As WWDC approaches, Apple has announced the finalists for its annual Apple Design Awards, and in a departure from recent years, the winners too.
This year, there are six categories, and each category has a winning app and game, along with four finalists. Unlike last year, there is no Spatial Computing category this year. The 2025 ADA winners and finalists are:
Delight and Fun
Winners:
App
CapWords by HappyPlan Tech
Game
Balatro by LocalThunk
Finalists:
Lumy by Raja V
Denim by Feel Good Tech
Thank Goodness You’re Here! by Panic
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Ubisoft Montpellier
Innovation
Winners:
App
Play by Rabbit 3 Times
Game
PBJ — The Musical by Philipp Stollenmayer
Finalists:
Moises by Music.AI
Capybara by Digital Workroom Ltd
Pawz by Bootloader Studio Holdings Private Limited
Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB
Interaction
Winner:
App
Taobao by Zhejiang Taobao Network
Game
DREDGE by Black Salt Games
Finalists:
iA Writer by Information Architects AG
Mela – Recipe Manager by Silvio Rizzi
Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB
Skate City: New York by Snowman
Inclusivity
Winner:
App
Speechify by Speechify
Game
– Art of Fauna by Klemens Strasser
Finalists:
Evolve by GTA Solutions
Train Fitness by Train Fitness
puffies. by Lykke Studios
Land of Livia by Split Atom Labs
Social Impact
Winners:
App
Watch Duty by Sherwood Forestry Service
Game
Neva by Developer Digital
Finalists:
Ground News by Snapwise
Opal by Opal OS
Ahoy! From Picardy by Daniel Jones
Art of Fauna by Klemens Strasser
Visuals and Graphics
Winners:
App
Feather: Draw in 3D by Sketchsoft
Game
Infinity Nikki by Infold Games
Finalists:
Vocabulary by Monkey Taps
CellWalk by Timothy Davison
Control Ultimate Edition by Remedy Entertainment PLC
Neva by Developer Digital
The winners and finalists include a broad range of games and apps, including some from smaller developers including Lumy, Denim Art of Fauna, Skate City: New York, as well as titles from bigger publishers.
I’m glad that Apple has announced the finalists for the last few years. Winning an ADA is a big achievement for any developer, but it’s also nice to know who the finalists are because it’s quite an honor among the many apps that could have been chosen, too. Plus as a fan of apps, Apple’s longer finalist list always reminds me of an app or two that I haven’t tried yet. Congratulations to all of this year’s Apple Design Award winners and finalists.
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