Google Play’s best apps and games of 2022
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.
Users’ choice
- App: BeReal
- Game: Apex Legends Mobile
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 (new category): BandLab
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 (new category): 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 (new category): Genshin Impact
- Honorable Mentions: Candy Crush Saga, Garena Free Fire, Pokémon GO, Roblox
Best on Play Pass (new category): 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 for Chromebooks (new category): Roblox
Top-selling books and audiobooks of 2022
Top-selling books
- Fire & Blood by George R. R. Martin
- It Ends with Us by Colleen Hoover
- Fairy Tale by Stephen King
- I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Top-selling audiobooks
