Google and Apple corporations summed up the results of the year and published lists with the best games in their app stores for 2023.
The best games of 2023 according to Google
The game of the year according to the Google Play team
Honkai: Star Rail is a space RPG from the Chinese company miHoYo. The Google Play team praised the game for the depth of content, excellent graphics and thoughtful design. Google noted that it will appeal to both beginners and experienced gamers.
Honkai: Star Rail won not only in the nomination "Game of the Year". She also took awards in the categories "Best story" and "Best game for tablets".
The game of the year according to gamers
MONOPOLY GO! — a mobile variation on the theme of the board game of the same name. Its publisher was Scopely. Two weeks ago, the company announced that the project's revenue exceeded $1 billion.
Besides this award, MONOPOLY GO! I got another one — in the nomination "The best game in the take-and-play format".
The best game for multiple devices
OUTERPLANE is a turn—based RPG, the main character of which suddenly found himself in another world. The game was developed by the Korean studio InkedGame, and published by Smilegate.
The best multiplayer game
Farlight 84 is a battle royale from Chinese Lilith Games, known for AFK Arena and Rise of Kingdoms. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world. You can play as a team or as a single player.
The best indie game
Last December, the action-roglike Vampire Survivors, launched on PC in 2021, appeared on mobile devices. The smartphone version of the game was announced and released right during The Game Awards 2022 ceremony, thanks to which it collected more than a million downloads in a week after its release.
The best support
In September 2020, the Finnish studio Kitka Games decided to take advantage of the lack of Fall Guys on mobile devices and released a clone of the game, which it called Stumble Guys. In addition to mobile, the game is also available on PC and consoles.
The best useful game
Pokémon Sleep is a game whose gameplay is tied to the time that the user has overslept in the real world. It records and analyzes sleep, and then helps to improve its quality. In the story, gamers watch the sleep mode of Pokemon Snorlax and at the same time collect Pokemon with the same type of sleep as themselves.
The Best Play Pass Game
Magic Rampage is a platformer with RPG elements developed by Brazilian studio Asantee Games. The game was released back in 2013 (it became part of the Play Pass subscription in February 2023). The story in Magic Rampage begins with the fact that the royal castle was attacked by a mysterious sorcerer. The gamer will have to fight the monsters that have invaded the castle and find out who is behind it.
The best game for Chromebook
This year, the Google Play team awarded the title of the best game on the Chromebook to the Minecraft sandbox. The game officially appeared on devices in the summer of 2023.
The best game for the PC version of Google Play Games
Since last year, Google has been testing the PC version of the Google Play Games service, which allows you to run Android games on Windows computers. The company considered Arknights, a Tower Defense title from the Chinese studio Hypergryph, to be the best game for her.
The best games of 2023 according to Apple
Game of the Year on iPhone
Honkai: Star Rail has also received recognition from Apple. But at the App Store Awards, she received only one award, not three, as on Google Play Best of 2023.
Since we have already written about Honkai: Star Rail above, let's move on to the next nomination.
Game of the Year on iPad
Lost in Play is an adventure game about the adventures of a brother and sister in a fantasy world with many puzzles. She developed the game Happy Juice Games, and published it by Joystick Ventures.
Game of the Year on Mac
Lies of P is a hardcore soulslike, the authors of which were inspired by the fairy tale "The Adventures of Pinocchio". However, the main character of the game is not a wooden, but a metal doll that is trying to find its creator Geppetto. South Korean publisher Neowiz and its subsidiary Round8 Studio worked on Lies of P.
Apple Arcade Game of the Year
Hello Kitty Island Adventure is a simulator of life in the spirit of Animal Crossing, but with Hello Kitty characters. In the game, users can explore a tropical island in search of treasures, arrange housing, fish, grow plants and much more. Hello Kitty Island Adventure is an exclusive Apple Arcade game.
The best games in the Cultural Impact category
The award in this nomination was taken away by three games at once.
Finding Hannah — hidden is about a woman going through a midlife crisis. The main character feels unhappy, despite a seemingly comfortable life and a well-paid job. The game was developed and published by the German Fein Games.
Unpacking is a meditative object sorting game developed by Australian indie studio Witch Beam and published by Humble Bundle.
Pok Pok is a platform with educational games for young children based on the Montessori pedagogical system. It was created by the studio of the same name Pok Pok — a subsidiary of the Canadian Snowman, known for the pacifying runners Alto's Adventure and Alto's Odyssey.