Google Play’s best apps and games of 2022

Nov 30, 2022

[[read-time]] min read

Tian Lim

VP of UX and Product, Google Play

The winners are in for Google Play’s Best of 2022 awards.

Every year we recognize the best apps and games on Google Play and the developers who bring them to life. Their bold ideas and creativity help us reach people across all kinds of devices — from phones and watches to Chromebooks and tablets.

Apps and games, and the way we use them, are always changing. So this year, we’ve added a new award for best apps and games for Chromebooks to celebrate great work from developers on one of the largest screens you can access Google Play. Our other new categories capture today’s many genres of games, including best story game, best ongoing (e.g. live service) game and best game available on Play Pass.

And like every year, 2022’s winners reflect what matters most to people right now — ranging from games that help us escape reality and enter a whole new world, to apps that help us stay grounded and present.

Below is the full list of winning apps and games in the U.S. across 20 categories selected by Google Play’s editorial team, plus the best-selling books and audiobooks. You can find your specific country’s winners in the Best of 2022 section of the Play Store.

Congratulations to this year’s winners and to our entire Google Play developer community! We can’t wait to see what you build next.

Best overall app and game

Best App: Dream by WOMBO

AI-generated art went viral this year. With Dream by WOMBO, you can create a beautiful piece of art from just a quick text description.

Best Game: Apex Legends Mobile

Apex Legends Mobile rose through the Esports ranks, regularly trending and appearing in top 10 download lists throughout the year. The game brings all the excitement of the Apex Legends series to mobile and tablets so you can easily play wherever you are.