Celeste (video game)

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Celeste
A vertical cover artwork. On the center-left is Badeline, a floating girl with
long, purple hair, a purple jacket, black leggings, and red eyes. Near the bottom-
left is Oshiro, a semi-transparent ghost with a green tint. He is in front of a
gondola and is looking towards Madeline. Madeline, in the center, has red hair, a
blue jacket, purple leggings, and a brown backpack. She is jumping, and her right
arm is reaching towards a winged strawberry. In the center-right position is Theo,
a bearded man with a green sweater. He is depicted on the other side of a mirror,
with one hand touching the glass, and the other holding a smartphone. Below him is
Granny, an elderly woman with green clothing and a cane, looking up at Madeline. At
the top of the image is the game's logo, a blue-purple text reading "CELESTE"
covered in snow, with a stylized mountain in the same color scheme directly above
it.
Cover artwork, depicting (from left to right) Badeline, Oshiro, Madeline, Granny,
and Theo
Developer(s) Matt Makes Games
Publisher(s) Matt Makes Games
Director(s) Maddy Thorson[a]
Programmer(s)
Maddy Thorson
Noel Berry
Artist(s)
Noel Berry
Amora Bettany
Gabby DaRienzo
Pedro Medeiros
Writer(s) Maddy Thorson
Composer(s) Lena Raine
Engine MonoGame
Platform(s)
Linux
macOS
Nintendo Switch
PlayStation 4
Windows
Xbox One
Google Stadia
Release
Linux, macOS, NS, PS4, Windows
WW: January 25, 2018
Xbox One
WW: January 26, 2018
Stadia
WW: July 28, 2020
Genre(s) Platform
Mode(s) Single-player
Celeste is a 2018 platform game developed and published by indie studio Matt Makes
Games. The player controls Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression who
aims to climb Celeste Mountain. During her climb, she encounters several
characters, including a personification of her self-doubt known as Badeline, who
attempts to stop her from climbing the mountain.

Development of Celeste began in August 2015, when game developers Maddy Thorson[a]
and Noel Berry participated in a game jam, where they created Celeste for the PICO-
8. Thorson, who served as producer, and Berry, who served as the lead programmer,
wanted to expand the PICO-8 game into a full release. Inspired in part by Thorson's
own TowerFall (2013) and by Super Mario Bros. 3 (1988), the gameplay was designed
to be minimal, while mirroring Thorson's experiences with bouldering. Celeste was
designed to be accessible, featuring game mechanics intended to make the game more
forgiving in addition to an "Assist Mode" offering several options to make the game
less challenging. The themes of self-forgiveness present in the narrative began
with the idea of creating a "more introspective" game, and later grew to become
intertwined with the gameplay. The soundtrack was composed by Lena Raine.

Celeste released on January 25, 2018, for Linux, macOS, Nintendo Switch,
PlayStation 4, and Windows, before being released on Xbox One the following day,
and on Google Stadia in July 2020. Upon release, it received "universal acclaim"
from critics. Reviewers appreciated how narrative complimented its gameplay, and
movement and controls were lauded as among the best in any video game. Critics
appreciated its approach to difficulty and accessibility. Reviewers lauded the
story as a whole as easy to relate to or "touching", and the depiction of
depression and anxiety were praised. The pixel art style was praised as well and
its music, with reviewers appreciating how it complemented the gameplay.

Since its release, Celeste has garnered a dedicated fandom and an active
speedrunning community. On September 9, 2019, a free downloadable content (DLC)
expansion named Farewell was released, introducing a new chapter to the game. The
development team have stated that they do not intend to create a sequel for the
main game, however a sequel to Celeste for PICO-8 titled Celeste 2: Lani's Trek was
released in January 2021.