Today, we announced the winners of Google Play’s Best of 2021, a celebration of apps and games that made positive contributions to culture this year. And to encourage innovation across Google Play, we’ve expanded this year’s awards to apps and games on tablets, plus apps on Wear OS and Google TV. By challenging the norm, introducing unique gameplay features and giving users never-before-seen experiences, Google Play’s Best of winners represent what’s next in app and game development.

Similar to our Best of 2020 winners, apps focused on personal growth were in high demand in 2021. This year’s winners found creative, and often meditative, ways to help users get to know themselves on a deeper level. Balance, which earned our Best App of 2021 award, encourages people to find their center through personalized meditations; Moonly provides tips and guidance based on the lunar calendar; and Laughscape helps people reach a meditative state through laughter.

"We are deeply honored that Google chose Balance as its Best App of 2021,” says Jesse Pickard, Founder and CEO at Elevate Labs. “We built Balance with the individual in mind. No two people are the same, and we wanted to create a personalized mental wellness program that could reflect and support those special differences. I also want to thank our customers for their help in our journey. Your engagement and feedback has allowed us to build a truly wonderful product together."

Meanwhile, in gaming, Pokémon UNITE won Best Game for its dynamic gameplay and cross-platform experience. We also saw a surge of independent developers creating imaginative and personal gaming experiences. Indie developer George Batchelor brought us Bird Alone, a game that challenges you to become friends with the “loneliest bird in the world.” And in Donut County, developed by Annapurna Interactive, you play as a growing hole in a physics-based puzzle game.

Check out the full list of this year’s U.S. winners below, ranging from large developers to up-and-coming indies. You can also find your specific country’s winners in the Best of 2021 section of the Play Store.

Users’ Choice 2021

• App: Paramount+
• Game: Garena Free Fire MAX

Best App

• Balance

Best Game

• Pokémon UNITE

Best of app winners

Best Apps for Good

• Empathy
• Mentor Spaces
• Speechify

Best Everyday Essentials

• Blossom
• PhotoRoom
• Rabit

Best for Fun

• Clubhouse
• Noobly
• Whatifi

Best Hidden Gems

• Laughscape
• Moonbeam
• Moonly

Best for Personal Growth

• Balance
• Clementine
• Uptime

Best for Tablets

• Canva
• Concepts
• Houzz

Best for Wear

• Calm
• MyFitnessPal
• Sleep Cycle

Popular on Google TV

• Disney+
• ESPN
• Tubi

Best of game winners

Best Competitive

• League of Legends: Wild Rift
• MARVEL Future Revolution
• Pokémon UNITE
• Rogue Land
• Suspects: Mystery Mansion

Best Game Changers

• Inked
• JanKenUP!
• Knights of San Francisco
• Overboard!
• Tears of Themis

Best Indies

• 7 Billion Humans
• Bird Alone
• Donut County
• My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge
• Puzzling Peaks EXE

Best Pick Up & Play

• Cats in Time
• Crash Bandicoot: On the Run!
• Disney POP TOWN
• Switchcraft
• Towers

Best for Tablets

• Chicken Police — Paint it RED!
• League of Legends: Wild Rift
• My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge
• Overboard!
• The Procession to Calvary

Congratulations again to all of our Best of winners, and a special thanks to our Google Play community for their participation and support. We look forward to seeing what you build next year.

This year, the world came together over games, apps, movies and books, even when we were apart. Together, Google Play fans dove into four new and compelling novellas in “If It Bleeds,” as each took us intriguing places with the master of horror himself, Stephen King. We took one last ride with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the third installment of the “Bad Boys” universe. We embarked on a relaxing journey with “Loóna,” the app that guided us to better sleep through immersive stories. We also explored new lands as games like “Genshin Impact” gave us a stunning peek into the world of Teyvat. These titles are part of Google Play's Best of 2020, and there are even more games and apps to celebrate.

Explore the lists below to see what titles users and Google Play editors loved–and check out the full lists in the Best of 2020 section of the Play Store.

Users’ Choice 2020 (U.S.)

• Game: SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off 

• App: Disney+ 

• Movie: Bad Boys for Life 

• Book: If It Bleeds by Stephen King 

Best Game of 2020 (U.S.): Genshin Impact

Best App of 2020 (U.S.): Loóna: Bedtime Calm & Relax

Best Movies of 2020 - Top Five (U.S.)

• Bill & Ted Face the Music

• Just Mercy

• Miss Juneteenth

• Onward

• Parasite

See the full list of our favorite movies of 2020 on Google Play. 

Best Books of 2020 - Top Five (U.S.)

• A Promised Land by Barack Obama 

• The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 

• Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

• Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

• You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria 

See the full list of our favorite books of 2020 on Google Play. 

This year, the world came together over games, apps, movies and books, even when we were apart. Together, Google Play fans dove into four new and compelling novellas in “If It Bleeds,” as each took us intriguing places with the master of horror himself, Stephen King. We took one last ride with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence in the third installment of the “Bad Boys” universe. We embarked on a relaxing journey with “Loóna,” the app that guided us to better sleep through immersive stories. We also explored new lands as games like “Genshin Impact” gave us a stunning peek into the world of Teyvat. These titles are part of Google Play's Best of 2020, and there are even more games and apps to celebrate.

