CapWords, DREDGE: These are winners of Apple's 2025 Design Awards
What's the story
Ahead of its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2025, Apple has announced the winners for its annual Design Awards.
The awards recognize developers who have made significant contributions to innovation and technical advancements in their apps across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
This year, a total of 12 apps and games were recognized for their excellence in design. Let's take a look.
Category 1
CapWords and Balatro
CapWords, a language learning app by China's HappyPlan Tech, won the award in the Delight and Fun category.
The app lets users learn new vocabulary by turning pictures of everyday objects into interactive stickers.
In the games section, Balatro won for its unique blend of poker, solitaire, and deck-building with rogue-like elements.
Category 2
Speechify and Art of Fauna
Speechify, a text-to-speech app from the US, won the award for Inclusivity.
The app can convert any text into audio in over 50 languages and comes with features like Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, and multiple voice support.
In the games section, Art of Fauna won for its puzzle game that involves solving wildlife puzzles by rearranging images or reordering textual descriptions on cards.
Category 3
Rabbit 3 times' Play and PBJ—The Musical
Rabbit 3 Times's Play, an app development tool for creating interactive apps with native SwiftUI frameworks, won in the Innovation category.
PBJ—The Musical by Philipp Stollenmayer also bagged the award for its rhythm gameplay combined with a condiment-themed Romeo and Juliet narrative.
The game features haptics and "clever camera work," making it a unique experience.
Category 4
Taobao and DREDGE
The Taobao app for Apple Vision Pro won the award in the Interaction category.
The app offers a convenient plus engaging shopping experience with 3D models that are comparable to their real-life counterparts.
In the games segment, DREDGE by New Zealand-based Black Salt Games won for its seamless interactions in a game that combines slow-burn horror with fishing and exploration across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
Category 5
Infinity Nikki and Feather: Draw in 3D
Infinity Nikki, an enchanting open-world adventure, won the Visuals and Graphics award.
South Korean developer Sketchsoft's Feather: Draw in 3D, a 3D drawing app that turns 2D designs into 3D creations, won the same award in the apps segment.
The app is compatible only with iPad and utilizes touch-based as well as Apple Pencil interactions.