Celeste review

Celeste is the pick for players who care most about jumping well. Its developers describe a hand-crafted platformer with more than 700 screens of hard challenges and secrets, built on three moves: jump, air-dash and climb. The depth comes from how those moves combine, and lightning-fast respawns turn each death into a quick lesson rather than a long walk back. A story about Madeline facing her inner demons runs through the climb, and expert players can open B-side chapters built for the bravest climbers. The soundtrack, led by live piano and synths, runs over two hours and was an IGF Excellence in Audio finalist. Steam lists a minimum of 2 GB of RAM and Intel HD 4000 graphics, so almost any laptop can run it, and 97% of nearly 63,000 English reviews are positive. It is single-player only and offers less free exploration than Hollow Knight. At $19.99, it is the best pure platformer here.

Who it is for

Players who love pure platforming with tight controls, quick retries and a personal story.

Price

$19.99 one-time purchase on Steam (US store).

and piece together the mystery of the mountain. $19.99 Buy on Steam
Quoted from the vendor pricing page on November 11, 2026.

Key features

• 700+ screens of hand-crafted platforming challenges
• Simple controls: jump, air-dash and climb
• Lightning-fast respawns after every death
• Unlockable B-side chapters for expert players
• Over 2 hours of original music

Strengths and weaknesses

• Strength: 97% of 62,929 English Steam reviews are positive
• Strength: Runs on 2 GB of RAM and Intel HD 4000 graphics
• Strength: Three-button controls are easy to learn
• Weakness: Single-player only
• Weakness: Later chapters and B-sides are very hard
• Weakness: Less exploration than the metroidvanias on this list

Key facts

• Developer: Maddy Makes Games, Extremely OK Games
• Price: $19.99
• Steam reviews: 97% of 62,929 (English)
• Released: January 25, 2018
• Minimum RAM: 2 GB

Where it ranks

Celeste is No. 3 in our Best 2D Games verdict.