<s>
Celeste	B-Application
is	O
a	O
2018	O
platform	O
game	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
indie	O
studio	O
Matt	O
Makes	O
Games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
controls	O
Madeline	O
,	O
a	O
young	O
woman	O
with	O
anxiety	O
and	O
depression	O
who	O
aims	O
to	O
climb	O
Celeste	B-Application
Mountain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
began	O
in	O
August	O
2015	O
,	O
when	O
game	O
developers	O
Maddy	O
Thorson	O
and	O
Noel	O
Berry	O
participated	O
in	O
a	O
game	O
jam	O
,	O
where	O
they	O
created	O
Celeste	B-Application
for	O
the	O
PICO-8	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thorson	O
,	O
who	O
served	O
as	O
producer	O
,	O
and	O
Berry	O
,	O
who	O
served	O
as	O
the	O
lead	O
programmer	O
,	O
wanted	O
to	O
expand	O
the	O
PICO-8	B-Language
game	O
into	O
a	O
full	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inspired	O
in	O
part	O
by	O
Thorson	O
's	O
own	O
TowerFall	B-Application
(	O
2013	O
)	O
and	O
by	O
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
1988	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
gameplay	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
minimal	O
,	O
while	O
mirroring	O
Thorson	O
's	O
experiences	O
with	O
bouldering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
accessible	O
,	O
featuring	O
game	O
mechanics	O
intended	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
more	O
forgiving	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
an	O
"	O
Assist	O
Mode	O
"	O
offering	O
several	O
options	O
to	O
make	O
the	O
game	O
less	O
challenging	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
themes	O
of	O
self-forgiveness	O
present	O
in	O
the	O
narrative	O
began	O
with	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
creating	O
a	O
"	O
more	O
introspective	B-Application
"	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
later	O
grew	O
to	O
become	O
intertwined	O
with	O
the	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
released	O
on	O
January	O
25	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
for	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
macOS	B-Application
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
,	O
before	O
being	O
released	O
on	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
the	O
following	O
day	O
,	O
and	O
on	O
Google	B-Application
Stadia	I-Application
in	O
July	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Since	O
its	O
release	O
,	O
Celeste	B-Application
has	O
garnered	O
a	O
dedicated	O
fandom	O
and	O
an	O
active	O
speedrunning	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
September	O
9	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
a	O
free	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
expansion	O
named	O
Farewell	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
introducing	O
a	O
new	O
chapter	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
development	O
team	O
have	O
stated	O
that	O
they	O
do	O
not	O
intend	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
sequel	O
for	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
,	O
however	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Celeste	B-Application
for	O
PICO-8	B-Language
titled	O
Celeste	B-Application
2	O
:	O
Lani	O
's	O
Trek	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
January	O
2021	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
is	O
a	O
two-dimensional	O
platform	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
B-side	O
levels	O
can	O
be	O
unlocked	O
by	O
locating	O
the	O
hidden	O
cassette	B-Device
tape	I-Device
in	O
its	O
corresponding	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
on	O
a	O
fictionalized	O
version	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
Mountain	O
,	O
which	O
features	O
several	O
areas	O
,	O
including	O
an	O
abandoned	O
city	O
and	O
resort	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
seemingly	O
haunted	O
,	O
housing	O
many	O
strange	O
occurrences	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	O
,	O
a	O
young	O
woman	O
who	O
serves	O
as	O
the	O
protagonist	O
,	O
spontaneously	O
decides	O
to	O
climb	O
Celeste	B-Application
Mountain	O
to	O
regain	O
self-esteem	O
,	O
and	O
stubbornly	O
persists	O
until	O
she	O
reaches	O
the	O
mountain	O
's	O
summit	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
version	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Maddy	O
Thorson	O
and	O
Noel	O
Berry	O
in	O
August	O
2015	O
for	O
the	O
fantasy	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
console	I-Application
PICO-8	B-Language
during	O
a	O
game	O
jam	O
lasting	O
four	O
days	O
..	O
Due	O
to	O
self-imposed	O
restrictions	O
and	O
time	O
limitations	O
,	O
Thorson	O
and	O
Berry	O
wanted	O
the	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
