Celeste

Celeste is a hand-crafted platformer about Madeline's climb up Celeste Mountain. Precise jumping sections alternate with calm conversations and a personal story about self-doubt, fear and perseverance. The single-player adventure comes from the makers of TowerFall.

Celeste was released on Jan 25, 2018 for PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. The versions on current consoles run through backward compatibility, where supported by the respective manufacturer. A standalone native PS5 or Xbox Series release is therefore not confirmed.

Celeste is available on PC, PS4 and Nintendo Switch. The PC version supports Windows, macOS and Linux. An Xbox One version came out in 2018 but, according to developer Maddy Thorson, was removed from Xbox sales on Oct 29, 2026. This does not mean the other platform versions have been confirmed as discontinued.

Madeline can jump, climb and perform a short dash in the air. The order of these moves decides whether she gets across chasms, thorns and moving obstacles. Many screens demand precise inputs and use the quick restart after a failed attempt as part of the flow of play.

For Windows, Steam lists at least an Intel Core i3 M380, 2 GB RAM, Intel HD 4000, DirectX 10 and 1.2 GB storage. The PC version also supports macOS and Linux. Today's Steam client requires at least Windows 10 on Windows, even though the original game requirements list older versions.

The mountain leads through abandoned buildings, ruins, snow-covered paths and other varied areas. Over 700 hand-crafted sections make up a demanding route. New hazards each require different combinations of jumping, dashing and climbing.

Madeline wants to reach the summit, even though she is repeatedly confronted with fears and her own self-image. Conversations with characters such as Theo and an encounter with a dark reflection of herself complement the gameplay challenges. The adventure tells its story without interrupting control of the character for long periods.

The basic controls are limited to movement, jump, dash and climb. At difficult spots, precise sequences of these actions become important. The instant restart after a failure allows repeated attempts without having to cover long walks again.

Hidden cassettes unlock alternative B-sides of individual chapters with noticeably harder movement sequences. For experienced players, there are additional C-sides. These optional tasks build on moves you have learned and often demand a precise understanding of timing and reach.

Many screens hide strawberries that require especially difficult jumps. They are collectibles and not required to reach the summit. Further hidden rooms, crystal hearts and cassettes open up additional goals off the normal path.

Assist Mode offers adjustable aids. These include a slower game speed, extra dash moves and other easing options, among others. This means you can experience the story even when certain platforming sections would otherwise be too hard.

The free bonus chapter Farewell expands the story with especially demanding platforming sections. It assumes you have mastered the core moves and introduces new combinations. The chapter is part of the main game and is not sold as a separate edition.

Lena Raine's soundtrack accompanies the shift between focused climbing sections and story moments. Piano, synthesizers and atmospheric sounds clearly set the chapters apart. The in-game music is also available separately as a soundtrack.

Celeste is a single-player game. It has no local or online co-op. On PC it supports controllers and Steam achievements. The game speed and assist options can be changed independently of this in Assist Mode.

Celeste has German on-screen text. On Steam it is also supported in English, French, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian and Simplified Chinese. The story is told mainly through text dialogue.

Celeste was made by Maddy Makes Games and Extremely OK Games. The team includes Maddy Thorson and Noel Berry, among others; Lena Raine composed the music. The studio had previously found success with the local archery game TowerFall.