The holiday season is barreling down upon us. At this point I imagine a good many peoples’ funds have been completely tapped out thanks to all that gift buying. No more cash for personal goodies. If only there were some way… wait! There is! A handy (and weekly) article about free games ought to do the trick!

DISCLAIMER: 148apps is not responsible for angry husbands, wives, moms, dads, brothers, sisters, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins or friends as a result of being ignored in favor of digital entertainment. If problems persist, 148apps suggests putting the iOS device down and spending time with the family. There’s always next week.

iMAME – It’s probably a Christmas miracle that it hasn’t been taken off the App Store yet, but the virtual arcade machine that can be manually loaded with more games is indeed still up there. If, for some odd reason, it still hasn’t been downloaded, now is the time to jump on it. There’s always the possibility that this gift that keeps on giving will stick around for some miraculous reason, but why take that chance?

Dungeon Hunter 3 – Gameloft’s latest dungeon crawler shakes up the series something fierce. It features four new character classes (Astromancer, Warlord, Shaman, Trickster), the option to play as a male or female character and a price tag of zero dollars. Interest has been piqued, yes?

The Sims FreePlay – The Sims has gone free-to-play, and while this might mean things such as tasks being completed in real-time it doesn’t mean an end to the fun. With a price this nonexistent, it’d be a shame not to give it a look-see.

ZENONIA 4 – Gamevil’s action/rpg series has just received it’s most refined iteration yet. It looks prettier, plays better and is bound to give long-time fans of the series spontaneous fits of the giggles thanks to the inclusion of notable characters from past ZENONIA games.

Holy heck this was a great week for the free games. Free! Games! Right? OK, OK, I’ll stop crowing and just get to the games. Fine. Geeze.

Breakout Boost – “Atari’s been reviving their classic franchises on iOS; first was the dual-stick shooter reinvention of Asteroids as Asteroids Gunner. While that took a lot of liberties with the Asteroids formula, their latest reinvention, Breakout Boost, is a bit more traditional. The classic Arkanoid-esque gameplay is here: break all the bricks by bouncing a ball off of a paddle at the bottom of the screen.”

Mad Tracks – From iTunes: “Zoom through super sized 3D environments jam-packed with special power-ups against up to 3 other players in real-time. Compete in a mad dash to the finish or battle it out in one of the many mini-games and challenges.”

Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World – “Previously a PC point and click adventure, Kaptain Brawe: A Brawe New World follows the tale of Kaptain Brawe, a Space Police officer on a mission to rescue two kidnapped alien scientists. It sounds like serious business but it actually forms the basis of a very entertaining storyline. The humor is reminiscient of Lucasarts and classic Telltale Games titles.

Real Soccer 2012 – From iTunes: “Real Soccer is back for the new season, bringing soccer on mobile to a new era! Join the community of fans as you create and share content with the Custom Kit Editor. ”

The Sims: Freeplay – From iTunes: “LIVE FREE! From the creators of The Sims™ 3 series of best-selling iPhone games, comes an ALL-NEW Sims experience that you can play for FREE on iPhone and iPad!”

Marathon 2: Durandal – From iTunes: “Welcome to Marathon 2: Durandal, the second in the epic trilogy of first person shooter games that re-defined the genre. Experience the pulse-pounding action as you once again defend humanity from the alien Pfhor.”

Mystery Manor: Hidden Adventure – From iTunes: “Mystery Manor is a mystery-style hidden objects game. In a mystic mansion, inhabited by strange but lovely people, spooky monsters and funny ghosts you’ll have to find hidden objects, unlock new rooms and complete quests. ”

Arel Wars – From iTunes: “Deploy your troops, master their tactics and overrun the enemy’s towers in three grand campaigns. Form the strongest army in the land and fight for your place as champion of Drusilla. ”

Fans of popular EA franchise The Sims have never failed to find delights on the App Store. With four different varieties encompassing the original, Ambitions, World Adventures and Medieval, there’s plenty of fun to be had. However, there’s nothing replicating Facebook game The Sims Social. That is until now.

Coming to the App Store next month will be The Sims Freeplay, an entirely new game that bears a lot of similarities to other freemium games. It’ll be the kind of title that players can check in on throughout the day with The Sims world running constantly in the background. Players will get the chance to create up to 16 customized Sims, design their dream homes, care for pets, grow gardens and even find some time for baking too. A goals system which will presumably tie in with the career potentials of the Sims means that there’ll always be something new to do. There will also be the near obligatory in-app purchases we’ve all come to expect from freemium titles.

The Sims Freeplay is set for release next month. For now, check out the screenshots below for a taste of what’s to come.