These are the Best Apps and Games on Google Play in 2021

I know that you are completely sick of reading about Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, so here’s something different. Google announced the winners of its “Google Play’s Best of 2021” awards, naming the best in apps and games for the past year.

The list starts with the best overall app of the year, which is Balance, as well as the best game, Pokemon UNITE. There are users’ choice winners as well, with Paramount+ and Garena Free Fire MAX taking those honors.

After that, the list breaks everything out into category, from “Apps for Good” to those for “Personal Growth” and then tablets and Wear OS and Google TV. You’ll find similar categories for games too, a number of which are indie titles that Google sure seems excited to share.

While I feel like so many of our smartphone and tablet experiences are locked into apps and games we’ve all used for years and are rarely replaced, these are the lists to look at if you have been itching for something different.