One of the lesser-publicized elements of WWDC is the annual Apple Design Awards, handed out to a lively audience at the Convention Center in San Jose. Yesterday, the top-rated nine awards were revealed.
Apple says that the winners are recognized “for outstanding artistry, technical achievement, user interface and application design”. Last year, winners included Florence, Alto’s Odyssey and Playdead’s Inside.
You can read about all of them here.
Here are this year’s winners.
Ordia, $3.99
This is a game by British developer Loju and is an action game which you play using one finger. As you pull backwards on the vertical landscape, a single- cell creature (it’s just a big eye) springs upwards. You must avoid the red areas or you’ll pop, but simple though this game is, it’s oddly charming and compelling. It looks and sounds great. Simple to use, tough to master.
Butterfly IQ, Free
It’s not all about games. This app uses a companion gadget which allows mobile, whole body ultrasound imaging to be carried out. The one probe is all that’s needed and it means the ultrasound can be done almost anywhere, which is especially useful if access to hospitals is limited. It also means these can be performed at a cost way lower than traditional radiology.
ELOH, $2.99
You know that amazing game, Old Man’s Journey? This is a game from the same stable, Broken Rules. It’s a musical puzzle game designed to be intuitive, chilled and enormous fun. It looks great, thanks to hand-painted visuals and although it starts out easy, the challenge levels quickly liven up.
Flow by Moleskine, Free
This is a highly sophisticated app designed to make it easy to create advanced sketches, capture ideas and explore creativity without interruption or distraction. The interface hides away so it’s just you and your creativity. Detailed, rich and elegant, it supports Apple Pencil on iPad.
Thumper: Pocket Edition, $4.99
Another game with a musical bent, this app by Drool is involving and fun, mixing traditional arcade action with an immersive musical gaming experience and classic arcade action. Great design and pumping, high-adrenalin pace.
Pixelmator Photo, $4.99
This is a smashing photo editor that lets you enhance photos sensitively, with lots of features. It’s easy to get to grips with and the results are subtle but transformative. Works brilliantly on iPad.
The Gardens Between, $19.99
The Voxel Agents created a dazzling game that is surreal and effects-laden with snazzy graphics and cute animation. It’s a single-player game with puzzles and quietly profound themes: time, memory and friendship. It’s pricey but worth it.
HomeCourt, Free
Designed by the most local developers, San Jose’s own NEX Team, this is designed to help with basketball training. It tracks and records basketball shots and then provides deep analysis of them. All of this, just from the iPhone’s camera.
Asphalt 9: Legends, Free
Well, no surprise that French developer Gameloft is a winner. The Asphalt series are reliably good-looking, fun and a joy to play. Controls are extremely easy to pick up, but have depth and subtlety.
