Apple has announced its choice of the “most visionary, inventive, and irresistible apps and games of the year,” and there are some bona fide gems in there. It’s a fairly safe collection of well-known apps, with a few indie titles thrown in for good measure. These hits all ooze quality and if you missed any of them at launch, now’s the time to remedy that.
Check out the App Store featured page for the full top 50, or read our compilation of Apple’s very favorite apps and games for easy downloading:
Apps of the Year
1. Periscope – Free – iPhone & iPad
Social networking meets video broadcasting in this live streaming app from the makers of Twitter. Read our review!
2. Enlight – $3.99/£2.99 – iPhone & iPad
Our favorite iOS photography app – as far as image editing goes, it does pretty much everything. Read our review!
3. Robinhood – Free – iPhone & Apple Watch
A smart and well-designed stock trading app with live market data that allows you to buy and sell without trading fees.
4. Workflow – $3.99/£2.99 – iPhone, iPad & Apple Watch
Winner of the ‘Most Innovative App’ award, Workflow is a powerful automation tool to expand the possibilities of iOS. Read our review!
5. Instagram – Free – iPhone & Apple Watch
Probably the most well known app on the list, the photo sharing network won Apple’s ‘Best for iPhone 6s’ award.
Games of the Year
1. Lara Croft GO – $4.99/£3.99 – iPhone & iPad
Lara gets tactical in this gorgeous turn-based adventure puzzler set in the Tomb Raider universe. Read our review!
2. Fallout Shelter – Free – iPhone & iPad
Build and oversee a thriving underground vault in this freemium spin-off of the popular Fallout franchise.
3. Mr Jump – Free – iPhone & iPad
The insanely difficult one-touch platformer that took the App Store by storm with its simple, addictive gameplay. Read our review!
4. Dark Echo – $1.99/£1.49 – iPhone & iPad
Winner of ‘Most Innovative Game’ for a reason – it’s a unique horror experience where you navigate the darkness through visualized sounds.
5. Warhammer 40,000: Freeblade – Free – iPhone & iPad
Apple marked this one as ‘Best for iPhone 6s’ as it utilizes the increased power of the device for incredible space marine action scenes.
Apple TV
Apple has also announced its picks of the best apps and games for the fourth-generation Apple TV. It’s a new platform, so there’s no real surprises here – but if you have an Apple TV it’s definitely worth checking these out. Here’s all the top choices:
Best Apple TV Apps
1. HBO Now
2. Zova – Personal Trainer
3. Kitchen Stories
4. Netflix
5. Airbnb
6. Showtime
7. Storehouse
8. Hulu
9. Sago Mini Fairy Tales TV
10. Playkids
Best Apple TV Games
1. Rayman Adventures
2. Lumino City
3. Beat Sports
4. Skylanders Supercharged
5. Guitar Hero Live
6. Beneath the Lighthouse TV
7. Octodad: Dadliest Catch
8. Crossy Road
9. Transistor
10. Just Dance Now
Apple has announced its favorite apps and games of the past year! Did you miss any of these… https://t.co/4z7bgUtwJk pic.twitter.com/ifcNjb9ayo
— TapSmart (@TapSmart) December 9, 2015