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.
Your choice of weapons defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Weapons Rankings
| Weapon | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dash | S | Crossing spike gaps and reaching ledges that a jump alone falls short of. | One air dash in eight directions, refilled by landing or by touching a refill crystal. |
| Wall climb | A | Vertical shafts and repositioning between wall jumps. | Holding grab sticks Madeline to a wall and drains stamina, which only recovers on the ground. |
| Wall jump | A | Climbing tall rooms without burning the stamina bar. | Jumping away from a wall does not need the grab button and does not cost stamina, which makes it the cheapest way to climb. |
| Dream Block | B | Traversing solid walls and setting up long chained dashes. | Introduced in Chapter 2, these dark blocks let Madeline dash straight through them and eject her at the far side in the direction she entered. |
| Feather | B | Long horizontal flights through spike corridors, especially in Chapter 4 and later. | Grabbing a feather turns Madeline into a steerable star for a few seconds, letting her fly through gaps that no dash reaches. |
S-Tier: Dash
One air dash in eight directions, refilled by landing or by touching a refill crystal. It is both your movement extender and your only way to cross gaps that a jump cannot reach, so spending it is always a decision rather than a reflex.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Crossing spike gaps and reaching ledges that a jump alone falls short of. |
| Key Mechanic | One air dash with eight directions |
| Recommended Role | Story climber |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Dash: Pairs naturally with Story climber thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Wall climb
Holding grab sticks Madeline to a wall and drains stamina, which only recovers on the ground. Tapping grab to reposition costs far less than hanging while you plan, and the flashing warning means you have about a second left.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Vertical shafts and repositioning between wall jumps. |
| Key Mechanic | Climbing on a stamina meter |
| Recommended Role | Strawberry completionist |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Wall climb: Pairs naturally with Strawberry completionist thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
A-Tier: Wall jump
Jumping away from a wall does not need the grab button and does not cost stamina, which makes it the cheapest way to climb. A neutral jump straight up the wall is a separate input worth learning, because it keeps you in the same column.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Climbing tall rooms without burning the stamina bar. |
| Key Mechanic | Assist Mode toggles in the options |
| Recommended Role | Assist Mode climber |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Wall jump: Pairs naturally with Assist Mode climber thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Dream Block
Introduced in Chapter 2, these dark blocks let Madeline dash straight through them and eject her at the far side in the direction she entered. Chaining several in a row is how the middle chapters build their longest sequences.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Traversing solid walls and setting up long chained dashes. |
| Key Mechanic | Strawberries, hearts and cassettes |
| Recommended Role | B-Side cassette runner |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Dream Block: Pairs naturally with B-Side cassette runner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
B-Tier: Feather
Grabbing a feather turns Madeline into a steerable star for a few seconds, letting her fly through gaps that no dash reaches. Control is analogue rather than gridded, so it rewards small stick adjustments rather than sharp turns.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Long horizontal flights through spike corridors, especially in Chapter 4 and later. |
| Key Mechanic | Momentum tech: hypers, supers and wavedashes |
| Recommended Role | Golden Strawberry runner |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Feather: Pairs naturally with Golden Strawberry runner thanks to how their stat scaling lines up.
Weapons Progression Path
The order you should acquire weapons as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Forsaken City
- Wall climb → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Wall jump → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Dash → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Weapons Tips
- Always upgrade your primary weapon before diversifying. One strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your weapons to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Tap the grab button to reposition rather than holding it, because stamina only refills when Madeline touches the ground and holding while you think is the most common cause of falls.
- Check our tier list for how weapons rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Celeste Guides
- Celeste Celeste Overview
- Celeste Best Builds
- Celeste Tier List
- Celeste Walkthrough
- Celeste Beginner's Guide
- Celeste Tips & Tricks
- Celeste Combat Guide
- Celeste Boss Guide
- Celeste Maps & Locations
- Celeste Crafting Guide
- Celeste Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Celeste, check out these related guides:
- Helldivers 2 Weapons Guide: action game with similar mechanics
- Black Myth: Wukong Weapons Guide: action game with similar mechanics
- Monster Hunter Wilds Weapons Guide: action game with similar mechanics
