Apple unveils App Store Award winners, the best apps and games of 2023 : apple

[-] Patutula@alien.top 2 points 2 years ago

Subscriptions are a cancer.

[-] chairman_steel@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

The Apple Arcade GOTY is the punchline from a South Park joke from 2006. Sounds about right.

[-] real_kerim@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

The App Store is filled with garbage. I'm looking forward to the day we can sideload an alternative Open Source app store like F-Droid.

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[-] electrosaurus@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

All the criticisms are valid but for me it's just really a really, really dull list.

[-] heylooknewpillows@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Is Apollo in there

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[-] eighymack@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Of course a game with $100 in-app purchases is on the list. Disgusting.

[-] Happydenial@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

The only app that has crashed into my top ten this year is Craft App. I don’t work for the company and I’m not spamming comments sections.. I genuinely love the app, the polish and how it fits into my life

[-] KOREANWALMART@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I didn’t know people still use the App Store.

[-] blazarious@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

So, people don’t use third-party apps anymore? Doubtful.

[-] justin_144@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

As opposed to?

[-] undressvestido@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

what? there are almost 2 billion iPhones out there, how are we supposed to download and update apps? you're tripping dude

[-] FollowingFeisty5321@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Lost in Play, Lies of P and Honkai Star Rail are the only non-subscription apps, and the last one has IAPs up to $100. The best apps and games on the shittiest app store.

[-] CertainProgram8782@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

*best apps and games for us to make money

[-] Throat-Slut@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Star rail is actually a quite polished game I wasn’t surprised it hit #1

[-] Direct_Card3980@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Those IAPs look gacha as fuck.

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[-] overactive-bladder@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

For anyone searching for a strong puzzle game, one time payment and no IAP, please support Loco Looper: https://www.locolooper.com/

I am not the dev, but I wish people supported smaller studios who actually put out quality apps on mobile without riddling them with ads or subscription mechanics.

[-] ludvikskp@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Starrail is a gacha game tho

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[-] rosencranberry@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

When was the last time you guys downloaded an app from the App Store? It’s been months if not years for me. Got Reddit, Instagram, Shazam, and Google Maps. I could give a shit about anything else

[-] FlightlessFly@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

*couldn’t

[-] ThisWorldIsAMess@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Like 2 days ago. I got Logic Pro.

[-] Axle_65@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Nice! Enjoy. I was just tracking in the studio with my copy yesterday. Love being able to have Logic in the booth without the fan of my laptop.

[-] overactive-bladder@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

i love mobile puzzle games and have them in droves.

weekly, i tune in to scroll through the newly listed apps, and sometimes find one that interests me.

then i search inside its page for similar apps.

i definitely encounter the same recommended wheel of apps, but at times it leads to a single app that will interests me.

and that's kind of enough for me.

it's also a toilet time waster, so...

[-] KingKingsons@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I got Lumafusion during their Black Friday sale, so I can play around with during a long as trip in a month and it's nice to support a developer that doesn't require you to pay monthly.

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[-] Excuse_my_GRAMMER@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Honkai star rail well deserved game of the year

Really good game

[-] wordswontcomeout@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

*money sink

[-] H4xolotl@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

F2p vegan crossfit E6E5 Seele main btw /s

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[-] AriaTheHyena@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I fucking love it tbh, played every day since it came out. Hoyo knows what they are doing

[-] Feahnor@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Who still uses the App Store?

Everything is subscription based, it’s a hellscape of apps.

[-] OneOkami@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I hardly ever. My app discovery is primarily outside of the App Store. Like you said, subscriptions have been over-exploitative and browsing the store is not what I find to be a pleasant experience.

[-] R0KK3R@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Wait, there are alternatives to the App Store?

[-] Kalmer1@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

There will be in the EU but not yet

[-] Direct_Card3980@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I’m counting down the days. Apple has until March. I can’t believe they’re leaving it to this late. They’ve had years to roll this out and they’re waiting until the last minute. They better have a BULLET PROOF rollout or the EU can and probably will fine them $33B for non-compliance. “Whoopsie we have bugs” won’t cut it after this many years of notice. They’re playing with fire.

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[-] F_A_28@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

How to summarize the app store in one sentence: pdf reader app with 60euro yearly subscription

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[-] Major-Front@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

A fuckin makup app being the best iPad app sums up the platform to be honest.

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[-] feherfarkas@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Guess what. Not one of them is pay-once. All are subscription-based. I guess getting 30% does skew one’s judgement…

[-] Leavism@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Photomator has a pay once option. Too Good To Go is literally free with no IAP. That's just from the apps that I know about from the list, not sure about any others that aren't subscription based or offer a pay-once option.

[-] feherfarkas@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I just scrolled through them. All had in app payments except for the Arcade one which in itself is a subscription, and the MacOS one. Maybe it’s showing me different ones than to you. :)

[-] ineedlesssleep@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

A bunch of them just have a one time purchase option and some are even free.

[-] KingKingsons@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I wouldn't even mind it if they were more affordable, but asking me to pay €60 for a weather app or €120 or whatever for Ynab is ridiculous. I usually only start yearly subscriptions around the start of the year, for budget reasons, but that would easily add up.

I wouldn't mind paying for some apps if they offered monthly subscriptions at the same price as a yearly subscription. I get that the whole point of yearly subscriptions is to lock people in, but they usually only offer a weekly trial, which isn't enough to see if I'll use the app enough to be worth its money.

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[-] Poisencap@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Sadly this list tells you the quality of games these days is lacking.

[-] BronzeEast@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

At yoo let’s let Europe get that side loading shit approved then throw all the republicans out of the USA and we be sailing the pirate seas once and for all. GG 🏆

[-] Direct_Card3980@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

It’s cute you think it’s only the Republicans who are beholden to business lobbying.

[-] scaryjam823@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Anyone else remember the days of browsing the App Store, especially the free top 100? Checking to see what new apps were hitting the charts. Having pages and pages of mostly useless apps but some real memorable glorified flash games were thrown into the mix. Never having to worry about anything except how much fun will this game be compared to the other.

Good times…good times… I haven’t browsed the App Store like that in probably a decade. I miss those days.

[-] Illustrious-Sport405@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Developers deserve to be paid just like everyone else.

[-] Terrible_Tutor@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

New app, 0.99 for life days

2023: Subscribe for $5.99 a month!

[-] masterz13@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Lifetime access still exists, but they want like $50+ lol

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[-] RenegadeUK@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

I wonder what will be the evolution of the Subscription based Model in 10 yrs time ?

[-] S4T4NICP4NIC@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Not sure what you mean. You can still do all that today.

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[-] aurumae@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

It’s a real shame they didn’t give iPhone app of the year to Flighty in the end. Alltrails looks cool but Flighty is incredibly useful, to the point that I really can’t imagine travelling without it anymore

[-] mainstreetmark@alien.top 1 points 2 years ago

Maybe I need to give it a second look. I’ve been using kayak for many years. I didn’t see what flighty offered that kayak wasn’t already doing.

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