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Today we\u2019re celebrating the winners of Play\u2019s Best of 2025 Awards, recognizing the most creative apps and games on Google Play. This year, Asia Pacific made up almost three quarters (74%) of winners across games and apps (up from 60% last year). And almost all the game award winners (86%) were from our region \u2014 a huge jump from 62% last year.<\/p>\n
Here’s a look at what Asia Pacific\u2019s 2025\u2019s winners reveal about how to make great apps:<\/p>\n
Gaming culture runs deep in Asia, and when developers combine this with iconic local characters, the results resonate around the world. Pok\u00e9mon TCG Pocket from The Pok\u00e9mon Company was named \u201cBest Game\u201d in Japan, the U.S. and Europe for adapting the classic trading card game into a digital experience. Bandai Namco Entertainment\u2019s SD Gundam G Generation Eternal won \u201cBest Game\u201d in Taiwan and \u201cBest Story\u201d in Japan by immersing fans in the series\u2019 history with graphics, animation and video excerpts.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s winners show that Asia-Pacific developers are using AI to make apps that help tackle everyday problems. India\u2019s \u201cBest App\u201d winner, Zomato\u2019s District, uses AI to analyze tastes and curate a hyper-local feed. In Japan, Mantra Inc.\u2019s Langaku (\u201cBest for Personal Growth\u201d) uses AI to help users learn English through popular comics with tap-to-translate dictionaries and grammar explanations. Indonesia\u2019s Paxel Technologies\u2019 Paxel, the local \u201cBest Everyday Essential\u201d winner, optimizes same-day intercity delivery speeds and routes with AI, and Riliv\u2019s Riliv (Indonesia\u2019s \u201cBest for Personal Growth\u201d), uses AI to connect students with local psychologists\u2019 guided meditations.<\/p>\n
Building for cultural relevance and localisation proved a winning strategy. Krafton’s Cookie Run India secured the \u201cBest Game\u201d and \u201cBest Pick Up & Play\u201d awards in India by featuring localized customisations like the Kaju Katli Cookie and Gulab Jamun Cookie. Nautilus Mobile’s Real Cricket Swipe won \u201cBest Made in India\u201d by tapping into cricket fandom. Meanwhile Cotton Match from Wisageni Studio \u2014 where players can collect traditional Indonesian woven fabrics as they progress through puzzles \u2014 won \u201cBest Made in Indonesia\u201d and Wolffun Pte Ltd\u2019s Thetan Immortal won the new \u201cBest Made in Vietnam\u201d category with a modern twist on classic archer games.<\/p>\n
Developers pushed boundaries by maximizing for current screens \u2014 like Singapore\u2019s Garena with Garena Delta Force\u2019s massive 32 vs 32 “Warfare” mode (winner of \u201cBest Multiplayer\u201d in Taiwan and Indonesia). They also explored the capabilities of new surfaces with cross-platform apps and games. Kakao Games Corp.\u2019s Odin: Valhalla Rising met this need, winning \u201cBest for Google Play Games on PC\u201d in Korea, the U.S. and Europe, as did China\u2019s Whiteout Survival from Century Games PTE. LTD. winning both \u201cBest for Google Play Games on PC\u201d in India and Indonesia and<\/i> \u201cBest Ongoing\u201d in Taiwan and Korea. Naver\u2019s CHZZK provides an immersive 3D spatial experience for Android XR headsets that won it \u201cBest for XR\u201d in Korea, while SleepisolBio from Lee Sol Co., Ltd won “Best for Watches” in India, Japan, and Indonesia for its sleep and stress tracking features.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n