Apple has announced the winners of the 2025 Apple Design Awards, celebrating a range of novel games from around the world, including those from Australia and New Zealand. Across the pond, the excellent eldritch fishing sim DREDGE (Black Salt Games) has picked up yet another award, for Interaction. The Australian-made Land of Livia has also ended up as a finalist in the Inclusivity award category, for the way it welcomes all players.
These two games have been highlighted alongside an array of other worthy winners and finalists, with each app reflecting a ‘global community of developers reimagining how we live, learn, and connect.’
Per Apple, the awards have been given to standout apps and games that ‘go beyond functionality, offering joyful, inclusive, and culturally resonant experiences that demonstrate how thoughtful design can spark creativity and drive real-world impact.’
‘Developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating apps and games that are not only beautifully designed but also deeply impactful,’ Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations said in a press release. ‘We’re excited to celebrate this incredible group of winners and finalists at WWDC, and spotlight the innovation and craftsmanship they bring to each experience.’
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Here’s the full list of 2025 Apple Design Award winners and finalists.
2025 Apple Design Awards – Full list of winners
DELIGHT AND FUN
- Winner: CapWords (HappyPlanTech) – ‘CapWords is a dynamic language learning tool that transforms images of everyday objects into interactive stickers, helping learners explore new words in a more intuitive and visual way.’
- Winner: Balatro (LocalThunk) – ‘Balatro is a satisfying fusion of poker, solitaire and deck-building with rogue-like elements. Players combine poker hands with joker cards – each with their own unique abilities – to create varied synergies.’
- Finalists: Lumy (Raja V), Denim (Feel Good Tech), Thank Goodness You’re Here (Panic), Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown (Ubisoft Montpellier)
INNOVATION
- Winner: Play (Rabbit 3 Times) – ‘Play is a sophisticated yet accessible tool that lets users build interactive prototypes with SwiftUI frameworks.’
- Winner: PBJ – The Musical (Philipp Stollenmayer) – ‘PBJ – The Musical is snack-based Shakespeare, a charming game that tells the story of Romeo and Juliet with condiments.’
- Finalists: Moises (Music.AI), Capybara (Digital Workroom Ltd), Pawz (Bootloader Studio Holdings Private Limited), Gears & Goo (Resolution Games AB)
INTERACTION
- Winner: Taobao (Zhejiang Taobao Network) – ‘Taobao offers a convenient and engaging shopping experience on Apple Vision Pro, providing incredible 3D models comparable to their real-life counterparts.’
- Winner: DREDGE (Black Salt Games) – ‘DREDGE blends slow-burn horror with exploration and adventure. Players take the helm of a fishing boat to navigate eerie islands, uncover strange wildlife and piece together a haunting mystery.’
- Finalists: iA Writer (Information Architects), Mela – Recipe Manager (Silvio Rizzi), Gears & Goo (Resolution Games AB), Skate City: New York (Snowman)
INCLUSIVITY
- Winner: Speechify (Speechify) – ‘With support for hundreds of voices in over 50 languages, Speechify is a powerful tool that transforms written text into audio with ease.’
- Winner: Art of Fauna (Klemens Strasser) – ‘Beautifully illustrated and mindfully designed, Art of Fauna is a puzzle game that blends vintage-inspired wildlife imagery with a deep commitment to inclusivity and conservation.’
- Finalists: Evolve (GTA Solutions), Train Fitness (Train Fitness), puffies. (Lykke Studios), Land of Livia (Split Atom Labs)
SOCIAL IMPACT
- Winner: Watch Duty (Sherwood Forestry Service) – ‘During devastating wildfires in Southern California, Watch Duty once again served as a lifeline, delivering up-to-the-minute updates, evacuation information and critical resources with clarity and reliability.’
- Winner: Neva (Devolver Digital) – ‘Visually stunning and emotionally resonant, Neva is an action-adventure tale that follows a girl and her wolf companion through a beautiful world in decline.’
- Finalists: Ground News (Snapwise), Opal (Opal OS), Ahoy! From Picardy (Daniel Jones), Art of Fauna (Klemens Strasser)
VISUALS AND GRAPHICS
- Winner: Feather: Draw in 3D (Sketchsoft) – ‘This drawing tool allows users to transform 2D designs into 3D masterpieces.’
- Winner: Infinity Nikki (Infold Games) – ‘With its enchanted realm of colour, detail and rendering, Infinity Nikki is a true visual achievement.’
- Finalists: Vocabulary (Monkey Tapes), CellWalk (Timothy Davison), Control: Ultimate Edition (Remedy Entertainment), Neva (Devolver Digital)
You can view the full list of winners on the Apple newsroom website.
