7 Best Levels in Celeste

Celeste follows the adventures of Madeline, a trans woman whose goal is to climb a mountain. Along the way, she’ll meet a host of new characters, overcome tough challenges, and even outsmart a cult. We consider these chapters the best levels in Celeste, but you’re free to prove us wrong. Experience Celeste and its best levels today.

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#1: Mirror Temple — Chapter 5

The Devil is in the details, or so they say. In Celeste, Mirror Temple is a particularly memorable mission because of its unique map. Instead of the linear presentation where each level leads to the next, Chapter 5 of the game feels more like an ant nest. You’ll start in a room with paths leading to the different levels of the chapter.

So, you usually have to backtrack to the first room before heading off to another level in this biome to loot the collectables and keys. You’ll use those keys to unlock previously locked areas. The reason we ranked this mission number 1 on our list is that it gives players a break between each level. Other highlights of Chapter 5 include:

• Outsmarting Seekers which behave like homing missiles that target Madeline. You can recognise them by their distorted faces and tentacles.
• Madeline has to carry Theo to the Temple, which is a handicap that players haven’t encountered until now.

#2: The Summit — Chapter 7

The Summit is one of the most beautiful chapters in Celeste because of the art style, animations, and cathartic soundtrack. Everything is designed to encourage players to reach the summit of Celeste Mountain. Players have to apply everything they’ve learned since the first chapter to beat The Summit because of the complex puzzles and challenges. Luckily, beating a puzzle is extremely rewarding because of its high-level design.

There’s also the victory song at the end of the chapter, plus the numbered flags that heralded the making of a champion. Mind you, Chapter 7 is sweet because you have to beat all the previous levels you’ve encountered. But with better muscle memory of the right moves and manoeuvres to crush the increased difficulty, beating the final level will require your genius hat.

#3: Old Site — Chapter 2

Old Site is a showcase of MonoGame, Celeste’s game engine. Developers want players to feel like superheroes gliding past obstacles on their way through Chapter 2. Its gimmick is the dream block that boosts Madeline throughout the chapter. The experience is creamy and smooth, so players can get used to the controls. But the reasons why it’s ranked third on our list are because of the following.

• Being chased by Badaline is as suspenseful as it’s fun. Especially because of those close calls where Badaline tries to intercept you.
• The difficulty is lower compared to the coming chapters. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because Chapter Two is early. 

#4: Reflection — Chapter 6

Reflection truly forces players to meditate on their past choices and actions. Celeste is a tough game to beat, so getting thrown off the mountain to its base is gut-wrenching. So you’re forced to hustle your way back up, battling Badaline (Madaline’s evil counterpart) along the way. 

The level scores high points for its detailed design and layout. Dodging Badaline’s is also difficult enough to give us a challenge. But the highlight of Reflection is Madaline’s emotional turmoil. Badaline represents Madaline’s anxiety, depression, fears, and worst nightmares. If you’ve been following the story so far, Madaline tried to get rid of her turmoil instead of accepting it and evolving.

#5: Golden Ridge — Chapter 4

Golden Ridge is trippy because it throws off your control of Madaline. Remember that she’s a mountain climber? So, half her job is manoeuvring her way up Celeste Mountain by jumping, dodging, and latching on to different platforms that make up the mountain. But this is Chapter 4, so you’re halfway to completing the game. 

At that point, we were completely used to Madaline’s capabilities, so having the wind throw off her ability to manoeuvre was a game-changer. It makes an otherwise simple level design harder to beat. Still, losing gets annoying pretty quickly, so we were all too glad to complete it. 

#6: Core — Chapter 8

Core remains one of the distinct chapters in Celeste because of its level design, which requires different types of platforming to beat different challenges. But mind you, Chapter 8 is a lot more challenging than the previous chapters. You need at least four Crystal Hearts to reach this level, so don’t ignore the harder puzzles of the earlier chapters.

But Core is a tough chapter to beat because you must combine many types of moves and boosts to beat the obstacles. Our favourite is the room with the bumpers because of the unpredictability of the boosts they provide. You have to jump and dash at the right times and angles if you want to beat this chapter.

#7: Forsaken City

This is the first chapter of the game, which offers the novelty of being a beginner in the world of Celeste. It introduces you to the protagonist, teaches you how to platform, and delights you with a city overtaken by nature. Our folks over at Player.me ranked it last on our list because this level gets too easy once you’ve beaten the later chapters. But the visuals, music, and introduction to Madaline are phenomenal. 

Our Final Say

This isn’t a Super Mario game, but its level design is reminiscent of one. Coupled with a great game engine, Madeline executes some of the smoothest moves we’ve seen in video games. Lest we forget, the music sounds heavenly, and we experience the game with a nice pair of headphones. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Longest Chapter in Celeste?

The longest chapter in Celeste is Farewell, which contains 9 mini-chapters. Farewell is also the 9th and final chapter in the game, so players will go out with a bang. What makes this chapter harder is that Madeline loses the ability to double dash while in flight mode. So, beating some obstacles becomes more challenging.

Does Celeste Have a Combat System?

No, Celeste doesn’t have any combat system, which is surprising because most 2D games have a weapon or two. But think about it: the protagonist is climbing a mountain, and this game aims to replicate the feeling by stripping away the unnecessary parts. What you’re left with is a character that’s extremely agile and nimble. 

How Many Hours Does It Take to Be 100% Celeste? 

Celeste takes around 37 hours to fully complete. This means you’ll be crushing all the milestones and objectives given to you in every chapter. But if you just want to complete the major objectives, it’ll take you around 9 hours to complete them.