Today we’re celebrating the winners of Play’s 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 — a huge jump from 62% last year.

Here's a look at what Asia Pacific’s 2025’s winners reveal about how to make great apps:

Beloved characters and culture

Gaming culture runs deep in Asia, and when developers combine this with iconic local characters, the results resonate around the world. Pokémon TCG Pocket from The Pokémon Company was named “Best Game” in Japan, the U.S. and Europe for adapting the classic trading card game into a digital experience. Bandai Namco Entertainment’s SD Gundam G Generation Eternal won “Best Game” in Taiwan and “Best Story” in Japan by immersing fans in the series’ history with graphics, animation and video excerpts.

Everyday helpfulness with AI

This year’s winners show that Asia-Pacific developers are using AI to make apps that help tackle everyday problems. India’s “Best App” winner, Zomato’s District, uses AI to analyze tastes and curate a hyper-local feed. In Japan, Mantra Inc.’s Langaku (“Best for Personal Growth”) uses AI to help users learn English through popular comics with tap-to-translate dictionaries and grammar explanations. Indonesia’s Paxel Technologies’ Paxel, the local “Best Everyday Essential” winner, optimizes same-day intercity delivery speeds and routes with AI, and Riliv’s Riliv (Indonesia’s “Best for Personal Growth”), uses AI to connect students with local psychologists’ guided meditations.

Cultural and local relevance

Building for cultural relevance and localisation proved a winning strategy. Krafton's Cookie Run India secured the “Best Game” and “Best Pick Up & Play” awards in India by featuring localized customisations like the Kaju Katli Cookie and Gulab Jamun Cookie. Nautilus Mobile's Real Cricket Swipe won “Best Made in India” by tapping into cricket fandom. Meanwhile Cotton Match from Wisageni Studio — where players can collect traditional Indonesian woven fabrics as they progress through puzzles — won “Best Made in Indonesia” and Wolffun Pte Ltd’s Thetan Immortal won the new “Best Made in Vietnam” category with a modern twist on classic archer games.

Multiplayer, multi-device and beyond

Developers pushed boundaries by maximizing for current screens — like Singapore’s Garena with Garena Delta Force’s massive 32 vs 32 "Warfare" mode (winner of “Best Multiplayer” in Taiwan and Indonesia). They also explored the capabilities of new surfaces with cross-platform apps and games. Kakao Games Corp.’s Odin: Valhalla Rising met this need, winning “Best for Google Play Games on PC” in Korea, the U.S. and Europe, as did China’s Whiteout Survival from Century Games PTE. LTD. winning both “Best for Google Play Games on PC” in India and Indonesia and “Best Ongoing” in Taiwan and Korea. Naver’s CHZZK provides an immersive 3D spatial experience for Android XR headsets that won it “Best for XR” 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.