Celeste

Celeste is a platform game released in 2018 by Canadian developer Matt Makes Games. Players guide Madeline as she climbs Celeste Mountain, a mysterious peak whose dangers are both physical and psychological. The story follows her struggle with anxiety and self-doubt, giving the ascent a meaning beyond reaching the summit.

Madeline can run, jump, climb walls and perform an air dash in eight directions. Her dash normally recharges when she lands, so each screen becomes a problem of timing, momentum and positioning. Later challenges build on these moves with elements such as moving blocks, wind and collectible crystals that restore a dash in midair. Death sends Madeline back to the beginning of the current screen almost immediately, encouraging players to try again.

Along the climb, Madeline meets Theo, a traveler documenting his journey, and an elderly woman who lives on the mountain. She also encounters a manifestation of herself often called Badeline. Initially an antagonist who tries to stop her ascent, Badeline embodies feelings Madeline wants to reject. Their relationship changes as Madeline learns that reaching the summit requires acknowledging this part of herself rather than simply trying to escape it.

The main route contains optional strawberries, often placed behind hazards or in difficult-to-reach corners. Collecting them is not necessary to finish the story. Hidden cassette tapes unlock B-Side chapters, which offer harder versions of the game’s levels. Completing those challenges opens the way to still more demanding C-Sides.

Celeste also includes an Assist Mode with settings that let players adjust the game’s speed, gain additional dashes or enable invincibility. The game presents these options as a way to make the experience accessible to more players.

The game grew from a small prototype created for a game jam. That original version, now commonly called Celeste Classic, is playable through a hidden computer found in the full game. The expanded release features pixel art, a soundtrack by Lena Raine and dialogue portraits by artist Amora Bettany.

A free chapter titled Farewell arrived in 2019. Set after the main story, it follows Madeline as she grieves the mountain’s elderly woman and pursues a bird she believes may bring her back. Farewell introduces new mechanics and some of the game’s most demanding platforming. Celeste won Best Independent Game and Games for Impact at The Game Awards 2018. Its combination of precise movement, quick retries and a story about living with mental illness made it distinctive among contemporary platformers.