Threes Wins Apple Game of the Year

Threes, the acclaimed card puzzle game developed by indie studio Sirvo, has been awarded Game of the Year by Apple.

The game, which tasks players by matching cards of the same number, shipped in February and has accumulated a score of 92 on Metacritic. Apple said Threes was "one of the finest number puzzlers we've ever played, this little gem is big on charm and clever concepts."

It added: "Immensely thoughtful design makes Threes instantly appealing and nearly impossible to put down".

Platformer Leo's Fortune took runner-up, while Apple also gave honourable mentions to Monument Valley, Hitman GO, Ruzzle Adventure, Battleheart Legacy, and XCOM: Enemy Within.

Blizzard's card title Hearthstone, which was nominated for overall Game of the Year at the inaugural Game Awards show on Friday, did not feature in the list.

Meanwhile, in a separate rundown of the most popular apps of 2014, Mojang's Minecraft finished first in the paid category. Top grossing honours go to Candy Crush Saga on iPhone and Clash of Clans on iPad.