RocketCat Games should — by this point — be synonymous with iOS games… excellent iOS games, actually. Everything they have released up until this point has been gold, certified by thousands of gamers and dozens of press and industry figures (IGF anyone?). So why is it so surprising that Mage Gauntlet is their best game thus far? For one thing, it doesn’t involve hooks, although it does involve a very unique (and awesome) gauntlet. For another, it’s much more of an RPG than their earlier titles, which were based around jump/hook/platforming kinds of experiences. Either way, Mage Gauntlet is an absolute must-own on the iOS because it’s pretty much the definitive mobile action-RPG — minus some terrific RPG elements that could have improved the overall experience.

If you played Vlambeer’s Super Crate Box when it first released on PC, you know that it is two things: ridiculously addictive and downright unfairly challenging. Well, I’m happy to say that it seems Halfbot has been able to translate the title over to the iOS. In some cases, though, it’s a bit more difficult and annoying. On the other hand with OpenFeint integration, achievements and unlocks get a lot funner, but on the way to those achievements… I wanted to chuck my phone at the nearest bystander so he could experience at least some of the pain I was experiencing. Yes, it’s fun.

For any that are unfamiliar with BlindGiRl, GLPeas’ hauntingly unique platformer for XBLIG, this news may not be of much merit. However, BlindGiRl was a fantastic dollar (80 MSP) title worth playing, and its sequel — released Dec. 30th — seems far improved. As with the first game, you guide your character through mazes, unable to see physically where you are going but able to utilize sound waves to help construct your environment. Unlike the first game, though, there are a few more twists.

So, yes, Christmas has passed. Well actually, in my culture (I’m Armenian), our Christmas is on the 6th of January, so this is still relevant. But, in any case, what’s important is there are free games to be had thanks to our friends over at Grabarchuk Puzzles, who are known for developing the most mind-bending of puzzles for devices all across the board. In this case, they even left us with an impressive holiday puzzle, as you can see above. See if you can figure it out.

The Barclays Premier League season thus far has been ridiculously entertaining and full of its fair share of twists and turns. But now it’s time to set your sights on New Star Soccer 5, one of my personal favorite indie sports games of the last year. In New Star Soccer 5, you are a celebrity soccer player just starting out and trying to work your way up the team ladder. As you work to become part of the first team, you also have to learn to balance your personal and work lives and make clever purchases so as to improve your stamina rather than impair it. Or you can just fuck everything up and take steroids, your choice, dude.

For gamers like us, the regular kill and grind can get old. Utilizing the Source engine, Dear Esther — a new adventure/exploration title from developers thechineseroom — combines beautiful visuals with an abstract and poetic story, abandoning traditional gameplay elements and instead focusing on a rich atmosphere. Originally, the game was released as a mod for Half-Life 2 in 2008, but experienced radical changes in development as Robert Briscoe came on board.

[My very first interview for DIYGamer was conducted with one of the coolest dudes I've ever spoken to: Farbs. This is a guy who left big-shots 2K to work on his own artistry and give us tremendously varied experiences while at it. The "Captain" series has received high praise but Farbs' legacy extends far beyond that of a single series. Here, he and I have an e-sitdown and discuss his new online trading card game, Card Hunter, and what it's like to a filthy rich indie developer. One of those I'm kidding about...]

Some good news for those with free accounts in New Star Soccer 5: the game will have an unlimited number of matches to play for free until tomorrow, November 27. For those who are on the verge of purchasing NSS5 (which you really should do since it is a great game), it is still available at a 50% discount as part of the Show Me the Games sales promotion.

UK-based indie devs RedBedlam are on the verge of unveiling their Alpha for The Missing Ink in December, and it looks to be a ton of fun. The Missing Ink is an MMORPG set in a world inhabited by the fairy tales and legends we grew up with: the big bad wolf, knights in shining armor, star-crossed lovers, and the like. Except, in this world, something seems to have gone very wrong. In the words of the developers themselves:

In the hustle-bustle of what is the holiday gaming season, or rather what it has become thanks to the delicious Steam sale and the unforgivable urge to shed all my money-pounds by giving it to developers and publishers, it has become hard to sit down and play a game for over a few hours and actually write a review. What with Skyrim and Arkham City and the umpteen indie bundles I’ve purchased throughout the months, I start questioning whether I’ll ever even get to actually playing the games, or if I’ll just be purchasing them in the hopes that one day — presumably when I retire — I will play the hell out of each of them.

Enter Die Gute Fabrik’s Where is my Heart?