As 2023 draws to a close, Google Play on November 30 unveiled a list of 2023's best Android apps and games in India, across a range of categories, including those chosen by users as well as its own editorial team.
Level SuperMind, a mind performance app that counts YouTuber Ranveer Allahbadia as one of its co-founders, has been picked as the best app of 2023.
The app, which was also chosen as the best app in the personal growth category, helps people improve their mindfulness with personalised artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled paths comprising a mix of meditation, exercises, journals, and sleep stories.
"Level Supermind echoes our team's dedication to mental performance. Anchored in timeless principles, our app integrates heritage with modernity for a global audience. Launched 1.5 years ago, the app thrives on ingenuity and a commitment to global mental fitness" said Level SuperMind co-founder Aayush Anand.
Meanwhile, therapy app 'THAP: Your Happiness Gym' was chosen by users in India as their favourite app for the year, following a nearly month-long voting process on the Play Store. It was also selected as the top app in the 'Best App for Good' category along with learning app Autism Basics, and environmental platform Earth5R.
"THAP was founded with a vision to change India's relationship with mental healthcare, aiming to normalize conversations about mental health and encourage people to enhance their mental wellbeing," said Natasha Sagar, CEO, THAP (The Happiness Project).
In terms of games, Monopoly Go, a mobile version of the popular board game by Scopely, was picked as the best game of 2023. While Subway Surfers Blast, a puzzle adventure game from Sybo and Outplay Entertainment, was chosen by users in India as their favourite game for the year.
Battle Stars, a multiplayer mobile shooting game from Pune-based game development firm SuperGaming, has been selected as the best Made in India game.
The company's social deduction title Silly Royale has also been selected as one of the winners in the Best on Play Pass games category. Google's Play Pass is a subscription service that offers users access to hundreds of apps and games free of ads and in-app purchases.
“Both of them were created with our players and community at their heart, placing them as the true stars of our creations. At SuperGaming, we will continue to craft immersive experiences that resonate with players, not just in India but globally" said SuperGaming co-founder Christelle D’cruz.
Best Indie games
Bombay Play's 'Block Heads: Duel Puzzle Games' and Studio Sirah's 'Kurukshetra: Ascension' were selected as the Best Indie (independent) games for 2023.
"Kurukshetra is a bold bet on the fusion of Indian content and core gaming, and we are delighted to see the results. Studio Sirah will continue to innovate and break more boundaries with future games" said Studio Sirah co-founder Abhaas Shah.
Meanwhile, Bombay Play co-founder Oliver Jones said this win is a testament to the startup's mission of building high-quality social, live and real-time games from India for the world.
Krafton's Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) was selected as the winner in the Best Ongoing games category along with Niantic's Pokemon Go and Electronic Arts' soccer title EA Sports FC Mobile Soccer while Krafton's another title Road to Valor: Empires was the winner in the Best Multiplayer games category along with Tencent's Undawn and Farlight Games' Call of Dragons.
"We look forward to bringing new and exciting content and updates for BGMI and Road to Valor: Empires, and to making them the most enjoyable and rewarding games for everyone alike" said Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO, KRAFTON India.
Overall, Google has selected apps across 24 categories on the India Play Store, with many of these titles coming from local developers. It has also announced similar app choices for multiple countries including the United States.
In a blogpost, Google said these selections reflected some of the app and game innovation trends the company saw emerge across the year. One of the most significant trends was the increasing use of AI by developers to build and offer enhanced user experiences across various categories such as learning, wellness, and ecommerce among others.
The company also introduced a new "Best with AI” category to highlight apps that are using the latest technology. Stimuler, which helps people improve their English speaking skills with AI-powered voice technology, and SwiftChat that uses conversational AI chatbots to assist students and teachers with personalised learning content in multiple Indian languages won the top spot in the category.
"We want Stimuler to be a truly global product built from India for the world, and Google Play has been a consistent partner in our journey. We have already reached users from over 200 countries on Google Play" said Stimuler CEO Akshay Akash.
"Our mission remains the same as it has from the beginning - to build an AI Copilot for every single global citizen to improve their conversational skills - and we look forward to furthering this mission in the coming years" he added.
Other categories include Best multi-device app (Spotify), Best for fun (Instagram's Threads, Dashtoon and Pepul), and Best hidden gems (Blissclub, Cashflo, Unsweetened Beauty).
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