Apple’s 2025 Design Awards include wins for Balatro, Dredge, PBJ The Musical and other big hits

• The 2025 Apple Design Awards have just wrapped
• Major winners include Balatro and Dredge
• The Awards recognise top dogs on iOS in a variety of categories

With all the excitement of the year so far, some of you may have forgotten that the Apple Design Awards have just happened! This yearly series of awards recognises achievements for iOS releases in everything from innovation to the rather nebulous ‘delight & fun’, and this year, there have been plenty of major releases that have snagged an award.

Check it out!

• Balatro (Delight & Fun) – It’s not surprising that LocalThunk’s indie deckbuilding roguelike took an award, but it’s further recognition of the massive surge in popularity it gained from mobile.

• PBJ: The Musical (Innovation) – Another unsurprising win, since you can’t get any more innovative (or stranger) than a musical puzzler based on Romeo & Juliet starring peanut butter and jelly.
• Dredge (Interaction) – Translating something like Eldritch Fishing-Horror Sim Dredge to mobile is an achievement worth recognising, and Apple seem to agree!

• Art of Fauna (Inclusivity) – This deceptively simple wildlife-themed puzzler is focused on conservation and inclusivity from the get-go.
• Neva (Social Impact) – An action-adventure that follows a young girl and her wolf companion, it explores themes of environmental loss in a familiar slow-burn indie fashion.

• Infinity Nikki (Visuals & Graphics) – Another familiar release, whatever you think of Infinity Nikki’s dress-up gameplay, it’s undoubtedly a visually stunning release!

Apple’y done

The Apple Design Awards are a worthy reminder of the influence of mobile and what can be achieved with it. It’s certainly worth noting that this is another feather in Balatro’s cap, and another big win for Dredge on mobile as the innovative eldritch fishing sim has made quite a splash.

But there’s a whole lot more in the way of awards out there still to give! Got something you feel hasn’t been recognised? Want to make your voice heard? Well, go ahead and check out the 2025 edition of the Pocket Gamer People’s Choice Awards to make your nomination!