minimal	O
with	O
additional	O
mechanics	O
to	O
add	O
complexity	O
,	O
to	O
which	O
they	O
felt	O
idea	O
of	O
a	O
character	O
struggling	O
to	O
climb	O
a	O
mountain	O
was	O
fitting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
decided	O
to	O
approach	O
the	O
project	O
as	O
a	O
single-player	O
adventure	O
from	O
its	O
initial	O
conception	O
with	O
lessons	O
from	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Thorson	O
's	O
previous	O
game	O
,	O
TowerFall	B-Application
(	O
2013	O
)	O
,	O
carried	O
over	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
the	O
PICO-8	B-Language
version	O
,	O
retroactively	O
titled	O
Celeste	B-Application
Classic	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
wanted	O
to	O
expand	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
additional	O
development	O
time	O
and	O
fewer	O
restrictions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
Classic	O
was	O
added	O
into	O
Celeste	B-Application
as	O
a	O
hidden	O
minigame	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
produced	O
by	O
Thorson	O
,	O
and	O
Berry	O
served	O
as	O
the	O
lead	O
programmer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Thorson	O
and	O
Berry	O
cited	O
multiple	O
games	O
as	O
having	O
influenced	O
the	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
including	O
Donkey	B-Application
Kong	I-Application
Country	I-Application
2	I-Application
(	O
1995	O
)	O
,	O
Metroid	B-Device
(	O
1986	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Kero	B-Application
Blaster	I-Application
(	O
2014	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Super	B-Application
Mario	I-Application
Bros	I-Application
.	I-Application
3	I-Application
(	O
1988	O
)	O
was	O
singled	O
out	O
by	O
Thorson	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
most	O
inspired	O
by	O
,	O
particularly	O
for	O
its	O
approach	O
to	O
problem-solving	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
level	O
design	O
was	O
noted	O
by	O
Shacknews	O
and	O
Kill	O
Screen	O
to	O
have	O
been	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
levels	O
created	O
by	O
Thorson	O
in	O
Super	B-Device
Mario	I-Device
Maker	I-Device
(	O
2015	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
precise	O
gameplay	O
also	O
influenced	O
the	O
art	O
style	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
team	O
felt	O
that	O
pixel	O
art	O
could	O
more	O
clearly	O
convey	O
mechanics	O
such	O
as	O
hitboxes	B-Protocol
to	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
a	O
style	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
was	O
familiar	O
with	O
creating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
design	O
phase	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
wanted	O
Celeste	B-Application
to	O
feel	O
difficult	O
yet	O
fair	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Several	O
mechanics	O
contribute	O
to	O
this	O
,	O
one	O
example	O
being	O
"	O
coyote	O
time	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
jump	O
for	O
a	O
small	O
moment	O
after	O
leaving	O
the	O
ground	O
,	O
named	O
after	O
Looney	B-Application
Tunes	I-Application
character	O
Wile	O
E	O
.	O
Coyote	O
's	O
ability	O
to	O
sometimes	O
become	O
suspended	O
in	O
midair	O
,	O
only	O
falling	O
once	O
made	O
aware	O
of	O
the	O
situation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
mechanics	O
include	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
buffer	B-General_Concept
the	O
input	O
for	O
a	O
jump	O
before	O
touching	O
the	O
ground	O
,	O
a	O
mechanic	O
that	O
simulates	O
rounded	O
corners	O
to	O
prevent	O
the	O
player	O
from	O
colliding	O
with	O
a	O
corner	O
,	O
and	O
one	O
that	O
allows	O
players	O
to	O
jump	O
off	O
of	O
a	O
wall	O
while	O
slightly	O
in	O
front	O
of	O
it	O
rather	O
than	O
requiring	O
direct	O
contact	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
mechanics	O
were	O
designed	O
to	O
allow	O
Celeste	B-Application
to	O
be	O
either	O
hardcore	O
or	O
forgiving	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
preference	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Systems	O
like	O
strawberries	O
,	O
B-sides	O
,	O
and	O
Assist	O
mode	O
were	O
designed	O
to	O
allow	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
customize	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
implementation	O
of	O
an	O
accessbility	O
option	O
was	O
decided	O
on	O
after	O
observing	O
public	O
discourse	O
surrounding	O
Cuphead	B-Application
(	O
2017	O
)	O
that	O
originated	O
after	O
many	O
players	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
too	O
difficult	O
or	O
unforgiving	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
themes	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
took	O
inspiration	O
by	O
Studio	O
Ghibli	O
films	O
such	O
as	O
Spirited	O
Away	O
(	O
