Balatro and AFK Journey among 2024 App Store Award winners

AFK Journey, What If…? An Immersive Story, Squad Busters, Thank Goodness You're Here!, and Balatro+ have all made it to Apple's 2024 app Store Award winner list.

"Honouring 17 apps and games that helped users ignite their creativity, achieve new milestones, and cherish everyday moments with family and friends," Apple said "this year’s winning developers have created apps and games that improved users' lives and impacted culture around the world."

Balatro+ won Apple Arcade game of the year, whilst AFK Journey, Squad Busters, and Thank Goodness You're Here! took home the prize for iPhone game of the year, iPad game of the year, and Mac game of the year, respectively.

Thrasher: Arcade Odyssey secured Apple Vision Pro game of the year, whilst Wordle's NYT Games and The Wreck each received recognition for their cultural impact "in users' lives and communities."

"We are thrilled to honour this impressive group of developers who are harnessing the power of Apple devices and technology to deliver experiences that enrich the lives of users and have a profound impact on their communities," said Tim Cook, Apple CEO.

"The remarkable achievements of this year’s winners demonstrate the incredible ingenuity that can be unlocked through apps."

Last month, AFK Journey was also declared the best game of the year on Google Play by the store's editorial team.