It’s that time of the year. Another year has almost passed and that means we’ve seen thousands of new apps and games hit the App Store. Some apps have been drastically overhauled to represent something completely different while matching Apple’s design aesthetic on the iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
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As is the case every December, Apple has published a new blog post detailing the best apps and games that were released over the last year. The list includes many options that we’ve heard of before, and likely are using ourselves, but there are also a few surprises in the ranks.
Best Apps of 2022
Kicking things off, Apple shared what the best apps of the year were, including options for every platform including the Apple TV and Apple Watch. Out of this list of apps, seeing ViX as the best Apple TV app comes as a bit of a surprise given that it’s not as widely used. But others like GoodNotes 5 is one app that is near and dear to our hearts.
- iPhone App of the Year:Â BeReal
- iPad App of the Year:Â GoodNotes 5
- Mac App of the Year:Â MacFamilyTree 10
- Apple TV App of the Year:Â ViX
- Apple Watch App of the Year:Â Gentler Streak
Best Games of 2022
Continuing the trend from 2021, Apple’s lineup of devices have turned into gaming powerhouses, with game studios and developers jumping on board. While we are still longing for parity between macOS and Windows, there are still plenty of fantastic games to choose from. Here are the winners for the best games of the year:
- iPhone Game of the Year: Apex Legends Mobile
- iPad Game of the Year: Moncage
- Mac Game of the Year: Inscryption
- Apple TV Game of the Year: El Hijo
- Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Wylde Flowers
- China Game of the Year: League of Legends Esports Manager
Most Downloaded Apps and Games
Taking things a step further, Apple shared the most downloaded apps and games across a few different categories. Free and paid apps are included for both the iPhone and iPad, along with the most popular free or paid games. Apple even shared the most popular Apple Arcade games that were downloaded in 2022. Here’s the list that Apple announced, including links so you can download and try something out if you’ve never used it before.
- Free iPhone and iPad Apps
- TikTok
- YouTube: Watch, Listen, Stream
- WhatsApp Messenger
- Google Maps
- Gmail – Email by Google
- BeReal. Your friends for real.
- Cash App
- Amazon Shopping
- Snapchat
- Telegram Messenger
- Messenger
- Spotify – Music and Podcasts
- HBO Max: Stream TV & Movies
- DoorDash – Food Delivery
- Google Chrome
- SHIEN – Online Fashion
- McDonald’s
- Paid iPhone and iPad Apps
- HotSchedules
- Procreate Pocket
- The Wonder Weeks
- Shadowrocket
- 75 Hard
- AutoSleep Track Sleep on Watch
- TouchRetouch
- FILCA – SLR Film Camera
- SkyView
- My Macros+ | Diet & Calories
- TonalEnergy Tuner & Metronome
- Screen Mirroring + for Roku
- Forest: Focus for Productivity
- AnkiMobile Flashcards
- Paprika Recipe Manager 3
- Monash University FODMAP diet
- Screen Mirroring+ for Fire TV
- Screen Mirroring+ App
- Streaks
- HeartWatch: Heart Rate Tracker
- Top Free Games
- Wordle!
- Subway Surfers
- Roblox
- Stumble Guys
- Coloring Match
- Count Masters: Crowd Runner 3D
- Fishdom
- Call of Duty: Mobile
- Parking Jam 3D
- Text or Die
- Rocket League Sideswipe
- Bridge Race
- Among Us!
- Apex Legends Mobile
- Woodoku
- Fill The Fridge!
- Wordscapes
- 8 Ball Pool
- Magic Tiles 3: Piano Game
- Collect Em All! Clear the Dots
- Top Paid Games
- Minecraft
- Heads Up!
- Bloons TD 6
- Geometry Dash
- Monopoly – Classic Board Game
- Five Nights at Freddy’s
- Plague Inc.
- Rovio Classics: AB
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 2
- Papa’s Freezeria To Go!
- Incredibox
- Stardew Valley
- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
- Five Nights at Freddy’s 4
- True Skate
- Ultimate Custom Night
- Terraria
- Poppy Playtime Chapter 1
- Bloons TD 5
- Five Nights at Freddy’s: SL
- Top Apple Arcade Games
- NBA 2K22 Arcade Edition
- The Oregon Trail
- Angry Birds Reloaded
- Sneaky Sasquatch
- Cooking Mama: Cuisine!
- Bloons TD 6+
- Skate City
- Warped Kart Racers
- Solitaire by MobilityWare+
- LEGO Star Wars: Castaways
- SpongeBob: Patty Pursuit
- Asphalt 8: Airborne+
- Bridge Constructor+
- Sonic Racing
- LEGO Star Wars Battles
- Mini Motorways
- Fruit Ninja Classic+
- Galaga Wars+
- PAC-MAC Party Royale
- Cut the Rope Remastered
What Are Your Favorite Apps and Games?
We’re still working on our favorite apps and games of the year, but we want to hear from you. What apps and games stood out to you over the past year? It’s an exciting time to be in the Apple ecosystem, as the M2 is now in the iPad Pro, and big things are expected from upcoming updates to the Mac lineup. Drop us a line in the comments below and maybe we’ll feature your app in our year-end roundup!
Andrew Myrick is a freelance writer based on the East Coast of the US. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is having a never-ending supply of different keyboards and gaming handhelds that end up collecting more dust than the consoles that are being emulated.
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