2001	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
developers	O
knew	O
that	O
they	O
wanted	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
more	O
introspective	B-Application
compared	O
to	O
the	O
more	O
extroverted	O
nature	O
of	O
TowerFall	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
developing	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
Thorson	O
experienced	O
a	O
'	O
breaking	O
point	O
 '	O
where	O
her	O
depression	O
and	O
anxiety	O
became	O
too	O
severe	O
to	O
be	O
ignored	O
,	O
that	O
then	O
served	O
as	O
the	O
inspiration	O
for	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
large	O
role	O
of	O
the	O
story	O
in	O
Celeste	B-Application
surprised	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
and	O
they	O
made	O
the	O
decision	O
to	O
delay	O
Celeste	B-Application
in	O
order	O
to	O
"	O
do	O
the	O
story	O
justice	O
"	O
,	O
properly	O
connect	O
it	O
to	O
the	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
make	O
Madeline	O
's	O
experiences	O
in	O
the	O
narrative	O
reflect	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
experiences	O
during	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
transformed	O
Celeste	B-Application
into	O
a	O
game	O
about	O
remembering	O
to	O
take	O
care	O
of	O
oneself	O
,	O
and	O
recognizing	O
that	O
sometimes	O
self-improvement	O
is	O
necessary	O
to	O
avoid	O
hurting	O
others	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lena	O
Raine	O
composed	O
the	O
majority	O
of	O
Celestes	B-Application
soundtrack	O
,	O
with	O
additional	O
composers	O
providing	O
remixes	O
of	O
Raine	O
's	O
score	O
for	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
B-side	O
levels	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Specific	O
sounds	O
in	O
the	O
music	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
were	O
designed	O
to	O
match	O
certain	O
themes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Its	O
synthesizer-heavy	O
sequences	O
,	O
noted	O
by	O
Raine	O
to	O
be	O
reminiscent	O
of	O
Vangelis	O
and	O
Blade	B-Application
Runner	I-Application
(	O
1982	O
)	O
,	O
were	O
designed	O
to	O
match	O
the	O
"	O
cosmic	O
horrors	O
"	O
experienced	O
by	O
Madeline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
character	O
in	O
Celeste	B-Application
is	O
represented	O
by	O
their	O
own	O
instrument	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Farewell	O
expansion	O
began	O
development	O
following	O
a	O
long	O
break	O
after	O
release	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
developed	O
in	O
conjugation	O
with	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
next	O
project	O
Earthblade	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Farewell	O
was	O
released	O
at	O
no	O
additional	O
cost	O
,	O
though	O
Thorson	O
noted	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
only	O
possible	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
financial	O
success	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
announced	O
in	O
July	O
2016	O
,	O
and	O
Thorson	O
and	O
Berry	O
livestreamed	O
themselves	O
developing	O
the	O
game	O
on	O
Twitch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
initially	O
announced	O
for	O
release	O
in	O
2017	O
,	O
as	O
Thorson	O
and	O
Berry	O
wanted	O
it	O
to	O
release	O
as	O
a	O
launch	O
game	O
for	O
the	O
then-upcoming	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
in	O
March	O
2017	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
next	O
February	O
,	O
a	O
full	O
trailer	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
showcasing	O
Celestes	B-Application
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2017	O
,	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
published	O
the	O
first	O
post	O
for	O
an	O
Instagram	B-Application
account	O
written	O
in-character	O
as	O
Theo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
series	O
of	O
images	O
framed	O
as	O
Theo	O
's	O
selfies	O
serve	O
as	O
a	O
prelude	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
detailing	O
Theo	O
's	O
backstory	O
and	O
journey	O
to	O
Celeste	B-Application
Mountain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
released	O
on	O
January	O
25	O
,	O
2018	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
,	O
MacOS	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Linux	B-Application
,	O
and	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
on	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
the	O
following	O
day	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
July	O
9	O
,	O
2020	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
would	O
be	O
releasing	O
on	O
the	O
cloud	B-Application
gaming	I-Application
service	I-Application
Google	B-Application
Stadia	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
collection	O
of	O
games	O
