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Google Play names Pokémon Unite as Best Game of 2021

  • Posted byby Rachel Kaser
  • Updated
  • 2 min

Google Play today announced the winners of its Best of 2021 awards, a collection of apps and games that it has decreed made a positive contribution this year. According to Google Play, the mobile game that gets the top honors is Pokémon Unite, following up on last year’s winner Genshin Impact.

Google honored the game for its “dynamic gameplay and cross-platform experience,” according to Google. The voters nominated Garena Free Fire Max, a mobile battle royale title, to take the top spot in User’s Choice

Pokémon Unite’s producer, Masaaki Hoshino, said in a statement: “We tried to distill the best parts of the MOBA genre to create a new kind of game, but I must admit that I was unsure if it would be well received by players around the world. This award shows that our game has been positively received by fans and the media, and while this is a great relief, at the same time it reaffirms our determination to continue doing our best to make Pokémon UNITE an even more exciting experience that meets our players’ expectations.”

The awards also acknowledged the successes of a number of indie developers on the platform. The winners of the Best Indie award are 7 Billion Humans, Bird Alone, Donut County, My Friend Pedro: Ripe for Revenge, and Puzzling Peaks EXE. The Best Competitive award, on the other hand, was full of AAA mobile titles, including League of Legends: Wild Rift, Marvel Future Revolution, and the big winner Pokémon Unite. The other honorees in that category are Rogue Land and Suspects: Mystery Mansion.

In non-game awards, the Balance meditation app was named as the Best App of 2021. Other apps honored include Clubhouse, Laughscape, Clementine, and Moonbeam.

Here is the complete list of games that won this year:

Best Game:

User’s Choice:

Best Competitive:

Best Game Changers:

Best Indies

Best Pick Up & Play

Best for Tablets:

Written by

Rachel Kaser

Rachel Kaser is a gaming and technology writer for from Dallas, Texas. She's been in the games industry since 2013, writing for various publications, and currently covers news for GamesBeat. Her favorite game is Bayonetta.