***EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS***
In late 2015, two young developers would take part in a game jam for the PICO-8 virtual console. As is the story with most game jams, the game was simple in concept. Armed with a jump and a dash, the player attempted to climb an arduous and dangerous mountain, one screen at a time. This would be the genesis and starting point for 2018’s pixel perfect platformer Celeste, developed and published by Maddy Makes Games (now extremely ok games).
Celeste sees you take control of Madeline, a young woman who battles the elements, and her own mind, as she attempts to climb the fabled ‘Celeste Mountain.’ In a game where death is only one misjump away, Celeste is a punishing but ever so rewarding game where you learn through your trials and failures. Persistence, though, proves worthy, as the story tackles issues of mental health and self confidence in some really inspiring and touching ways. Showered with accolades and award nominations upon release, Celeste is widely regarded as one of the most successful indie games of the last decade. It’s a game that is truly worth seeing through to the end.