaction category, Apple honored Taobao, a shopping app reimagined with fluid navigation and intuitive gestures, showcasing how high-volume e-commerce platforms can offer delightful user experiences. The game Dredgewas also recognized for its seamless controls and immersive gameplay design, which creates a deep emotional connection between players and their environment.

The Inclusivity awards went to Speechify, an accessibility-forward app designed to help people with reading challenges through high-quality text-to-speech features. In gaming, Art of Fauna received accolades for its inclusive world-building and characters, reflecting a commitment to diversity and broader representation in gaming narratives.

In the Social Impact category, Apple recognized apps and games making a meaningful difference in users’ lives. Watch Duty, a real-time wildfire tracking app, was celebrated for its critical role in keeping communities informed and safe. Meanwhile, the game Neva was honored for its emotionally resonant storytelling and themes of resilience and environmental awareness.

Finally, in Visuals and Graphics, Feather: Draw in 3D stood out among apps for its ability to turn digital canvases into immersive artistic spaces, offering a new kind of creative freedom. Infinity Nikki, a visually stunning adventure game, captured attention with its exceptional art direction and richly detailed world design.

Apple also acknowledged a shortlist of finalists in each category—outstanding apps and games that showcased strong design and technical merit but did not claim the top spot. A full list of winners, finalists, and behind-the-scenes details about the developers can be found on Apple’s official website.

These awards set the stage for what’s to come at WWDC 2025, where developers from around the world will gather virtually to learn about the future of Apple platforms, tools, and technologies. With design and user experience playing a central role in Apple’s ecosystem, the Apple Design Awards remain a key moment each year to celebrate the creativity and vision that drive the app economy forward.

WWDC officially kicks off on Monday, June 9.