Explore the lists below to see what titles users and Google Play editors loved–and check out the full lists in the Best of 2020 section of the Play Store.

Users’ Choice 2020 (U.S.)

• Game: SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off 

• App: Disney+ 

• Movie: Bad Boys for Life 

• Book: If It Bleeds by Stephen King 

Best Game of 2020 (U.S.): Genshin Impact

Best App of 2020 (U.S.): Loóna: Bedtime Calm & Relax

Best Movies of 2020 - Top Five (U.S.)

• Bill & Ted Face the Music

• Just Mercy

• Miss Juneteenth

• Onward

• Parasite

See the full list of our favorite movies of 2020 on Google Play. 

Best Books of 2020 - Top Five (U.S.)

• A Promised Land by Barack Obama 

• The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin 

• Riot Baby by Tochi Onyebuchi

• Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

• You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria 

See the full list of our favorite books of 2020 on Google Play. 

Today, Google Play announced the winners of our Best of 2020 awards, a celebration of apps, games, books, movies and other top content. As we close out this year, we’re taking a look at the apps reshaping our world, and the games giving us an opportunity to explore new ones. 

Apps: a year of personal growth

2020 changed the way we all live, work, and go about the routines that keep us grounded. It was a year of self-reflection and improvement, and many apps played a role in helping us find a path forward.

In the U.S., Chris Hemsworth helped us find our healthy “Centr” by connecting us with trainers, chefs and wellbeing experts, while Intellect helped us focus on our traits, habits, and behaviors to overcome personal challenges with the help of a digital companion, through psychological training.

At the end of each day, we needed time to relax and recharge. So it’s only fitting that Disney+ claimed the U.S. Users’ Choice award for allowing us to dive into the Disney vault–Scrooge McDuck style. We sat back and relaxed with a wealth of content, from old fan favorites to new releases like The Mandalorian. To cap it off, our editors selected Loóna as this year’s Best App for rethinking how we ease into sleep and helping us unwind.

Games: a year captivated by casual 

This year’s selection of games varied more than ever, proving that there’s something for everyone to enjoy. 

From embarking on breathtaking adventures in The Gardens Between, to channeling our inner wizards in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, then exploring the meaning of friendship through Sky: Children of the Light, 2020’s best games in the U.S. warmed our hearts and challenged our minds. 

The game that embodied this sentiment best is the one that brought us back to Bikini Bottom. That’s right, you rocked the vote and crowned SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off the 2020 U.S. Users’ Choice winner. And Genshin Impact impressed our editors, winning Best Game for giving users a wondrous world to explore and countless mysteries to unravel. 

Discover this year’sbest games and best apps, and check out the full list of winners in the Best of 2020 section of the Play Store. 

Today, Google Play announced the winners of our Best of 2020 awards, a celebration of apps, games, books, movies and other top content. As we close out this year, we’re taking a look at the apps reshaping our world, and the games giving us an opportunity to explore new ones. 

Apps: a year of personal growth

2020 changed the way we all live, work, and go about the routines that keep us grounded. It was a year of self-reflection and improvement, and many apps played a role in helping us find a path forward.

In the U.S., Chris Hemsworth helped us find our healthy “Centr” by connecting us with trainers, chefs and wellbeing experts, while Intellect helped us focus on our traits, habits, and behaviors to overcome personal challenges with the help of a digital companion, through psychological training.

At the end of each day, we needed time to relax and recharge. So it’s only fitting that Disney+ claimed the U.S. Users’ Choice award for allowing us to dive into the Disney vault–Scrooge McDuck style. We sat back and relaxed with a wealth of content, from old fan favorites to new releases like The Mandalorian. To cap it off, our editors selected Loóna as this year’s Best App for rethinking how we ease into sleep and helping us unwind.

Games: a year captivated by casual 

This year’s selection of games varied more than ever, proving that there’s something for everyone to enjoy. 

From embarking on breathtaking adventures in The Gardens Between, to channeling our inner wizards in Harry Potter: Puzzles & Spells, then exploring the meaning of friendship through Sky: Children of the Light, 2020’s best games in the U.S. warmed our hearts and challenged our minds. 

The game that embodied this sentiment best is the one that brought us back to Bikini Bottom. That’s right, you rocked the vote and crowned SpongeBob: Krusty Cook-Off the 2020 U.S. Users’ Choice winner. And Genshin Impact impressed our editors, winning Best Game for giving users a wondrous world to explore and countless mysteries to unravel. 

Discover this year’sbest games and best apps, and check out the full list of winners in the Best of 2020 section of the Play Store. 

Google Play’s 2020 Best of awards are back—capping off a year unlike any other. Once again, we want to hear about your favorite content on Google Play. 

Starting today until November 23, you can help pick our Users’ Choice winners by voting for your favorites from a shortlist of this year’s most loved and trending apps, games, movies, and books.

