Awards season is ramping up, and the game industry is no different. Apple’s Game of the Year Awards are now out, and judging by the winners it appears that puzzle games are in. Donut County took away the top honor for smart devices, winning the iPhone Game of the Year award. Another puzzler, Gorogoa, took the iPad Game of the Year trophy, with Fortnite also being name-checked..
Another puzzle game, The Gardens Between, won the Mac Game of the Year. Snowboarding game Alto’s Odyssey walked away with the Apple TV Game of the Year award.
The Game Trend of the Year, meanwhile, went to “Battle Royale-style” gaming. Titles like PUBG and Fortnite have dominated the gaming industry this year, with PUBG earning millions of dollars in revenue. At one point during this year, Fortnite Mobile made $15 million in one month.
Donut County received critical acclaim when it came out in August. Game Revolution’s Michael Leri said in his review that the game For a game about garbage, its wholesomeness and “holesomeness” make it the very opposite of trash.” Meanwhile, Game Revolution’s Jason Faulkner also gave praise to Gorogoa, saying that “It’s bright colors, beautiful artwork, and unique style make it an entirely outstanding indie game, though it might not suit everyone’s fancy.”
Alto’s Odyssey and The Gardens Between can also say they won awards from both Apple and Google this year. The Android Developer’s blog revealed that the former was listed under Best Indie Game while the latter made the list of Most Innovative Games.
Finally, Alto’s Odyssey did manage one more feat this year — it was listed as one of the winners of Apple’s Design awards. Other games that got nods here include Playdead’s Inside, Oddmar and Florence.
You can check out the full list of winners over on Apple’s website.
