Celeste - Nintendo Switch

Celeste is a single-player 2D action platform game. The story follows a young woman named Madeline as she sets out to climb the mysterious Celeste Mountain. Her journey is both physical and personal, with the mountain manifesting her inner struggles in the form of obstacles and doppelgänger-like encounters. The player takes on her role, advancing through the mountain’s dangerous paths while uncovering fragments of her motivations and trials through brief narrative scenes.

The game is structured into a series of chapters, each consisting of distinct stages filled with environmental hazards. Core gameplay revolves around precision platforming with a limited but versatile set of moves: running, jumping, climbing, and a mid-air dash that can be used in multiple directions. Dashes recharge when Madeline lands on safe ground or passes through certain objects, and stamina governs how long she can cling to walls. These systems demand careful timing, as hazards such as spikes, pits, moving platforms, and collapsing ledges require the player to chain abilities in exact sequences to survive.

Levels introduce new mechanics gradually, ranging from springs and clouds that enhance jumps to moving blocks and wind currents that alter trajectory. Each chapter builds on these concepts, layering challenges in increasingly complex ways. Death is frequent and resets the player instantly at the beginning of the current screen. While the main path must be completed to advance, players can also collect optional strawberries scattered throughout levels.

Additional layers of difficulty are presented through hidden passages and special collectibles. Cassette tapes unlock “B-Side” versions of chapters, which remix stages into more demanding platforming challenges. Completing B-Sides can lead to “C-Sides,” short but extremely difficult bonus stages.