The awards are voted on by Google Play’s editorial team, and there are also Users’ Choice awards which you may have been invited to vote in yourself over the last month.
The big winners for 2022 are the AI art app Dream and social media newcomer BeReal, while Apex Legends Mobile is named Best Game.
The Best Apps and Games of 2022
The apps are chosen to reflect what has been popular and important throughout the year, hence a focus on AI apps along with fitness and creativity, as well as apps that Google says range “from games that help us escape reality and enter a whole new world, to apps that help us stay grounded and present.”
A popular choice among users was the social media app BeReal, which Apple also named as the best iOS app of 2022.
Here’s the full list of winning apps and games for the US, or if you aren’t based there you can find the winners for your specific country in the Best of 2022 section of the Play Store.
Overall Winners
Best App: Dream by Wombo Best Game: Apex Legends Mobile
Users’ Choice
App: BeReal Game: Apex Legends Mobile
The Play Store’s Best Apps of 2022
Best for Fun: PetStar Honorable mentions: DanceFitMe, NoteIt Widget Best for Personal Growth: Breathwrk Honorable mentions: Duolingo ABC, Gym Log & Workouts, Ukulele by Yousician Best Everyday Essentials: Plant Parent Honorable mentions: Book Morning Routine Waking Up, Daily Diary, Sleep Tracker Best Hidden Gems: Recover Athletics Honorable mentions: Linktree, Little Lunches, Wamble Best Apps for Good: The Stigma App Honorable mentions: Sleep Fruits, Zario Best for Wear: Todoist Best for Tablets: Pocket Best for Chromebooks: BandLab
The Play Store’s Best Games of 2022
Best Multiplayer: Dislyte Honorable Mentions: Apex Legends Mobile, Catalyst Black, Diablo Immortal, Rocket League Sideswipe Best Pick Up & Play: Angry Birds Journey Honorable Mentions: Gun & Dungeons, Hook 2, Hyde and Seek, Quadline Best Indies: Dicey Dungeons Honorable mentions: Dungeons of Dreadrock, Knotwords, One Hand Clapping, Phobies Best Story: Papers, Please Honorable Mentions: Deemo II, Inua - A Story in Ice and Time, The Secret of Cat Island, Turnip Boy Commits Tax Evasion Best Ongoing: Genshin Impact Honorable Mentions: Candy Crush Saga, Garena Free Fire, Pokémon GO, Roblox Best on Play Pass: Very Little Nightmares Honorable Mentions: Bridge Constructor, Final Fantasy VII, Linelight, Path of Giants Best for Tablets: Tower of Fantasy Honorable Mentions: Angry Birds Journey, Catalyst Black, Diablo Immortal, Papers, Please Best Game for Chromebooks Roblox
Google also announced the best-selling books and audiobooks from the Play Store in 2022.
Top-Selling Books on the Play Store 2022
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
Top-selling Audiobooks on the Play Store 2022
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
AI and Social Media Win the Big Awards
AI art has been one of the hottest trends in 2022, so it’s no surprise that Google would choose to honor an app in that category, and Dream has racked up more than 10 million downloads to date.
And BeReal’s more interesting—and realistic—take on social media and photo sharing is a worthy winner of the Users’ Choice award. We’d expect both to continue to make a big impact throughout the next year.