2019 took us to distant worlds and brought us together with new apps, games, movies and books. We answered the Call of Duty, made photos move, and went back to Gilead—it was an amazing year from beginning to Endgame. Now, we’re celebrating the year’s top content across Google Play.

You rocked the vote to crown your favorites … and the votes are in: Your 2019 Users’ Choice winners are Call of Duty: Mobile, Video Editor - Glitch Video Effects, Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. 

Explore the lists below to see what the Google Play editors loved and what topped the charts in U.S. entertainment this year. And check out the full lists in the Best of 2019 section of the Play Store.

Power to the people

Users’ Choice 2019

• App: Video Editor - Glitch Video Effects
• Game: Call of Duty: Mobile
• Movie: Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame
• Ebook: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Mobile magic 

Best App of 2019

• Ablo

Best Game of 2019 

• Call of Duty: Mobile

Screen stars

Top-Selling Movies of 2019

• Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame
• Aquaman
• A Star Is Born
• Marvel Studios' Captain Marvel
• Spider-Man: Into The Spider-Verse

Top-Selling TV Shows of 2019 

• Game of Thrones

• The Walking Dead

• The Big Bang Theory

• Riverdale

• Yellowstone

Literary legends  

Top-Selling Ebooks of 2019 

• The Mister by E L James

• Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz 

• Tiamat's Wrath by James S. A. Corey

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

• The Institute by Stephen King

Top-Selling Audiobooks of 2019

• Becoming by Michelle Obama

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

• Unfu*k Yourself: Get Out of Your Head and into Your Life by Gary John Bishop

• A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One by George R. R. Martin

• Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling

We want to hear from you—what was your favorite content on Google Play in 2019? 

Select from a shortlist of the year’s most-loved and trending titles across apps, games, movies, and books, including Enlight Pixaloop, Mario Kart Tour, Marvel Studios' Avengers: Endgame, and The Mister. To cast your vote, head to this page before the polls close on November 25.

And the fun doesn’t stop there: The Users’ Choice winners, along with the rest of the Best of 2019 picks from our Google Play editors, will be announced on December 3. Stay tuned.

To close out another great year for Google Play, we’re sharing the best and most popular apps, games, music, movies, TV shows and books in 2017.

No one knows how far she can go better than “Moana,” as she landed the most popular movie of the year on Google Play. Strong female characters dominated this year’s movies chart with “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Wonder Woman” rounding out the top three. “Game of Thrones” kept “Rick and Morty” and “The Walking Dead” at bay to claim the Iron Throne for the second year in a row as the most popular TV show. Elsewhere, Kendrick Lamar may no longer be so “HUMBLE.” after beating out Ed Sheeran’s “Shape of You,” as Google Play’s most streamed song of 2017. Kendrick’s “DNA” also holds the number three spot on this list.

Nintendo’s “Super Mario Run” was the most downloaded new game of the year, but not all bubbles were burst, as “Bubble Witch 3 Saga” was closely behind at number two. "Photo Editor - Beauty Camera & Photo Filters” was the most downloaded new app with fans touching up their favorite photos for social media. We also have curated lists this year from our editors to help you find the best apps and games of 2017, such as “Socratic - Math Answers & Homework Help” and “CATS: Crash Area Turbo Stars,” respectively.

Check out Google Play’s top five lists below for this year’s most popular content in the U.S. You can also discover the most popular lists around the world and all our editors’ choices on the Best of 2017 section of the Play Store.

Google Play's U.S Best of 2017 Lists

Most popular new apps of 2017

• Photo Editor - Beauty Camera & Photo Filters

• What The Forecast?!!

• Boomerang

• TopBuzz Video: Viral Videos, Funny GIFs &TV shows

• Yarn - Chat Fiction

Most popular new games of 2017

• Super Mario Run

• Bubble Witch 3 Saga

• Magic Tiles 3

• CATS: Crash Arena Turbo Stars

• Ballz

Top five streamed songs of 2017

• HUMBLE. by Kendrick Lamar

• Shape of You by Ed Sheeran

• DNA. by Kendrick Lamar

• Mask Off by Future

• Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt

Top five movies of 2017

• Moana

• Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

• Wonder Woman (2017)

• Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2

• Doctor Strange

Top five TV shows of 2017           

• Game of Thrones

• Rick and Morty

• The Walking Dead

• The Big Bang Theory

• Doctor Who

Top five books of 2017

• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

• It by Stephen King

• The Battlemage by Taran Matharu

• Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

As temperatures drop, stay warm and entertained with these hot holiday deals on Google Play. Starting today, you’ll be able to find your favorite movies, apps, games, music, TV and books at deep discounts. Just in time for the holidays, these deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday run through November 27 in select markets.

Battle in your favorite games—not the crowds—on Black Friday.

Set the mood with Google Play Music.

Survive the season with must-have apps.

Take a turkey break with a movie or TV show.

Whether it’s catching up on the latest episodes of “The Walking Dead” or “Outlander,” the latest Minion antics in “Despicable Me 3” or a young Peter Parker in “Spider-Man: Homecoming,” there’s something the entire family can enjoy.

Snuggle in with a good book.

For more information on these and other deals throughout the season, head to Google Play’s Holiday Hub.