APP STORE AWARDS 2021

iPhone App of the Year

Create your world & characters

Toca Boca World

Lihat

Toca Life World is our 2021 iPhone App of the Year because... this enormous virtual playground gave children new ways to have fun however they like and see themselves as they are.

‣ Number of characters kids created in 2021: 2.3 billion
‣ Number of available customizations: 2,200
‣ Most popular playset: Modern Mansion

Since its 2018 launch, Toca Life World has been helping kids build their own worlds, tell their own stories, and express themselves as they please.

There are no boss-level battles or clocks to race here. Instead kids dive into an array of environments—including a thriving aquarium, a fruit-themed gym, and the egg-cellently named Omelette Islands—and explore at their own pace.

Redecorate the house, raid the fridge, get a haircut, or just hang out with friends—what can’t you do in Toca Life World?

They might wander through a cave of stalactites or ride a Ferris wheel. They might come across charming details like a marshmallow held over a fire browning to perfection, or riders on a roller coaster throwing their arms in the air. It’s a wide-open space ready to be filled with imagination.

It’s important that every kid feels invited and welcome. That’s why we spend so much time making sure you’re able to create yourself.

—Mathilda Engman, Toca Boca general manager

This year, Toca Life World grew in ways that reflected children’s real-life experiences more than ever. The app’s new character expressions feature is not only fun to play with (who doesn’t like making faces?) but offers a nuanced way to communicate the complexity of kids’ feelings—not just happy but hyperexcited, not just sad but brokenhearted, not just surprised but wide-eyed with wonder. (In fact, many of its expressions were inspired by suggestions from kids themselves.)

And when we say kids, we mean every one: To ensure its characters are representative of everyone, Toca Life World offers more than 2,000 customizations—from hip hairstyles and silly glasses to prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs, and hearing aids. Such inclusive attributes were suggested by users and a team of external advisers that looked at details like skin tone and mobility-related traits. “We put a lot into making everything look cool, something you’d feel proud of having,” says Toca Boca general manager Mathilda Engman. “If it’s a wheelchair, it should be fun in the same way as an outfit.”

This year, more than ever, Toca Boca made sure we all felt welcome.

2021 App Store Award Winners