Celeste
Not to be confused with the 2015 original game, its 2021 successor, the titular mountain or the founder of this wiki.
For advice on purchasing a copy of the game, refer to Buying Celeste.
Celeste is a 2018 two-dimensional platforming video game
made by Maddy Thorson and friends. It is based on CELESTE Classic, a 2015 game of the same name, made in four days by Thorson and Noel Berry for a game jam. The game follows a young trans woman named Madeline who attempts to climb the weird and ominous Celeste Mountain, and has to face her inner demons in her quest towards the summit. Celeste was critically acclaimed for its soundtrack, art style, and plot.
Gameplay
The player controls Madeline, who can run and jump, grab and climb walls. She can also dash in eight directions mid-air and perform countless techniques. The game is divided into nine chapters (excluding Prologue and Epilogue), each featuring its own mechanics, plot, and gimmicks. Chapters 1-8 also have harder alternate sides.
The required skill level mostly scales upwards as you progress through the game. However, it can be controlled with the use of Assist and Variant Modes. Golden Strawberries provide additional difficulty. Celeste also has lots of mods, ranging from easy to just about impossible, increasing the number of levels from twenty-five to thousands.
History
Celeste has been released on various platforms: initially on itch.io and the Steam distribution system for GNU/Linux, macOS, and Windows. Console releases were created for the Xbox One lineup, Playstation 4 series, and Nintendo Switch consoles; since then, the game has been ported to newer-generation consoles, including Xbox Series S/X and PlayStation 5. An update in September 2019, 1.3.0.0, introduced Farewell, and updates later fixed minor bugs and added quality-of-life changes. In 2021, Celeste Classic 2 was released, borrowing many aspects of the game.
The game established a large speedrunning and modding community. The Strawberry Jam Collab, released in 2023, is among the largest, featuring over 100 maps made by 350+ community members.
