Celeste is a 2018 platform video game developed and published by indie studio Maddy Makes Games. The player controls the player character Madeline, a young woman with anxiety and depression, who endeavors to climb Celeste Mountain, a fictional version of Mount Celeste. During her climb, she encounters several characters, including a personification of her self-doubt (named "Badeline" by the game's developers), who attempts to stop her from reaching the mountain's summit.
Celeste is a two-dimensional platform game. The player controls Madeline, who has the ability to run, jump, climb walls for a limited time, wall jump, and dash in mid-air in one of eight directions.
Certain objects grant Madeline additional abilities. Green gems refill her dash ability without the need to land on the ground. Other objects include "dream blocks" that transport her from one side to another when dashed into, moving blocks that can transfer their momentum to Madeline when jumped off of, bubbles that move her when touched, and platforms that move after she dashes. The difficulty can be lowered through the use of an "Assist Mode", a setting that provides accessibility options including a lowered game speed, unlimited use of the dash ability, or the option to grant Madeline invincibility.
The base game consists of eight chapters and a free DLC that are all divided into multiple single-screen challenges, with checkpoints in between screens. Chapters contain branching paths that lead to optional challenges and hidden collectibles, including strawberries, cassette tapes, and crystal hearts that unlock gates in levels.