I have kept my distance from DIYGamer for too long. While finishing a semester and partying the hell out of the holidays is excruciating fun, there’s the sweet call of the gaming industry roaming around my head at every waking moment. Seeing as how I covered most of the iOS titles anyway, I’ve decided to compile a list of the best iOS indies of 2010. Granted, some of you will want to see my blood spilled because I forgot to mention something or maybe you don’t consider a certain game or developer “indie” in any sense of the word, we just want you to be playing these games because they’re really — and I mean really — fucking awesome!

So without further ado: turn on, tune in, drop out:

10. Super QuickHook

RocketCat Games seems to have embraced the whole hook thing, and who can blame them? The game mechanic has served them well in each title as iOS gamers are always astounded by how addictive the experiences end up being. Super QuickHook also uses a familiar shop element to hook gamers in, it feels right at home when seeing improvements in gaming quality. It’s stylistically retro, but in a sleek iOS way. Play it!

9. Bar Oasis

Aurora may have made something completely off-beat, but it ended up working perfectly. Turns out being a bartender is fuckin’ fun! Anime chicks are cute, the conversations are genuinely interesting, and you get to learn all about alcoholic beverages (some that you are guaranteed to try after seeing them) while doing it. See, it’s fun and educational! Thanks, Aurora.

8. Train Conductor 2

Yes, Train Conductor was fantastic — but that doesn’t mean The Voxel Agents were simply riding on their success. Rather, they displayed their passion wholly and created new levels that surpassed its predecessors’ qualities. The art style will floor you, the gameplay will haunt you, and the music is a perfect complement to the experience. I know The Voxel Agents won’t make another game about trains, at least not for a while, but that’s because they have already displayed their abilities adeptly.

7. Spirits

I’m not putting this just because it’s received a lot of attention from us and has won an IndieCade award among other nominations and claims to fame; I’m putting this in because it’s that good! Spirits has aesthetically inspiring and warrants a warm and fuzzy feeling without being upfront. Get from point A to point B, but strategically plan your pathway to avoid obstacles and promote efficiency (you’re also collecting flowers in most levels). Spaces of Play deserve whatever praise they receive because Spirits is a must-own iOS title, especially if you have an iPad or iPhone 4.

6. Drop7

Puzzle games are packed into the App Store. Match-3s come in abundance, and it’s hard to come across something really intriguing. Fortunately, Area/Code came up with Drop 7. A friend of mine introduced me and it was love at first sight. It will eat up your minutes but you’ll be very eager to give them up. Drop7 should be in every app library.

5. Age of Zombies

There had to be a twin-stick shooter on the list; Age of Zombies is that twin-stick shooter. It’s the best game Halfbrick has done thus far, in my opinion, and it was very addictive on iOS. Monster Dash is kind of a sequel — more of a spinoff — of the game but Monster Dash needs the context of Age of Zombies to make its story (and I use that term loosely) prevail. In general though, blasting zombies and mummies is always fun, and Age of Zombies is a retro masterpiece.

4. Osmos

Yes, we’ve seen Hemisphere Games’ Osmos before, but only recently on iOS — and it took the App Store over by storm. It should have, too, because it’s a brilliant game and it works with the iOS mechanics. Pay attention, future developers: gamers enjoy fresh ideas.

3. World of Goo

While I have yet to see it on iPhone/iPod Touch, I’m assuming we’re getting closer having witnessed the recent iPad release. World of Goo was an extraordinary game to begin with, but iPad owners are raving about how great it is on their tablet. We all knew it would be awesome, but the fact that it’s really awesome makes me happy. Way to go, 2D Boy!

2. Game Dev Story

This game absolutely cannot not be on this list (double negatives emphasis). Sims aren’t my favorite, but the formula for this particular title was far too perfect. After five minutes, the lovable scheme comes to life and — before you know it — you’ve been playing for a few hours. KairoSoft is already working on the second game, but we’ll be playing the first Game Dev Story until it’s out.

1. Shibuya

Well, you may have already read about my affection for Shibuya in the Best of 2010 article, but I have to hand it to developers Nevercenter: the music in this app is just gorgeous. The gameplay will hook you in the first minute and you’ll find yourself playing repeatedly. What Shibuya did best though was challenge the player. Achievements were grouped and you had to level up to unlock further goals. By level 4, you’ll be saying WTF!? Normal is fine, but Adept and beyond (especially Gentle Rain) is when you truly know you’re on your way to mastering this game — and damn, it feels good. Shibuya comes out on top in 2010. Congratulations, Nevercenter!

Honorable Mentions:

NinjaTown: Trees of Doom - Venan’s NinjaTown was just a load of fun packed with cutesy visuals. I found it to be more enjoyable than NinJump.

Guerilla Bob - Though this twin-stick shooter didn’t make the list, Guerilla Bob‘s sense of style and penchant for extremism earns it an honorable mention.

Hook Worlds - As the follow-up to Super QuickHook, Hook Worlds offers more of happy-hook-fun, but ultimately is overshadowed by its predecessor. Still, Hook Worlds is entirely worth a playthrough if you’re a fan of the (and I use this term lightly) genre.

feelforit - Chris DeLeon’s feelforit initially annoyed the hell out of me — I just couldn’t figure it out. But once I got a feel for it, I knew exactly what was happening and the experience is simply unparalleled. All for free, too!

Monster Dash - The Age of Zombies spin-off starring the bringer of badassery, Barry Steakfries, made an honest climb to the top of the charts in 2010. Since then, I’ll admit its appeal has been lost because of its far more entertaining counter-part, but Monster Dash is a very addictive dollar title.

Sketch Nation Shooter - Games that encourage user-created content deserve all the attention they can get. Sketch Nation Shooter managed to pull off a painless (initially Facebook-based) download system for new levels, allowing app owners to try out as many shooting games created with Engineous’s system as possible. A must-own regardless of whether it is on the list or not.

I just want to thank all the indie developers for all mobile devices/consoles/computers who have made gaming fun, fresh and exciting. The App Store took a huge step forward and the bar has been set high for 2011. Let’s see what you got this year!