Apple has announced the 2023 App Store Award winners and Aussie classic Unpacking won a cultural impact award.
In addition to all of the app/game of the year winners, five cultural impact award winners were chosen based on their ability to drive positive change through games and apps. Apple described these apps/games as “encouraging users to learn and grow in an inclusive and accessible space, contribute towards a more sustainable future, and explore self-reflection and connection across generations”.
We gave Unpacking a 10/10 in our review and said: “Unpacking is proof that a pixel tells a thousand words. Through simple, zen gameplay and a startling attention to detail a story unfolds in this tiny, pixelated world in a way that just wouldn’t have been possible in another medium. That’s truly something special on its own – a wholly unique and original narrative experience – and the fact that it’s wrapped up in an incredibly cathartic and tangible puzzle game makes it all the more praiseworthy. Witch Beam has something incredible on their hands with this one.”
When it comes to the overall awards, Honkai: Star Rail took out iPhone Game of the Year, Lost in Play took out iPad Game of the Year, Lies of P took out Mac Game of the Year and Hello Kity Island Adventure took out Apple Arcade Game of the Year.
You can find the full list of winners below:
- 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.
- 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.
Cultural Impact Winners
- Pok Pok from Pok Pok – Designed with inclusivity in mind, Pok Pok is a digital toy room for kids, offering a universal space for preschoolers of all backgrounds and abilities to play, explore and see the world as one.
- Proloquo from AssistiveWare – An accessibility app pioneer for over a decade, AssistiveWare’s Proloquo is creating augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) tools that help the world communicate in new ways.
- Too Good To Go from Too Good To Go – Too Good to Go enables users to minimise food waste by connecting them with restaurants and stores that have a surplus of unsold food at an affordable cost.
- Unpacking from Humble Bundle – Unpacking mixes meditative puzzles to create a soul-soothing triumph around familiar experiences of change and connection.
- Finding Hannah from Fein Games GmbH – Finding Hannah is a colourful coming-of-age, hidden-object game with inclusive and heartfelt tales that explores the power of healing and self-discovery.
