On Monday Apple Inc. announced its official list of the best iPhone and iPad apps for 2014 available from iTunes. If you are tired of scrolling through endless ‘top’ lists, this list can be your go-to resource if you are looking for a new iOS app or game.

Android users, take heart, some of these are also available on Android and indicated as such.

Read on for the top two apps and games for iPhone and iPad in 2014:

The top two iPhone apps of the year:

• Elevate, a brain-training app that uses games to help you improve your memory, focus, and speaking skills. (iOS and Android)
• Hyperlapse from Instagram, an app that lets you shoot time lapse videos even when in motion using automatic stabilization technology. (iOS)

The top two iPhone games of the year:

• Threes, a puzzle game in which players combine numbers in a grid to make larger numbers. The larger the numbers, the higher the score. (iOS and Android)
• Leo’s Fortune, a visually spectacular adventure platform game starring Leopold, a Koosh ball with a mustache, on a mission to get back his stolen gold. (iOS and Android)

The top two iPad apps of the year:

• Pixelmator, previously only available for the Mac, Apple introduced the iPad version of this professional quality photo-editing app with the launch of the iPad Air. It lets you work seamlessly between Mac and iPad as well as collaborate with Adobe Photoshop users. (iOS)
• Storehouse, for iPad lets you tell stories with your photos and videos. You can import photos and videos from your Camera Roll, Instagram, Flickr, Dropbox, and Lightroom. (iOS)

The top two iPad games of the year:

• Monument Valley, an exceptionally elegant puzzle platform game in which you manipulate impossible architecture and guide a silent princess through a stunningly beautiful world. (iOS and Android)
• Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft, from the makers of World of Warcraft, lets you play the hero in a fast-paced, whimsical card game of cunning strategy. (iOS only for now and Android is coming)

The list of runners-up in the games category includes puzzle games for iPhone such as Elevate and Ruzzle Adventure. It’s not all fun and games though, as several news and content apps also made the list, including, NYT Now, Yahoo News Digest, Facebook’s Paper and BuzzFeed.

photo credit: miguel77 via photopin cc