Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 417 sampled Steam reviews (406 positive / 11 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing24% mention it
- Music & audio15% mention it
- Visuals & art8% mention it
- Difficulty & balance8% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Bugs & crashes27% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
87%
52 reviews
5-15h
99%
124 reviews
15-40h
100%
115 reviews
40-100h
96%
76 reviews
100h+
100%
50 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (OpenCritic) | – | 92 | 26 |
| Creator reviews (1 tracked) | – | 100 | 0 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 97% | 93 | 1166 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 91 | 130 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 96% | 91 | 501 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: last 30 days (no significant patch detected) · 300 reviews sampled · 1431 total reviews in window · weighted 228.3 up / 8.1 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (85)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 95
“Gamers who enjoy a difficult but rewarding platforming experience should definitely check Celeste out.”
read full review ↗ - 90
- 90
“Celeste is an unexpectedly great combination of genres and touching story about finding yourself, a true 2D masterpiece. Both Super Meat Boy lovers and Metroidvania fans will enjoy it.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“What separates Celeste, even at its hardest, from masochistic games like The End Is Nigh is that it's not bleak or unyielding.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Celeste is another small work that mixes fun and difficulty with a good dose of creativity. The game teaches you good lessons about what game design is, with refined controls, well-presented retro visuals, and very well-thought-out scenarios for the challenge that it is. One of the little secret gems available on consoles and PCs.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Celeste is an exemplary amalgamation of style, mechanics and character. A devilishly brilliant action platformer with enough skill required to excite genre purists and the speed running community, while at the same time featuring a breakdown of gameplay elements to customize and cater for all audiences. While the game mechanically is great, if familiar, the art style and narrative are truly special, showing both a visual and emotional range and depth that will resonate and inspire. Celeste is the absolute peak of personal exploration and discovery on Nintendo Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“The vibrant use of color and warm, stylistically varied score elevate the retro aesthetic beyond mere homage. Although the game's story feels slightly hampered by the practical necessities of its play, it's still a touching and occasionally insightful depiction of what it's like to live with anxiety and depression. And the mountain, as in every work of art that has ever featured a mountain throughout the history of human expression, remains a metaphor.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“A new entry but also one of the best platformers of all time. Celeste is special, it presents hard challenges, great story, but also has the ability for anyone to beat it. Definitely worth playing.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“An incredible game; one you're unlikely to forget thanks to its heavy hitting tones and the absolute resolve of its protagonist who never gives in to the temptation of apathy and despair.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“While not a game I formally reviewed for the system this is one of those titles that can't be omitted since it is both terrifically challenging and very accessible with loads of options to make the difficulty more within your reach...”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Celeste is a wonderful precision platformer that does far more than simply challenge your dexterity. While there's plenty of intense screen-hopping to enjoy, it's offset by a well-told, personal story that softens the hard edged gameplay with some great slower moments. What's more, you can enjoy the story even if you're struggling with the platforming using the Assist Mode to bend the game's difficulty to your liking. The action is super smooth (though we did have to battle with the dash on occasion), there are lots of secrets to uncover, and it looks and sounds great. Even with some rare bugs, fans of both a steep challenge and a heartfelt narrative will find a lot to like about Celeste.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Celeste is by all means a perfect game. Perfect level design, great story and enjoyable mechanisms all make this game a must have experience.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Fintendo
GameMAG
Slant Magazine
GameFM
Nintendo Life
Paste Magazine
Kinglink Reviews
VGChartz
Nindie Spotlight
Push Square
Zoomg…and 73 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- V1.4.0.0 ChangelogMar 29, 2021significant · resets scoring window