Developers submit thousands of apps and games on the Play Store each year. Google commemorates a handful of these submissions with its annual Best of Play awards in December. The awards span various categories and even include a Users' Choice award, for which Google takes votes around a month before announcing the winners. The company kicked off voting early in November this year, and we finally have all the results.
Google shared a list of 2022's best apps and games today. As expected, the innovative social media app BeReal has picked up the Users' Choice award for the best app of 2022. Apex Legends Mobile, the mobile version of EA's popular battle royale-hero shooter, has been awarded the Users' Choice best game of the year.
Dream by WOMBO, an AI-powered art generation tool that lets you create stunning artwork using text and contextual images, picked up the overall best app of 2022 award, while Apex Legends Mobile bagged its second victory as the overall best game of 2022. In addition, Google also awarded several other apps and games based on various criteria. Check out the full list in the section below.
Best apps of 2022
- Best overall: Dream by Wombo
- Users' choice: BeReal
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Best for Fun: PetStar
- Honorable mentions: DanceFitMe, NoteIt Widget
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Best for Personal Growth: Breathwrk
- Honorable mentions: Duolingo ABC, Gym Log & Workouts, Ukulele by Yousician
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Best Everyday Essentials: Plant Parent
- Honorable mentions: Book Morning Routine Waking Up, Daily Diary, Sleep Tracker
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Best Hidden Gems: Recover Athletics
- Honorable mentions: Linktree, Little Lunches, Wamble
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Best Apps for Good: The Stigma App
- Honorable mentions: Sleep Fruits, Zario
- Best for Wear: Todoist
- Best for Tablets: Pocket
- Best for Chromebooks: BandLab
Best games of 2022
- Best overall: Apex Legends Mobile
- Users' Choice: Apex Legends Mobile
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Best Multiplayer: Dislyte
- Honorable mentions: Apex Legends Mobile, Catalyst Black, Diablo Immortal, Rocket League Sideswipe
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Best Pick Up & Play: Angry Birds Journey
- Honorable mentions: Gun & Dungeons, Hook 2, Hyde and Seek, Quadline
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Best Indies: Dicey Dungeons
- Honorable mentions: Dungeons of Dreadrock, Knotwords, One Hand Clapping, Phobies
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Best Story: Papers, Please
- Honorable mentions: Deemo II, Inua - A Store in Ice and Time, The Secret of Cat Island, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion
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Best Ongoing: Genshin Impact
- Honorable mentions: Candy Crush Saga, Garena Free Fire, Pokémon GO, Roblox
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Best on Play Pass: Very Little Nightmares
- Honorable mentions: Bridge Constructor, Final Fantasy VII, Linelight, Path of Giants
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Best for Tablets: Tower of Fantasy
- Honorable mentions: Angry Birds Journey, Catalyst Black, Diablo Immortal, Papers, Please
- Best Game for Chromebooks: Roblox
It's worth noting that the winners mentioned above were picked by Google Play's editorial team in the U.S. You can find your specific country's winners by heading to the Best of 2022 section in the Play Store.
Along with the best apps and games, Google also shared the names of the top-selling books and audiobooks on the Play Store for 2022. These include:
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Top-Selling Books:
- Fire & Blood by George RR Martin
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
- Fairy Tale by Stephen King
- I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sara J. Maas
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Top-Selling Audiobooks:
- I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jeanette McCurdy
- Fairy Tale by Stephen King
- Fire & Blood by George RR Martin
- Atomic Habits by James Clear
- It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
If you haven't already, check out the best apps and games of 2022 by following the links above. We're sure you'll find something that's right up your alley. In case Google didn't mention your favorite Android app or game, make sure to drop it in the comments section below. We'd love to try them out.