included	O
for	O
free	O
with	O
Stadia	B-Application
Pro	O
—	O
a	O
subscription-based	O
version	O
of	O
Stadia	B-Application
—	O
on	O
September	O
29	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Madeline	O
and	O
Badeline	O
appeared	O
as	O
crossover	O
characters	O
in	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
of	O
TowerFall	B-Application
,	O
released	O
on	O
September	O
27	O
,	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
October	O
2018	O
,	O
Scarlet	O
Moon	O
Records	O
announced	O
Prescriptions	O
for	O
Sleep	O
:	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
an	O
album	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
cover	O
songs	O
described	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
as	O
"	O
lullaby-style	O
renditions	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prescriptions	O
for	O
Sleep	O
:	O
Celeste	B-Application
features	O
violin	O
by	O
Maiko	O
,	O
saxophone	O
by	O
Norihiko	O
Hibino	O
,	O
and	O
piano	O
by	O
AYAKI	O
,	O
with	O
Raine	O
serving	O
as	O
co-producer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
open	O
pre-order	O
window	O
for	O
a	O
Celeste	B-Application
collector	O
's	O
edition	O
produced	O
by	O
Limited	O
Run	O
Games	O
began	O
on	O
January	O
1	O
,	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
January	O
21	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
would	O
receive	O
an	O
album	O
of	O
piano	O
covers	O
by	O
Trevor	O
Alan	O
Gomes	O
,	O
titled	O
Celeste	B-Application
Piano	O
Collections	O
,	O
a	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Piano	O
Collections	O
series	O
by	O
Materia	O
Collective	O
,	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
25	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
its	O
fifth	O
anniversary	O
in	O
January	O
2023	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
announced	O
that	O
a	O
new	O
Celeste	B-Application
collector	O
's	O
edition	O
from	O
Fangamer	O
would	O
release	O
that	O
June	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2018	O
,	O
Thorson	O
announced	O
that	O
additional	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
levels	O
for	O
Celeste	B-Application
would	O
be	O
released	O
in	O
"	O
early	O
2019	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
chapter	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
Farewell	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
free	O
DLC	B-Protocol
on	O
September	O
9	O
,	O
2019	O
,	O
however	O
the	O
team	O
noted	O
that	O
the	B-Device
Xbox	I-Device
One	I-Device
version	O
would	O
have	O
a	O
slight	O
delay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
2018	O
,	O
Celeste	B-Application
sold	O
over	O
500,000	O
units	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
version	O
reportedly	O
being	O
the	O
most	O
popular	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Farewell	O
,	O
Thorson	O
said	O
that	O
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
"	O
coming	O
up	O
on	O
a	O
million	O
copies	O
soon	O
"	O
—	O
it	O
had	O
reached	O
that	O
number	O
by	O
March	O
2020	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
had	O
been	O
streamed	O
over	O
4	O
million	O
times	O
on	O
Spotify	B-Application
and	O
purchased	O
over	O
6,000	O
times	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
heavily	O
praised	O
by	O
critics	O
upon	O
release	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregate	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
,	O
Celeste	B-Application
received	O
"	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
"	O
on	O
consoles	O
,	O
and	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
reviews	O
"	O
on	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
further	O
described	O
as	O
"	O
memorable	O
"	O
by	O
GameSpot	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
reviewers	O
found	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
a	O
game	O
they	O
'd	O
recommend	O
to	O
everyone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
appreciated	O
how	O
the	O
game	O
blended	O
narrative	O
and	O
gameplay	O
,	O
and	O
Eurogamer	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
everything	O
in	O
Celeste	B-Application
speaks	O
of	O
care	O
and	O
attention	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
said	O
that	O
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
"	O
easy	O
to	O
love	O
and	O
hard	O
to	O
put	O
down	O
"	O
,	O
while	O
Rock	O
Paper	O
Shotgun	O
said	O
they	O
"	O
enjoyed	O
every	O
minute	O
"	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
received	O
praise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
contrary	O
,	O
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
genius	O
"	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
came	O
"	O
from	O
simplicity	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Paste	O
