Barb is confident. Barb is strong. But Barb lost her book of positive affirmations and she needs your help to get her mojo back! In the clever platformer Be Brave, Barb, guide this courageous cactus through dozens of gravity-defying islands while dodging spikes, fireballs and cute-but-deadly enemies. Remember the wise words of Barb’s therapist: “Stress is just excitement in disguise.”

What we love: The mix of precise platforming and good-natured humour. Using direction-switching blocks, cactus cannons and Barb’s trusty jump to reach the end of each level isn’t always easy. But collecting heartwarmingly silly affirmations – like “I have never lost any socks (I have never owned any socks)” – is its own reward.

Quick tip: Finding affirmations may require some out-of-the box thinking. Don’t be afraid to jump over a direction-changing block – or even the flagpole goal at the end of the level – to recover these elusive pages.

Meet the creator: Aotearoa New Zealand–based solo developer Thomas K. Young originally designed Barb as a woodlouse – but he couldn’t figure out how to make the character cute enough, so he turned her into a cactus. Young is also the maker of Super Fowlst, Molecano and the Dadish series.