Apple has once again celebrated one of the most special moments for its developer community. As every year, ahead of its major developer conference, WWDC (where we will see the launch of iOS 27), the company has announced the winners of the Apple Design Awards 2026.
What the Apple Design Awards are
The Apple Design Awards are the awards with which Apple recognises each year the apps and games that best represent excellence in design, innovation, creativity and technical achievement across its platforms.
Apple has selected the 12 winners from 36 finalists from around the world. One app and one game have stood out above the rest in each of the six categories: Delight and Fun, Inclusivity, Innovation, Interaction, Social Impact and Visuals and Graphics.
Each category focuses on a different aspect of design. Some reward the most fun, satisfying or memorable experiences. Others highlight accessibility, the ability to include users with different needs, technological innovation, the natural feel of the controls, a positive impact on society, or visual and artistic ambition.
But beyond rewarding an app for being beautiful or a game for having good graphics, the awards also highlight those that make especially intelligent use of the possibilities offered by iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV or Apple Vision Pro.
The winners of the Apple Design Awards 2026
Delight and Fun
For the Delight and Fun category, which recognises apps and games that offer memorable, enjoyable and especially entertaining experiences, the winning app was grug, developed by Ocho, from the Netherlands. It is a daily affirmations app that offers a fun and very peculiar way of approaching small moments of everyday reflection.
The winning game was Is This Seat Taken?, developed by Poti Poti Studio, from Spain. It is a cartoon-style logic puzzle game that turns something as everyday as looking for a seat on public transport into a charming, calm experience full of small interactive details.
Inclusivity
For the Inclusivity category, which rewards experiences designed to reach all kinds of users, taking into account different abilities, languages and ways of interacting with technology, the winning app was Guitar Wiz, developed by Bijoy Thangaraj, from India. It is a tool for beginner and experienced guitarists that offers spoken instructions on aspects such as tuning, chords and finger placement. It also uses Apple accessibility technologies such as Dynamic Type, Increased Contrast and Differentiate Without Color, making the experience more comfortable and accessible for more musicians.
The winning game was Pine Hearts, developed by Hyper Luminal Games Limited, from the United Kingdom. It is a warm and emotional adventure that rewards good deeds within a kind and welcoming world. Its design includes accessibility options such as improved text readability, customisable controls and motion and sensory response settings, allowing more players to enjoy its story.
Innovation
For the Innovation category, which recognises apps and games that offer an especially advanced experience thanks to the novel use of Apple technologies, the winning app was NBA: Live Games & Scores, developed by NBA Media Ventures, LLC, from the United States. Its version for Apple Vision Pro offers a new way to follow basketball, allowing users to watch up to five live games at the same time, check real-time statistics through floating panels and follow players’ movements on a 3D court in tabletop mode.
The winning game was Blue Prince, developed by Dogubomb, from the United States. It is an adventure that blends exploration, puzzles, narrative and non-combat elements. Its room-by-room structure builds an experience full of mystery, secrets and narrative details hidden in paintings, notes and carefully designed spaces.
Interaction
For the Interaction category, which rewards intuitive interfaces, natural controls and experiences that feel especially well adapted to the platform they are used on, the winning app was Moonlitt: Moon Phase Tracker, developed by Flipping Hues Srls, from Italy. It is an app for tracking moon phases, celestial events and photography planning, with an elegant and very clear interface. Its broad compatibility with different platforms and its integration with Liquid Glass help build a visually clean and easy-to-use experience.
The winning game was Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden, developed by Sago Mini, from Canada. Available on Apple Arcade, it lets younger children plant seeds, harvest vegetables and cook dishes in a cheerful and colourful garden. Its particularly simple gesture controls allow children to focus on exploring and playing without relying on complex instructions.
Social Impact
For the Social Impact category, which recognises apps and games that aim to improve people’s lives or place the focus on important topics in a meaningful way, the winning app was Primary: News in Depth, developed by Wood Metal Rocks LLC, from the United States. Designed for Apple Vision Pro, it offers a spatial and organised way to approach the news. Its interface allows users to explore current information in a more visual, calm and structured way, with the help of a global editorial team.
The winning game was Consume Me, developed by Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson, from the United States. It is a deeply personal and autobiographical experience that tackles a sensitive topic with enormous care. Its mechanics aim to connect the player with complex emotions, the kind that are not always easy to explain with words.
Visuals and Graphics
For the Visuals and Graphics category, which rewards experiences with an especially carefully crafted visual identity, high-level animations and images capable of building a world of their own, the winning app was Tide Guide: Charts & Tables, developed by Condor Digital, from the United States. It is an app for checking tides and weather forecasts with full-screen graphics, custom animations and a clear and elegant presentation of data. Its aquatic design, sky-adapted palette and integration with Liquid Glass create an experience that is as practical as it is visually polished.
The winning game was Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition, developed by CD Projekt S.A., from Poland. This ambitious version for Mac uses Apple silicon and advanced Metal technologies to deliver a visually stunning experience.
With winners from the Netherlands, Spain, India, the United Kingdom, the United States, Italy, Canada and Poland, these 12 creations are very different from one another. But they have one thing in common: they all stand out for offering especially polished, original experiences that are well adapted to Apple technologies.
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