felt	O
that	O
Thorson	O
"	O
has	O
mastered	O
level	O
design	O
as	O
an	O
unambiguous	O
challenge	O
"	O
with	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
game	O
effectively	O
communicated	O
its	O
goals	O
to	O
the	O
player	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
challenge	O
instead	O
came	O
from	O
execution	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celestes	B-Application
approach	O
to	O
difficulty	O
was	O
lauded	O
by	O
critics	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
difficulty	O
was	O
likened	O
by	O
Polygon	O
to	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
masocore	O
genre	O
,	O
and	O
many	O
compared	O
Celeste	B-Application
to	O
Super	B-Application
Meat	I-Application
Boy	I-Application
(	O
2010	O
)	O
,	O
as	O
both	O
games	O
have	O
a	O
high	O
level	O
of	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PC	O
Gamer	O
said	O
that	O
Celeste	B-Application
"	O
wields	O
difficulty	O
in	O
a	O
meaningful	O
way	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
Push	O
Square	O
and	O
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
both	O
described	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
difficulty	O
as	O
a	O
"	O
true	O
"	O
test	O
of	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
skill	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
praised	O
Celestes	B-Application
plot	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
setting	O
was	O
described	O
by	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
as	O
"	O
vibrant	O
and	O
fantastical	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
some	O
considered	O
Celeste	B-Application
Mountain	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
metaphor	O
for	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
life	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hardcore	O
Gamer	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
characters	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
were	O
a	O
"	O
terrific	O
,	O
memorable	O
lot	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
reviewers	O
further	O
described	O
them	O
as	O
"	O
lovable	O
"	O
,	O
or	O
easy	O
to	O
relate	O
to	O
—	O
USgamer	O
felt	O
that	O
they	O
had	O
"	O
connected	O
with	O
Madeline	O
alot	O
"	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
Life	O
said	O
that	O
she	O
had	O
a	O
"	O
warmth	O
and	O
sincerity	O
"	O
to	O
her	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
appreciated	O
how	O
the	O
story	O
was	O
reflective	O
of	O
its	O
gameplay	O
,	O
though	O
Paste	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
execution	O
of	O
an	O
interconnected	O
gameplay	O
and	O
narrative	O
was	O
"	O
a	O
little	O
awkward	O
"	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
"	O
Celeste	B-Application
definitely	O
works	O
better	O
as	O
a	O
game	O
than	O
as	O
a	O
thought-provoking	O
exploration	O
of	O
mental	O
illness	O
"	O
,	O
despite	O
them	O
otherwise	O
appreciating	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
depiction	O
of	O
depression	O
and	O
anxiety	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
visuals	O
and	O
audio	O
of	O
Celeste	B-Application
were	O
praised	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewing	O
Farewell	O
,	O
Kotaku	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
was	O
"	O
the	O
perfect	O
capstone	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
a	O
wonderful	O
sendoff	O
"	O
to	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
and	O
USgamer	O
said	O
that	O
it	O
really	O
felt	O
"	O
like	O
a	O
farewell	O
"	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kotaku	O
praised	O
the	O
chapter	O
's	O
mechanics	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
they	O
"	O
play	O
with	O
expectations	O
"	O
by	O
"	O
constantly	O
reinvent[ing]	O
 "	O
themselves	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
levels	O
present	O
in	O
Farewell	O
were	O
"	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
finest	O
and	O
most	O
rewarding	O
"	O
challenges	O
in	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
and	O
"	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
designed	O
levels	O
of	O
any	O
game	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
release	O
,	O
Celeste	B-Application
developed	O
a	O
dedicated	O
fanbase	O
,	O
including	O
an	O
active	O
speedrunning	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Certain	O
Celeste	B-Application
players	O
have	O
created	O
custom	O
levels	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
using	O
mods	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
USgamer	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
community	O
was	O
"	O
a	O
huge	O
part	O
of	O
Celestes	B-Application
success	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Kotaku	O
said	O
