Apple shortlists what it thinks are some of the best apps and games for 2024

Apple has shared the list of the Apple Design Awards finalists for the year 2024. It's a ceremony held during the World Wide Developer Conference (WWDC) every year, where the company picks winners to "recognize innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement in app and game design."

Over the years, Apple has shortlisted apps and games built for iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. The company has added a new category called Spatial Computing to showcase apps and games optimized for its $3,499 headset Apple Vision Pro.

This year's design awards are divided into seven categories: Delight And Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact, Visuals and Graphics, and Spatial Computing. Here are apps and games shortlisted for each of these categories:

Delight and Fun

Apps: Dudel Draw, Bears Gratitude, Rooms
Games: WHAT THE CAR?, NYT Games, Hello Kitty Island Adventure

Inclusivity

Apps: oko, Complete Anatomy 2024, Tiimo
Games: Unpacking, Quadline, Crayola Adventures

Innovation

Apps: Copilot Money, SmartGym, Procreate Dreams
Games: Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile, Lost in Play, Wavelength

Interaction

Apps: Procreate Dreams, Arc Search, Crouton
Games: Little Nightmares, Rytmos, finity.

Social Impact

Apps: How We Feel, Ahead: Emotions Coach, Gentler Streak Fitness Tracker
Games: The Wreck, Cityscapes: Sim Builder, The Bear

Visual and Graphics

Apps: Sunlitt, Meditate, Rooms
Games: DEATH STRANDING DIRECTOR'S CUT, Lies of P, Honkai: Star Rail

Spatial Computing

Apps: Sky Guide, NBA, djay
Games: Synth Riders, Blackbox, Loóna: Cozy Puzzle Games

Apple will reveal the winners in each category next month at the WWDC 2024, where it will also talk about new updates coming to iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and more. Apple is expected to introduce AI-powered features for iOS 18 such as custom emojis, AI transcription, and updates to Safari and Siri.

Attempting to rival the likes of ChatGPT and Gemini, the Cupertino giant is in talks with OpenAI to bring its AI features to iPhone. Moreover, it was reported that the first set of Apple's AI features may run locally on the iPhone.