Celeste Beginner’s Guide#

Basic Controls#

PC Controls#

Key	Action	Description
Arrow keys	Move	Move the character left and right, and crouch
Z	Jump	Hold to jump higher, release to cut the jump short
X	Dash	Uses one dash charge, aimable in 8 directions
C	Grab	Hold near a wall to climb, drains stamina
Esc	Pause	Opens the pause menu

Console Controls#

Button	Button	Button	Action
Left stick	Left stick	Left stick	Move
×	A	A	Jump
□	X	X	Dash
R2	RT	ZR	Grab
Options	Menu	+	Pause

Climbing System#

Basic Climbing#

Climb Type	Input	Stamina Cost	Notes
Static climb	Wall + grab key	Medium	The most basic way to climb
Jump climb	Jump while grabbing	Low	Lets you hop up a short distance
Stamina management	Release the grab key	None	Stamina recovers quickly
Wall dash	Dash on specific walls	Dash charge	B-Side/C-Side technique

Stamina Meter#

A stamina meter appears while climbing, and when it empties you slide off the wall. Stamina recovers very fast — let go of the grab key and it fills right back up.

State	Stamina Drain	Recovery
Climbing	Medium	None
Sliding	Fast	None
Released	None	Very fast
Crouching	None	Very fast

Dash System#

Air Dashes#

Dash Direction	Input	Use
Up	↑ + X	Clear obstacles above
Down	↓ + X	Fall fast
Left	← + X	Move left
Right	→ + X	Move right
Up-left	↖ + X	Diagonal jump
Up-right	↗ + X	Diagonal jump
Down-left	↙ + X	Fast down-left movement
Down-right	↘ + X	Fast down-right movement

Dash Refills#

Dash energy is restored in the following situations:

Refill Condition	Description
Landing	Refills when you touch the ground
Wall jump	Refills when you jump off a wall
Climb dash	Refills when you dash while climbing
Springs	Refills when you hit a spring or bounce off an enemy
Bubbles	Refills when you enter a bubble
Teleport blocks	Refills after being teleported

Wall Jumps#

Wall jumps are the key technique for getting through vertical sections quickly. Press jump while on a wall to launch in the opposite direction.

Technique	Input	Speed	Difficulty
Basic wall jump	Grab + jump	Medium	Easy
Chained wall jumps	Alternate left and right	Fast	Medium
Double-wall jumps	Jump between two walls	Fast	Medium
Single-wall jumps	Repeatedly jump off the same wall	Slow	Easy

Assist Mode#

Assist Mode lets players customize the game’s difficulty so more people can enjoy Celeste.

Assist Mode allows players to customize the game’s difficulty, letting more people enjoy the full Celeste experience.

Assist Mode Options#

Option	Default	Range	Description
Game speed	100%	30%-100%	Adjusts the overall game speed
Invincibility	Off	On/Off	Your character takes no damage
Dash count	1	1-∞	Adds extra mid-air dashes
Stamina usage	Normal	Normal/Disabled/Unlimited	Adjusts climbing stamina
Fall speed	Normal	Normal/Slow/Very slow	Adjusts how fast you fall

How to Enable Assist Mode#

Pause the game at any checkpoint or at the start of a chapter
Select “Assist Mode”
Adjust the settings you need
Confirm the changes

Assist Mode Notes#

Once Assist Mode is enabled, Steam achievements can no longer be earned
Assisted saves are flagged with an “Assisted” label
Assist Mode can be enabled or disabled at any time
It does not affect the story experience

Beginner Tips#

Tip	Description
Don’t fear death	Death is part of learning — every death is progress
Use checkpoints	Every checkpoint is a safe spot to practice
Hold the jump button	Holding jumps higher, releasing cuts the jump short
There’s time after a dash	A dash leaves brief hang time — plan your next move
Use the walls	Walls are your friend; practice wall jumps a lot
Read the level	Every screen is carefully designed — look for the patterns
Save your dash	Sometimes it’s better not to dash immediately; keep the charge
Retry	Press R to retry instantly instead of waiting to respawn

Control Settings#

Recommended Settings#

Setting	Recommendation	Reason
Jump button	A/Cross	Matches platformer habits
Grab button	R2/RT	Index finger control, doesn’t interfere with jumping
Retry button	R1/RB	Quick retries without breaking your grip
Pause button	Options/Menu	Prevents accidental presses

Common Mistakes#

Mistake	Consequence	Solution
Forgetting the air dash	Falling into traps	Build the habit — plan immediately after dashing
Over-climbing	Running out of stamina and falling	Watch the stamina meter and let go in time
Rushing ahead	Dying over and over	Take it slow and learn the level’s rhythm
Not using Assist Mode	A frustrating experience	Use Assist Mode and enjoy the game
Ignoring respawn points	Ending up far from safety	Note checkpoint locations so you can retry quickly after dying

Core Mechanics by Chapter#

Chapter	Core Mechanic	What to Learn
Chapter 1	Basic jumping and dashing	Master the basic controls
Chapter 2	Grabbing hands	Learn to judge timing
Chapter 3	Moving platforms and spring balls	Mid-air planning
Chapter 4	Spinning blades and wind	Rhythm and patience
Chapter 5	Dark rooms and mirrors	Memory and route planning
Chapter 6	Clouds and the Badeline chase	Reaction speed
Chapter 7	All mechanics combined	Putting everything together
Chapter 8	Time-limited sections	Speed and precision
Chapter 9	Variants of every mechanic	The ultimate challenge

Death Count Reference#

Skill Level	Chapter 1	Chapter 3	Chapter 7	Total
New player	100-300	300-600	500-1000	2000-5000
Average	50-100	100-200	200-500	500-1500
Skilled	20-50	50-100	100-200	200-500
Expert	5-15	15-30	30-80	50-150

Controller Button Reference#

Action	Xbox	PlayStation	Notes
Jump	A
Dash	RB/R1	RB/R1	Can be used once more in mid-air
Grab	RT/R2	RT/R2	Hold to stick to walls
Retry	LB/L1	LB/L1	Quick retry
Dive	Down + A	Down + Cross	Fast fall

Recommended Assist Mode Settings#

Setting	Recommended Value	Best For
Move speed	80%	Complete first-timers
Dash count	3 dashes	Players who struggle with air control
Invincibility	On	Players who just want the story
Infinite climbing	On	Players who find climbing hard
Standard speed	100%	Players with some experience

Tip: For your first playthrough, keep the default difficulty and experience the full challenge; when you get stuck, try a different approach before rushing to turn on Assist Mode. Assist Mode can be adjusted at any time from the pause menu and won’t affect achievement progress, so feel free to use it.