Google Play's Best of 2023 Awards have been announced, showcasing outstanding apps and games that have made a mark on the Play store this year. The latest edition introduces new award categories, including Best with AI, Best Game for Good, Best on Google Play Games on PC, and Best Multi-device App and Game.
Claiming the title of Best App is Imprint, an application employing visual storytelling to elucidate significant topics spanning finance, business, science, technology, and more. Notably, Imprint is exclusively available for download in the United States. Meanwhile, the Best Game accolade goes to Honkai: Star Rail, a science fiction space fantasy RPG.
Regional variations exist in the list of winners, and here are the award recipients in the United States:
- Best App: Imprint: Learn Visually
- Best Game: Honkai: Star Rail
- Best Multi-device App: Spotify
- Best Multi-device Game: OUTERPLANE - Strategy Anime
- Users' Choice App: ChatGPT
- Users' Choice Game: MONOPOLY GO!
Google initiated the User's Choice Awards voting at the beginning of the month, encompassing categories beyond apps and games. This year, users had the opportunity to vote for their favourite book on the Google Play store, a category absent for the last two years.
The Users' Choice app award rightfully goes to ChatGPT, reflecting the pervasive interest in AI and ChatGPT within the tech industry this year. WhatsApp earns recognition as the best app for watches, with AllTrails and Audible receiving honourable mentions. In the tablet category, Concepts, a vector-based sketching and drawing app, secures the Best App award, while Canva and Everand receive honourable mentions.
FlipaClip, a 2D animation app, earns the Best App for Chromebooks title, with Evernote obtaining an honourable mention. This announcement aligns with Evernote's ongoing exploration of significant changes to its free plan.
The Best Apps of 2023 are categorised as follows:
- Best for Fun: Bumble For Friends: Meet IRL
- Honorable Mention: Reelsy Reel Maker Video Editor
- Best for Personal Growth: Voidpet Garden: Mental Health
- Honorable Mention: Imprint: Learn Visually
- Best Everyday Essential: Artifact: Feed Your Curiosity
- Honorable Mention: ReciMe: Easy & Tasty Recipes
- Best Hidden Gem: Aware: Mindfulness & Wellbeing
- Honorable Mention: Stippl: Explore, Plan & Share
- Best with AI: Character AI: AI-Powered Chat
- Honorable Mention: ChatGPT
- Best for Families: Paw Patrol Academy
- Honorable Mention: LEGO DUPLO DISNEY
- Best App for Good: AWorld in support of ActNow
- Best for Watches: WhatsApp Messenger
- Honorable Mentions: AllTrails: Hike, Bike & Run, Audible: Audio Entertainment
- Best for Tablets: Concepts: Sketch, Note, Draw
- Honorable Mentions: Canva: Design, Photo & Video, Everand: Ebooks and Audiobooks
- Best for Chromebooks: FlipaClip: Create 2D Animation
- Honorable Mentions: Evernote – Note Organizer, Wideo
- Best for Google TV: Max: Stream HBO, TV, & Movies
- Honorable Mentions: Amazon Prime Video, Crunchyroll, Disney+, Tubi: Movies & Live TV
- Best for Cars: Amazon Prime Video
- Honorable Mentions: Beach Buggy Racing, Spotify
The Best Games of 2023 include:
- Best Multiplayer: Farlight 84
- Honorable Mentions: Arena Breakout, Call of Dragons, MARVEL SNAP, Undawn
- Best Pick Up & Play: MONOPOLY GO!
- Honorable Mentions: Chrome Valley Customs, Mighty DOOM, Monster Hunter Now, Ninja Must Die
- Best Indies: Vampire Survivors
- Honorable Mentions: Roto Force, Song of Bloom, Super Meat Boy Forever, Underground Blossom
- Best Story: Honkai: Star Rail
- Honorable Mentions: Down in Bermuda, FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS, Lost Words: Beyond the Page, MementoMori: AFKRPG
- Best Ongoing: Stumble Guys
- Honorable Mentions: Clash of Clans, EA SPORTS FCTM Mobile Soccer, Merge Gardens, Royal Match
- Best Games for Good: Pokémon Sleep
- Honorable Mentions: Beecarbonize, Garden Joy - Design Game, Lingo Legend Language Learning, Longleaf Valley: Merge & Plant
- Best on Play Pass: Magic Rampage
- Honorable Mentions: ARIDA: Backland's Awakening, Linea: An Innerlight Game, Machinarium, Silly Royale – Devil Amongst Us
- Best for Tablets: Honkai: Star Rail
- Honorable Mentions: MARVEL SNAP, MONOPOLY GO!, Roto Force, SOULS
- Best for Chromebooks: Minecraft
- Best on Google Play Games on PC: Arknights