that	O
Celeste	B-Application
"	O
attracted	O
an	O
audience	O
that	O
's	O
undeniably	O
queer	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
reported	O
that	O
several	O
queer	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
Celeste	B-Application
community	O
felt	O
"	O
empowered	O
"	O
by	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
Madeline	O
's	O
character	O
arc	O
felt	O
evocative	O
of	O
the	O
struggles	O
faced	O
by	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
LGBT	O
community	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
a	O
speedrunner	O
himself	O
,	O
Celeste	B-Application
sound	O
designer	O
Kevin	O
Regamey	O
contributed	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
accommodating	O
speedrunning	O
,	O
and	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
speedrunning	O
more	O
accessible	O
to	O
casual	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Members	O
of	O
the	O
Celeste	B-Application
speedrunning	O
community	O
generally	O
appreciate	O
the	O
involvement	O
of	O
the	O
developers	O
,	O
and	O
have	O
praised	O
how	O
changes	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
do	O
not	O
patch	O
or	O
otherwise	O
prevent	O
techniques	O
used	O
in	O
speedruns	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Others	O
feel	O
that	O
the	O
act	O
of	O
speedrunning	O
Celeste	B-Application
ties	O
into	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
themes	O
of	O
perseverance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
Celeste	B-Application
received	O
several	O
nominations	O
and	O
accolades	O
,	O
including	O
for	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
,	O
from	O
outlets	O
and	O
award	O
shows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
nominated	O
Celeste	B-Application
for	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
in	O
its	O
2018	O
'	O
Best	O
of	O
 '	O
awards	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
Shacknews	O
 '	O
Best	O
Indie	O
Game	O
of	O
2018	O
,	O
and	O
Ars	O
Technica	O
considered	O
it	O
to	O
be	O
the	O
best	O
game	O
overall	O
in	O
2018	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
release	O
,	O
Berry	O
commented	O
that	O
a	O
potential	O
sequel	O
to	O
Celeste	B-Application
was	O
not	O
currently	O
planned	O
,	O
saying	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
"	O
told	O
the	O
story	O
 [ they ] 	O
wanted	O
to	O
tell	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Farewell	O
,	O
Thorson	O
said	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
"	O
really	O
 [ doesn't ] 	O
want	O
to	O
make	O
a	O
sequel	O
"	O
to	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
adding	O
that	O
the	O
team	O
is	O
unaware	O
how	O
they	O
would	O
be	O
able	O
to	O
"	O
do	O
a	O
sequel	O
justice	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
they	O
are	O
"	O
way	O
more	O
interested	O
in	O
making	O
something	O
new	O
"	O
than	O
revisiting	O
an	O
old	O
creation	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
blog	O
post	O
commemorating	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
fourth	O
anniversary	O
in	O
2022	O
,	O
Thorson	O
said	O
,	O
"	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
want	O
to	O
make	O
Celeste	B-Application
again	O
and	O
I	O
do	O
not	O
want	O
to	O
be	O
who	O
I	O
was	O
when	O
we	O
made	O
Celeste	B-Application
,	O
again	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
that	O
she	O
would	O
like	O
to	O
move	O
forward	O
with	O
future	O
projects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
Celestes	B-Application
third	O
anniversary	O
on	O
January	O
26	O
,	O
2021	O
,	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
Celeste	B-Application
Classic	O
,	O
known	O
as	O
Celeste	B-Application
2	O
:	O
Lani	O
's	O
Trek	O
,	O
was	O
released	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lani	O
's	O
Trek	O
stars	O
a	O
new	O
character	O
,	O
Lani	O
,	O
who	O
makes	O
use	O
of	O
a	O
grappling	B-Application
hook	I-Application
to	O
interact	O
with	O
objects	O
and	O
climb	O
Celeste	B-Application
Mountain	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
developed	O
in	O
three	O
days	O
by	O
Thorson	O
,	O
Berry	O
,	O
and	O
Raine	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
for	O
PICO-8	B-Language
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
December	O
2022	O
,	O
CNET	O
considered	O
Celeste	B-Application
to	O
be	O
among	O
the	O
best	O
games	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Hardcore	O
Gaming	O
101	O
included	O
Celeste	B-Application
in	O
a	O
2020	O
addendum	O
to	O
their	O
book	O
The	O
200	O
Best	O
Video	O
Games	O
of	O
All	O
Time	O
,	O
and	O
USA	O
Today	O
ranked	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
fourteenth	O
best	O
game	O
of	O
all	O
time	O
in	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
