Apple has announced the winners of the 2026 Apple Design Awards ahead of WWDC26. The annual awards recognize apps and games across Apple’s platforms for achievements in design, accessibility, innovation, interaction, social impact, and visual excellence. This year’s winners were selected from 36 finalists representing development teams from around the world.
Delight and Fun
App Winner: grug
Developer: Ocho (Netherlands)
grug is an affirmation app that delivers daily reflections through short, simple prompts inspired by neolithic-style wisdom. The app focuses on providing users with brief moments of reflection through a straightforward and playful experience.
Game Winner: Is This Seat Taken?
Developer: Poti Poti Studio (Spain)
Is This Seat Taken? is a logic-based puzzle game built around seating challenges on public transportation. The game combines cartoon-style visuals with interactive elements and a variety of scenarios that require players to solve seating puzzles.
Finalists
- Blippo+ — Panic, Inc.
- Metaballs — Apposite
- BALL x PIT — Kenny Sun Studios
- PowerWash Simulator — FuturLab Limited (Apple Arcade)
Inclusivity
App Winner: Guitar Wiz
Developer: Bijoy Thangaraj (India)
Guitar Wiz is a guitar-learning toolkit designed for both beginners and experienced players. The app provides spoken guidance for tasks such as pitch recognition and finger placement, while supporting accessibility features including Dynamic Type, Increased Contrast, and Differentiate Without Color.
Game Winner: Pine Hearts
Developer: Hyper Luminal Games Limited (United Kingdom)
Pine Hearts is an adventure game that rewards players for helping others within its game world. The title includes accessibility options such as enhanced text legibility, customizable controls, and adjustable motion and sensory feedback settings.
Finalists
- Hearing Buddy — Lilly Seay
- Structured — unorderly GmbH
- Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden — Sago Mini (Apple Arcade)
- Sid Meier’s Civilization VII — Firaxis Games (Apple Arcade)
Innovation
App Winner: NBA: Live Games & Scores
Developer: NBA Media Ventures, LLC (United States)
The NBA app for Apple Vision Pro offers an immersive viewing experience with support for watching up to five live games simultaneously. Features include floating leaderboards with real-time player and game statistics, a 3D tabletop court that visualizes player movement, Spatial Audio support, and Spectrum Front Row experiences featuring Lakers broadcasts in Apple Immersive Video.
Game Winner: Blue Prince
Developer: Dogubomb (United States)
Blue Prince combines exploration, puzzle-solving, and narrative-driven gameplay. The game uses a room-by-room structure and environmental storytelling techniques, including visual clues found in hanging pictures and handwritten notes. Players uncover mysteries through exploration, hidden details, and layered storytelling.
Finalists
- D-Day: The Camera Soldier — TARGO
- Detail: AI Video Editor — Detail Technologies B.V.
- Pickle Pro — Resolution Games AB
- TR-49 — inkle
Interaction
App Winner: Moonlitt: Moon Phase Tracker
Developer: Flipping Hues Srls (Italy)
Moonlitt helps users track moon phases, celestial events, and photography opportunities. The app features an onboarding process designed for ease of use, broad platform support, and integration with Apple’s Liquid Glass design language.
Game Winner: Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden
Developer: Sago Mini (Canada)
Available through Apple Arcade, Sago Mini Jinja’s Garden allows children to plant seeds, harvest vegetables, and prepare meals. The game uses swipe-based controls designed to keep interactions simple and intuitive.
Finalists
- The Outsiders: Athlete Tracker — Gentler Stories LLC
- Tide Guide: Charts & Tables — Condor Digital
- Grand Mountain Adventure 2 — Toppluva AB
- TR-49 — inkle
Social Impact
App Winner: Primary: News in Depth
Developer: Wood Metal Rocks LLC (United States)
Primary is a news application designed for Apple Vision Pro. The app presents news content through a spatial interface developed to help users engage with stories in a structured and organized way.
Game Winner: Consume Me
Developer: Jenny Jiao Hsia and AP Thomson (United States)
Consume Me is a narrative-focused game based on personal experiences and emotional themes. The title combines storytelling and gameplay mechanics to explore topics that are difficult to express through words alone.
Finalists
- Katha Room — Parjanya Creative Solutions
- Harvee — Peak Labs Ltd.
- despelote — Julián Cordero and Sebastián Valbuena
- Spilled! — Lente Cuenen
Visuals and Graphics
App Winner: Tide Guide: Charts & Tables
Developer: Condor Digital (United States)
Tide Guide provides tide forecasts and weather information through full-screen charts, custom animations, and detailed visualizations. The app also incorporates Liquid Glass elements, an aquatic-inspired design, and a color palette that adapts to sky conditions.
Game Winner: Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition
Developer: CD Projekt S.A. (Poland)
Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition was recognized for its visual presentation on Mac. The game utilizes Apple silicon and advanced Metal technologies to render detailed environments, interiors, character models, and vehicle designs.
Finalists
- Caradise — PSQV AB
- (Not Boring) Camera — Not Boring Software LLC
- Arknights: Endfield — Hypergryph
- SILT — Spiral Circus
WWDC26
The winners will be recognized during WWDC26, with this year’s selections highlighting a range of experiences across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision Pro, and Apple Arcade.