AdminGoogle followed Apple in announcing its apps and games of the year – and if you’re looking for something new to install on your Android phone, it’s worth checking out these picks from the Play Store.
These choices have been made (opens in a new tab) by the Google Play editorial team, and there are honorable mentions and winners in each category. Google also highlighted the best books and audiobooks. For all we know, there are also country-specific options: find a local selection here (opens in a new tab).
Most of us probably spend our days on the bike using the same basic set of apps on our phones, so these lists are a good opportunity to try something new that we may not have come across before.
The best android apps in 2022
Best App Overall: Dream (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – artificial intelligence is getting better and better, so it seems that the AI Art Dream generator came first. All you have to do is enter a few prompts and the app will create fantastic looking digital art.
The best fun app: pet (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – If we tell you that PetStar gives you the tools you need to create a music video of your pet’s face, we probably don’t need to say much more. However, we are not sure what your pet will do with the end results.
The best personal development app: Breath (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – ready for self-improvement over the next year? Breathwrk wants to help you reduce stress and release energy from your body through hundreds of carefully selected breathing exercises guided by the app.
The best application for everyday needs: Parent plant (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – As the name suggests, this app helps you care for your plants by providing you with customized guidance on what your plants need to stay healthy. It can also identify almost any plant with its smartphone camera.
The best hidden gem app: Reclaim athletics (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – We’re not sure what exactly qualifies as a ‘hidden gem’, but Google has selected Recover Athletics, which works with Strava to ensure your body recovers properly after exercise to avoid injury and fatigue.
Best app for good: Stigma app (opens in a new tab) (free) – The Stigma app has the important mission of normalizing mental health conversations. You can use a simple app to listen to other people’s stories, ask for help and support others.
Best App on Wear: Todoist (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – If you’re looking for something that will improve the comfort of using a Wear OS smartwatch, it’s worth checking out Todoist. The all-in-one to-do list app gives you everything you need to plan and organize your life.
Best Tablet App: Pocket (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – There’s never enough time to read everything online, and Pocket helps by providing an archive of articles you can catch up on whenever you can. The distraction-free layout and the option to read articles aloud add to the attractiveness of the application.
Best App for Chromebooks: BandLab (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – Chromebooks can now run Android apps, of course, and this is one of the apps that best fits the laptop form factor. BandLab makes it easy to create and mix music, whether you’re a veteran or a complete beginner.
Top app voted by users: be real (opens in a new tab) (free) – We’re not sure which users voted for this category, but the winner is BeReal, a social media app that challenges you to post a photo of what you’re doing at a certain time of day when the app asks you to.
That’s not all either: Google also found time to highlight DanceFitme (opens in a new tab), note the widget (opens in a new tab), Learn to read – Duolingo ABC (opens in a new tab), Gym and Workout Diary (opens in a new tab), Ukulele by Yousician (opens in a new tab), Book a morning get-up (opens in a new tab), Daily diaries (opens in a new tab), sleep tracker (opens in a new tab), Linktree (opens in a new tab), Small Dinners (opens in a new tab), Wamble (opens in a new tab), Sleepy fruit (opens in a new tab) and Zaria (opens in a new tab).
The best Android games in 2022
Best Game Overall: Apex Legends Mobile (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – This strategic battle royale shooter remains phenomenally popular and has also won a user award. You can choose from various game modes, and the speed and fun of combat are unbeatable.
Best Multiplayer: dislyte (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – an urban mythological role-playing game that stands out from the crowd with its style, visual quality and plot. The game also handles the challenge well as you get better at it.
Best Pick Up and Play Game: Angry Birds Journey (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – Angry Birds needs no introduction for those familiar with their mobile gaming history, and this is the latest installment in the series. It’s great fun as always as you throw the birds to tear down structure after structure.
Best Indie Game: Dangerous Dungeons (opens in a new tab) ($4.99/£4.19) – Sometimes the best games don’t have to be incredibly complex, and Dicey Dungeons has a simple format and makes good use of it. In this roguelike deckbuilding game, you are a giant cube and must escape the whims of chance.
Best Roleplaying Game: Papers please (opens in a new tab) ($4.99/£4.09) – One of the most immersive and immersive games on the Play Store right now, Papers, Please is described as a “dystopian docu-thriller” where you have to be clever at identifying smugglers, spies and terrorists.
Best Ongoing Game: Genshin’s strike (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – Assuming this is your type of game (open world role-playing game), you’re guaranteed to enjoy Genshin Impact with its beautiful landscapes and memorable characters.
Best Play Pass Game: Very little nightmares (opens in a new tab) ($4.99 / £4.99 per month) – If you pay a monthly fee for Google Play Pass, you get games like Very Little Nightmares, a brilliantly scary and addictive puzzle game that will keep you entertained for hours.
Best Tablet Game: Fantasy Tower (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – Tower of Fantasy is one of the better games on the Play Store when it comes to taking advantage of the larger screens offered by tablets, and the open-world fantasy adventure scores highly in most areas.
Best Chromebook Game: Roblox (opens in a new tab) (freemium) – Roblox has been something of a gaming sensation in recent years, with Google picking it as one of the best Android games to run on a Chromebook, giving you access to a keyboard and trackpad.
Wait a minute, because there are also many honorable mentions here: you might want to check it out too Black catalyst (opens in a new tab), Diablo the Immortal (opens in a new tab), Sideswipe Rocket League (opens in a new tab), Weapons and dungeons (opens in a new tab), HOOK 2 (opens in a new tab), Hyde and Seek (opens in a new tab), four-line (opens in a new tab), Dreadrock dungeon (opens in a new tab), Knots (opens in a new tab), One hand clapping (opens in a new tab), phobias (opens in a new tab), DEEMO II (opens in a new tab), Inua – a story in ice and time (opens in a new tab), The Secret of Cat Island (opens in a new tab), Turnip Boy commits tax evasion (opens in a new tab), Candy Crush Saga (opens in a new tab), Garena Free Fire (opens in a new tab), Pokémon GO (opens in a new tab), Bridge Builder (opens in a new tab), Final Fantasy VII (opens in a new tab), line light (opens in a new tab)and Giant’s Path (opens in a new tab).
