Who Were the 2024 App Store Award Winners and What Could Others Learn From Them?

Each year Apple recognizes the best and most talented developers for the exceptional experiences that they offer to iPhone, iPad and Mac users. In 2024 there were 17 winners and a host of finalists across a range of different categories.

In this article we will share with you all the winners of the main categories before taking a closer look at them to see what lessons can be learned from their success. Read on to find out everything you need to know about the 2024 App Store Award Winners.

IPhone App of the Year: Kino

What? A cinematic, video creator for budding filmmakers.

Lesson to be Learned: If you're going to do something, do it properly. Kino is simple enough for almost everyone to use but detailed enough that it can be used by the professionals.

(A video that gives you a closer look at the range of tools included in the Kino app.)

IPad App of the Year: Moises

What? A music editing tool

Lesson to be Learned: Exactly the same as Kino – if you're going to do something, do it properly.

Mac App of the Year: Adobe Lightroom

What? An online photo editor

Lesson to be Learned: Make what people want. Lightroom is marketed as a photo editing tool for professionals, but the tools it provides – blemish and flaw removal etc – are like catnip for modern Instagram users.

Iphone Game of the Year: AFK Journey

What? A fantasy RPG

Lesson to be Learned: If you can find the balance between making a game engaging and simple to use then you're on to a winner.

IPad Game of the Year: Squad Busters

What? The best way to describe this game is that it's like a modern, online version of Hungry Hippos

Lesson to be Learned: Fun still sells. If you can make a game that is pure escapist, fast-paced thrills and spills, people will spend a LOT of time playing it.

Apple Arcade Game of the Year: Balatro+

What? No-stakes solitaire and poker with a unique interpretation of rules built for fast-paced action

Lesson to be Learned: Tried and tested games can be improved, particularly when it comes to apps. Poker and solitaire have been popular for decades, but Balatro+'s reinvention of these games brings them to the next level. That's a very valuable lesson that could be learned by the mobile casinos and apps industry in their bid to improve their offering.

(Balatro+ has reinvented the wheel and made it really, really good.)

Cultural Impact Winners

It's not all about highly engaging and colourful games. Apple also makes time to recognise apps that have had a huge cultural impact and here are a selection of the very best recognised in the 2024 App Store awards.

Oko

What? An app that allows low vision users to navigate city streets

Lesson to be Learned: Little things can make a huge difference. Oko is relatively simplistic, but the positive impact it has had on partially-sighted users lives has been monumental.

EF Helo

What? An AI powered language learning app

Lesson to be Learned: Learning a new language needn't be treated like selection for the Navy Seals – we're looking at you Duo Lingo . . .

Daily Art

What? A simple app that provides users with a daily bit of classic art, along with an explainer.

Lesson to be Learned: There's nothing to be gained from gatekeeping. Developer Zuzanna Stanska has, in 2024, made greater steps to opening up the world of fine art to a larger audience than any one person in the past century.

NYT Games

What? Classic daily games like Wordle

Lesson to be Learned: Simplicity wins. There's nothing special about NYT Games, but that's the point. The simplicity of these daily games opens them up to a huge audience, who in turn devour them voraciously.

The Wreck

What? A narrative adventure game that shows the impact of a traumatic day on a woman's mind and body

Lesson to be Learned: Mental health doesn't have to be boring or taboo. It can be described and explored in ways that engage people whilst also breaking down barriers and teaching them things about themselves.

(An excellent, excellent game.)

Do You Really Want to Know 2

What? A novel role-playing game that simulates a social media app and offers users an opportunity to respond to a range of challenging scenarios in their characters life.

Lesson to be Learned: Similarly to The Wreck, this app explores a number of difficult subjects but in an informative and engaging way that can have a positive impact on players' lives.