‘Balatro’ highlights Apple announces App Store Award winners

Apple continued to take more steps into the gaming space, and to see how far the company has come, it’s a good time to check out which projects won its 2024 App Store Awards. This year added a new category after the launch of the Vision Pro, the company’s mixed reality headset.

But the honors didn’t neglect the tech titan’s other flagship products, which saw more intriguing games arrive on its digital shelves. Here’s a roundup of the projects earning the top honors:

AWARDS FOR iOS DEVICESThe iPhone Game of the year is “AFK Journey,” a fantasy role-playing game that simplifies the experience. It’s a way to fit a bit of adventure in a busy life while Supercell had another hit on its hand with “Squad Busters,” a quirky take on the multiplayer online battle arena game starring the companies growing number of properties. It took the iPad Game of the Year.

“Thank Goodness You’re Here!” by Coal Super is the Mac Game of the Year. After making “The Good Time Garden,” the two-man team tested their limits with a more wide open title that follows a salesman sent to the northern U.K. town of Barnsworth and becomes entangled with its residents’ daily lives. With a distinct art-style and British humor, “Thank Goodness You’re Here!” is one of those rare games intended to make players laugh and more often than not, it nails the punchline.

“Thrasher: Arcade Odyssey” earned the Apple Vision Pro Game of the Year. Developed by the minds behind “Thumper,” the project lets players control a space eel. Using the device’s hand tracking, the game lets players control the creature almost like a rhythm gymnast twirls a ribbon.

The developers add more gestures allowing players to combo as they move the creature through several waves on each level lasting about 10 minutes. As they play through the level, they watch the eel grow from a tiny worm into a sprawling creature. Despite the team’s background, they said it’s not a rhythm game, but more of project meant to ease players into a flow state, where they feel like the space eel is an extension of their body.

Best of all, being on the Vision headset, the game was designed so that it can be played comfortable sitting down, standing or even on a hammock.

“Balatro+” came out of nowhere to not only become of the indie hits of the year, it garnered enough attention to be nominated for a Game of the Year honor at The Game Awards. No matter how that turns out, solo developer localthunk is already a winner as the Apple Arcade Game of the Year.

Localthunk came up with the idea for game in 2022 and it looks like a simple spinoff of Poker, but it runs deeper than that. It’s the classic card game mixed with a roguelike experience as players try to hit certain scores and move to the next challenge. As they advance, they earn money to unlock special Jokers that have special abilities and other perks that multiply scores and extends runs.

The game is over when players run out of hands to make and fail to reach the score goal. That’s fine though because players can start another run and experiment with other powerups that earn. Although the game looks unassuming, it’s engrossing, especially when you’re on a good run.