It's that time of the year again when Apple names the top-performing apps on its App Store. Given the fact that games make up around 44 percent of the total spending on the App Store, it is hardly a surprise that gaming apps have again featured prominently in this year's list, with Pokémon TCG Pocket, DREDGE, and Cyberpunk 2077 among the most notable mentions.
Tim Cook: The winners of Apple App Store Awards for 2025 "showed exceptional innovation, user experience, and design - from accessible game design to supercharging creativity"
Apple's App of the Year award goes to:
- The AI-powered visual planner app Tiimo (best for iPhones)
- The AI-powered video editing app Detail (best for iPads)
- The academic papers-focused formatting service provider Essayist (best for Macs)
- Explore POV (best for the Vision Pro)
- The Strava app (best for the Apple Watch)
- HBO Max (best for Apple TV)
The Apple App Store's Game of the Year awards goes to:
- Pokémon TCG Pocket (best for iPhones)
- DREDGE (best for iPads)
- Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition (best for Macs, check out our in-depth review here)
- Porta Nubi (best for Vision Pro)
- WHAT THE CLASH? is Apple's pick for the best arcade game of the year
Apple App Store's Cultural Impact Winners of the Year award goes to:
- The Art of Fauna puzzles app
- The language skills builder app Chants of Sennaar
- The despelote app that showcases an intimate slice-of-life story
- The blind assistance app Be My Eyes
- The Focus Friend that helps users stay away from digital distractions
- The StoryGraph app for book lovers
Of course, this year's awards come at a time when the Apple App Store itself is experiencing something of a growth recession, which appears to be a direct consequence of allowing third-party app stores in the EU.
As we noted recently, Apple's year-over-year App Store spending growth rate slowed to just 6 percent in November 2025 from 9 percent in October 2025 and 12 percent in July 2025.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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