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These are Google Play's best apps, games, books, movies and TV shows of 2017 (Updated)
Previous coverage, 12/01/2017: We’re nearing the end of 2017, but rather than wait until January 1 to release its lists of top Play Store titles, Google is getting in there before the holiday buying period ends. Yes, Google has now delivered its rundown of the best apps, games, movies, TV shows and books that the Play Store has seen this year.
Wading through the categories is a little tricky, the sections don’t all have the same format, and it’s difficult to know which are founded on Google’s own opinions and which come from download figures (or which it wants to promote for its own reasons). For example, the best app and game seem to be opinion-based rather than download-based, but I presume the reams of movies and TV shows are judged on the cold numbers (those are region dependent, while the best app and game are fixed).
You can also assume that the movie and TV show listings are in numerical order, given that Game of Thrones, Rick and Morty and The Walking Dead take up positions one, two and three of TV, while Impractical Jokers (what?), Lucifer (huh?) and The 100 (erm…) are at the bottom.
So, here are some highlights from best Google Play Store stuff of 2017 — just tap the links to go to the relevant product or section:
Best app of 2017
Socratic is an educational app where young people can go to get tips and share work with friends. The app features an AI component that can help determine solutions to your specific problems when you upload a photo of them, and it’s not all about maths either, with support for Science, History and other subjects too. If smartphones are being blamed for turning us all into idiots, Socratic is helping tip the scales in the other direction.
Find out the winners in the other app categories here.
Best game of 2017
CATS arrives from the creative minds behind puzzle classic Cut the Rope, but unlike that albeit excellent title, this is a more action-packed affair. Players design, build and control their own battle bots in this free-to-play, PvP fighting game that features excellent graphics and physics. Don’t miss it.
Find out the winners in the other game categories here.
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
If you want to check out all of the categories and options, head to Google Play here.