Towards the end of every WWDC, Apple gives several apps and games with ‘Design Awards’ based on different categories like ‘Inclusivity,’ ‘Social Impact,’ ‘Visual and Graphics’ and more.
As is the case with most years, big titles like Genshin Impact, Alba, and League of Legends: Wild Rift, took home top honours. However, there are a few Canadian gems included in this year’s list of winners.
George Batchelor’s Canadian-made Bird Alone, an interaction-based game that features clever notification integration, unique graphics and music that shifts based on real-world factors, took home an Apple Design Award for ‘Interaction’ at WWDC 2021.
Pok Pok Playroom, a game that’s a spin-off of Toronto-based Snowman, also won the design award for ‘Delight and Fun.’
The child-focused colourful app features mesmerizing interactions, interesting haptics and unique sound effect that all aim to encourage children to explore and experiment. Pok Pok Playroom’s development team is located in Belgium. MobileSyrup will have more on Pok Pok Playroom in the coming weeks.
You can find a full list of Apple Design Award winners below:
Visuals and Graphics
- App: Loóna
Developer: Loóna Inc (Belarus) - Game: Genshin Impact
Developer: miHoYo Limited (China)
Inclusivity
- App: Voice Dream Reader
Developer: Voice Dream (United States) - Game: HoloVista
Developer: Aconite (United States)
Delight and Fun
- Game: Pok Pok Playroom
Developer: Pok Pok (Belgium) - Game: Little Orpheus
Developer: The Chinese Room (United Kingdom)
Interaction
- App: Carrot Weather
Developer: Brian Mueller, Grailr LLC (United States) - Game: Bird Alone
Developer: George Batchelor (Canada)
Innovation
- App: NaadSadhana
Developer: Sandeep Ranade (India) - Game: League of Legends: Wild Rift
Developer: Riot Games (United States)
Social Impact
- App: Be My Eyes
Developer: S/I Be My Eyes (Denmark) - Game: Alba
Developer: Ustwo games (United Kingdom)
MobileSyrup may earn a commission from purchases made via our links, which helps fund the journalism we provide free on our website. These links do not influence our editorial content. Support us here.