Google has followed Apple in announcing its Apps and Games of the Year – and if you’re looking for something new to install on your Android phone, then these Play Store picks are worth checking out.
These picks were made (opens in new tab) by the Google Play editorial team, and there are a few honorable mentions as well as the winners in each category. Google has also highlighted the best books and audiobooks. As far as we can tell, there are also some country-specific choices: Find your local choices here (opens in new tab).
Most of us probably spend our days pedaling around the same core set of apps on our phones, so these lists are a good opportunity to try something new that we might not have come across before.
Best Android Apps of 2022
Best App Overall: Dream (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – Artificial intelligence just keeps getting better and better, so it seems fitting that AI art generator Dream takes the top spot. All you have to do is type in a few command prompts and the app will create some awesome looking digital artwork.
Best app for fun: PetStar (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – if we tell you that PetStar gives you the tools you need to create a music video featuring your pet’s face, we probably don’t need to say anything further. However, we’re not sure what your pet will make of the end results.
Best Personal Growth App: shortness of breath (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – ready for a self-improvement boost next year? Breathwrk aims to help you relieve stress and release energy from your body through hundreds of carefully curated breathing exercises guided by the app.
Best app for everyday needs: plant parents (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – as the name suggests, this app will help you grow your plants by giving you customized tips on what your plants need to stay healthy. It can also identify almost any plant through your smartphone camera.
Best Hidden Gem App: athletics recover (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – we’re not sure what exactly qualifies as a ‘hidden gem’, but Google has selected Recover Athletics, which works with Strava to ensure your body recovers properly post-workout to prevent injury and fatigue .
Best App Forever: The Stigma App (opens in new tab) (free) – The Stigma app has an important mission to normalize conversations about mental health. You can use the uncomplicated app to hear other people’s stories, ask for help and support others as well.
Best App for Wear: todoist (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – If you’re looking for something to enhance the experience on your Wear OS smartwatch, then Todoist is worth a look. The comprehensive to-do list app gives you everything you need to plan and organize your life.
Best App for Tablets: pocket (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – There’s never enough time to read everything online, and Pocket helps by providing an archive of articles to catch up on when you can. A distraction-free layout and the option to have articles read aloud make the app even more attractive.
Best App for Chromebooks: BandLab (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – Of course, Chromebooks can now run Android apps, and this is one of the apps that best suits the laptop format. BandLab makes music creation and mixing easy, whether you’re a veteran or a complete novice.
Best app voted by users: Be honest (opens in new tab) (free) – we’re not sure exactly which users voted for this category, but the winner is BeReal, the social app that asks you to post a picture of what you’re doing at a certain time of day, whenever the App prompts you to do the same.
That’s not all: Google has also found time to give honorable mentions DanceFitme (opens in new tab), noteit widget (opens in new tab), Learn to read – Duolingo ABC (opens in new tab), Gym Log & Workouts (opens in new tab), Yousician Ukulele (opens in new tab), Book wake up morning routine (opens in new tab), Daily Diary (opens in new tab), sleep tracker (opens in new tab), link tree (opens in new tab), Small lunches (opens in new tab), Wiggle (opens in new tab), sleeping fruit (opens in new tab) and Zario (opens in new tab).
Best Android Games of 2022
Best game overall: Apex Legends Mobile (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – This strategy battle royale shooter continues to be phenomenally popular and has also won the User’s Choice Award. You have a selection of game modes to choose from, and the speed and fun of combat is hard to beat.
Best Multiplayer Game: Dislyte (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – an urban mythological role-playing game that stands out from the crowd for its style, the quality of its graphics and the story that runs through it. The game is also good at staying challenging as you get better at it.
Best Pick Up and Play Game: Angry Bird’s journey (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – The Angry Birds need no introduction for those who know their mobile gaming history and this is the latest in the series. It’s as fun as ever as you throw birds to demolish one building at a time.
Best Indie Game: Tricky dungeons (opens in new tab) ($4.99/£4.19) – sometimes the best games don’t have to be incredibly complex, and Dicey Dungeons takes a simple format and uses it well. You are a giant cube in this deck building roguelike and must escape the vagaries of chance.
Best Story Game: papers please (opens in new tab) ($4.99 / £4.09) – One of the most immersive and addicting games on the Play Store right now, Papers, Please has been described as a “dystopian documentary thriller” that challenges you to help identify smugglers, spies and terrorists to be smart.
Best Running Game: Genshin Impact (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – Assuming this is your type of game (an open-world action RPG), you are guaranteed to enjoy Genshin Impact, which features beautiful landscapes and unforgettable characters.
Best Game on Play Pass: Very little nightmares (opens in new tab) ($4.99/£4.99 per month) – Paying a monthly fee for the Google Play Pass gets you games like Very Little Nightmares included, a brilliantly spooky and addicting puzzler that will keep you entertained for hours.
Best Game for Tablets: tower of fantasy (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – Tower of Fantasy is one of the better Play Store games when it comes to taking advantage of the larger tablet screens, and the open-world fantasy-adventure title scores well in most areas.
Best Game for Chromebooks: Roblox (opens in new tab) (Freemium) – Roblox has been something of a gaming sensation over the last few years, and Google picked it as one of the best Android games to run on a Chromebook that gives you access to a keyboard and trackpad.
Hold on a minute, there are plenty of honorable mentions here too: you might want to stop by too Catalyst Black (opens in new tab), Diablo immortal (opens in new tab), Rocket League jab (opens in new tab), Weapon & Dungeons (opens in new tab), HOOK 2 (opens in new tab), Hyde and Seek (opens in new tab), quatrain (opens in new tab), Dungeons of Dreadrock (opens in new tab), node words (opens in new tab), clapping with one hand (opens in new tab), phobias (opens in new tab), DEEMO II (opens in new tab), Inua – A Tale in Ice and Time (opens in new tab), The Mystery of the Cat Island (opens in new tab), Turnip Boy commits tax evasion (opens in new tab), candy Crush Saga (opens in new tab), Garena Free Fire (opens in new tab), Pokemon GO (opens in new tab), bridge builder (opens in new tab), Final Fantasy VII (opens in new tab), line light (opens in new tab)and way of the giants (opens in new tab).
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