Celeste is a precision platformer by Maddy Makes Games, built by Matt Thorson and Noel Berry and released on 25 January 2018. Madeline climbs a mountain with three tools: a jump, a wall grab limited by stamina, and a single air dash that only recharges when she touches ground or a crystal. Every screen is a self-contained problem, deaths restart the screen instantly, and the game counts your deaths without ever punishing them. An Assist Mode ships in the options menu and lets you change speed, stamina, dash count and invincibility, and Chapter 9, Farewell, was added free in September 2019.
Celeste features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order: what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Forsaken City | Chapter 1 | Cassette tape for the 1B remix, crystal heart, 20 strawberries | Strawberry completionist |
| 2 | Old Site | Chapter 2 | Dream block sequences, cassette tape, crystal heart | Strawberry completionist |
| 3 | Celestial Resort | Chapter 3 | Cassette tape, crystal heart, several seeded strawberries | Story climber |
| 4 | Golden Ridge | Chapter 4 | Feather sections, cassette tape, crystal heart | Story climber |
| 5 | Mirror Temple | Chapter 5 | Cassette tape, crystal heart, the largest strawberry count of the mid game | Story climber |
Forsaken City: Starting Area
The opening chapter and the game's teaching ground, built around spinners, refill crystals and the basic dash. It is also where most players first find a strawberry that requires backtracking, which sets the pattern for every chapter after it.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Chapter 1 |
| Key Rewards | Cassette tape for the 1B remix, crystal heart, 20 strawberries |
| Recommended Role | Strawberry completionist |
| Key Weapons | Wall climb |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of One air dash with eight directions. This is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first weapons upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to Old Site.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
Old Site: Early Game
Introduces dream blocks, the dark surfaces you dash straight through. The chapter is shorter than the first but leans harder on chaining dashes without a ground touch in between.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Chapter 2 |
| Key Rewards | Dream block sequences, cassette tape, crystal heart |
| Recommended Role | Strawberry completionist |
| Key Weapons | Wall climb |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering Climbing on a stamina meter. It's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Wall climb if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in Celestial Resort.
Celestial Resort: Mid Game
A derelict hotel built around dust bunnies that hurt on contact and doors that need clearing, plus a supporting character who sends you between wings of the building. It is the first chapter with real navigation rather than a straight line upward.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Chapter 3 |
| Key Rewards | Cassette tape, crystal heart, several seeded strawberries |
| Recommended Role | Story climber |
| Key Weapons | Wall climb |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Dash becomes accessible here. Prioritize getting it.
- Master Assist Mode toggles in the options for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Golden Ridge: Late Game
Opens up wind as a constant force pushing Madeline around, which changes the distance every jump and dash covers. Feathers appear here too, and the combination of wind and flight is what makes this the first chapter that reliably stops people.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Chapter 4 |
| Key Rewards | Feather sections, cassette tape, crystal heart |
| Recommended Role | Story climber |
| Key Weapons | Dash |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Dash should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- Momentum tech: hypers, supers and wavedashes mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Mirror Temple.
Mirror Temple: Endgame
The longest chapter in the main game, split across multiple wings with keys to find and a section where visibility is deliberately restricted. Its B-Side is widely considered one of the hardest in the game.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Chapter 5 |
| Key Rewards | Cassette tape, crystal heart, the largest strawberry count of the mid game |
| Recommended Role | Story climber |
| Key Weapons | Dash |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Golden Strawberry runner for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order: Forsaken City → Old Site → Celestial Resort → Golden Ridge → Mirror Temple. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner: Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your weapons: Some areas favor different weapons types.
- Read the walkthrough: Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush: Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.
More Celeste Guides
- Celeste Celeste Overview
- Celeste Best Builds
- Celeste Tier List
- Celeste Walkthrough
- Celeste Beginner's Guide
- Celeste Tips & Tricks
- Celeste Weapons Guide
- Celeste Combat Guide
- Celeste Boss Guide
- Celeste Crafting Guide
- Celeste Classes & Characters
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