Google Play announced the company’s yearly awards to recognise the best apps and games and the developers who bring them to life, called Google Play’s Best of 2023 in India. The list includes – a voice app that helps non-native English speakers improve their language proficiency, an e-commerce app catering to the fashion choices of Gen Z users, a social media app with a focus on safety and community building, and an action game truly customized for India.
In a blog post, Google said, “In 2023, once again, we saw many new and exciting apps helping people through a range of critical needs, with self care, personal growth, and ecommerce apps dominating app innovations on our list this year. Gaming continued to see strong momentum in India, with more gamers from diverse pockets of the country joining the fold and immersing themselves in a wide array of titles across genres, including casual, sports, role-playing, and action.”
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Many of these titles come from Indian developers. It feels good to see local developers of all sizes leverage the potential of reaching over 2.5 billion monthly active users in 190 markets on Google Play. Thus, building winning solutions for India and the world.
Google Play’s Best of 2023 team reflected on some of the app and game innovation trends that emerged across the year. The most significant trend is the increasing use of AI by developers to build and offer enhanced user experiences. The benefits of this can be seen across categories such as learning, wellness, e-commerce, and more.
The Winners
Level SuperMind was selected as the Best App of the Year for helping people improve their mindfulness. With the help of personalised AI-enabled paths that had a mix of meditation, exercises, journals, and sleep stories, the app proved to be quite beneficial.
In the “Best with AI” category, Stimuler won because it helped people improve their English speaking skills with AI-powered voice technology. SwiftChat was crowned a winner as well in this category for using conversational AI chatbots to help students and teachers with personalised learning content in multiple Indian languages.
The therapy app THAP: Your Happiness Gym won App of the Year under the “Users’ Choice” category in India. It really helped improve people’s mental well-being and manage issues like depression, anxiety, and stress. It gave users easy access to resources and licensed therapists.
In terms of personal growth, apps like Infinity Learn and upGrad are catering to e-learning needs with high-quality and engaging learning avenues, and AmbitionBox is helping people make more informed career decisions.
E-commerce apps also continue to be in demand with local developers building more diverse and creative solutions in the segment. NEWME provides Indian Gen Z with the latest fashion trends to shop from. Blissclub helps women shop for stylish and comfortable athletic wear. Unsweetened Beauty matches users with beauty products based on their needs and preferences along with with expert-suggested skincare recommendations through AI-powered algorithms.
Developers from the local community have constructed applications tailored for a variety of global audiences and purposes. Pepul is enabling global interest-based communities with hyperlocal and personalized content from creators. Earth5R is connecting people who are passionate about sustainable development and looking to participate in local initiatives or internship programs. Autism BASICS is assisting children with special needs across the world in developing behavioral, social, and academic skills.
Have a look at the Best of 2023 Apps selected by Google Play:
Best App of 2023 (India):
Users’ Choice App of 2023 (India):
Best for Fun:
Best for Personal Growth:
Best with AI:
Best Everyday Essentials:
Best Hidden Gems:
Best Apps for Good:
Best Multi-device App:
Best for Watches:
Best for Tablets:
Best for Chromebooks
The Indian Gaming World
This year, it seems that gamers embraced new and exciting titles by well-known global franchises. The Best Game of the Year award went to Monopoly Go! as it captured India’s fascination for multiplayer board games. Indian players showered love for the adventures of the Subway Surfers crew, with Subway Surfers Blast winning the Users’ Choice Game award. Mighty Doom was a winner in the Best Pick Up & Play category, reigniting the legacy of the Doom franchise and bringing back its iconic demon-slaying action.
Battlegrounds Mobile India generated excitement in the gaming community and earned recognition in the Best Ongoing Game category for its new updates including the NUSA map and integration of Dragon Super Ball characters. EA SPORTS FC Mobile Soccer, reflecting the growing popularity of sports titles, also secured a spot in the category. This year’s trends indicate an increase in game localization for India, with both local and global developers incorporating features that resonate with Indian gamers.
Battle Stars: 4v4 TDM & BR, awarded Best Made in India game, offers thrilling shooting battles in cities like Mumbai and Delhi with many fun localised characters. Kurukshetra: Ascension provides a mythical Indian journey, while Road to Valor: Empires features Indian warriors in global titles. Additionally, Pokémon Go is now available in Hindi, adding an AR magic touch for gamers.
Have a look at the Best of 2023 Games selected by Google Play:
Best Game of 2023 (India):
Monopoly GO!
Users’ Choice Game of 2023 (India):
Subway Surfers Blast
Best Made in India:
Battle Stars: 4v4 TDM & BR
Best Multiplayer:
- Call of Dragons
- Road to Valor: Empires
- Undawn
Best Pick Up & Play:
- Campfire Cat Cafe
- Mighty Doom
- Monopoly GO!
Best Indies:
- Block Heads: Duel Puzzle Games
- Kurukshetra: Ascension
- Vampire Survivors
Best Story:
- Honkai: Star Rail
- Lost Words: Beyond the Page
- MementoMori: AFKRPG
Best Ongoing:
- Battlegrounds Mobile India
- EA SPORTS FC™ Mobile Soccer
- Pokémon GO
Best on Play Pass:
- Linea: An Innerlight Game
- Magic Rampage
- Silly Royale -Devil Amongst Us
Best Multi-device Game:
Call of Dragons
Best for Tablets:
- Call of Dragons
- Doomsday: Last Survivors
- Viking Rise
Best for Google Play Games on PC
Asphalt 9: Legends
Big ups to this year’s winners and the entire Google Play developer community! Check out the full list of this year’s India winners in the Best of 2023 section on the Play Store.
