Now one of 2018’s best games is back on Xbox Game Pass, you have no excuse not to play it

Did you know that, in literature, strawberries are often interpreted as a symbol of humility, of modesty, of shyness? The theory is that because the hybrid fruit species is grown under the shade of its own leaves, the sweet red foodstuff has a shrinking view of its own importance – or, rather, it knows exactly its place in the world and craves nothing bigger. In Celeste, strawberries have become iconic. The pixel art fruits have come to symbolise the game, and in fan communities around the world, the humble strawberry has become immediately synonymous with the game. Why? Because collectible strawbs litter the game's levels. Whether you decide to collect them or not, the fruits don't serve any purpose – they’re there purely to give you an extra challenge. To build the world. To provide a sweet treat for your protagonist, Madeline (and, well, if you get all 175, you get a tiny little bonus in the epilogue, too). It’s funny to me that a symbol of humility and self-worth is the central icon of Celeste. A streamlined platformer, lean and athletic and single-minded in its pursuit of pixel-platform perfection, Celeste is hard. Charting a journey of personal growth via the age-old metaphor of climbing a mountain, the game delights in making you fail. It revolves around stumbling over the finishing line, just about meeting your goal, barely getting through the day. Read more