Extremely OK Games' narrative-driven, single-player adventure Celeste has paved the way for similar indie games since its debut in 2018. Akin to Super Meat Boy, Shovel Knight, and even Team Cherry's highly successful Hollow Knight, it's easy to see why the precision platformer became so widely beloved and critically acclaimed.
Celeste sold extremely well in its first year, despite just being an indie game. Director Maddy Thorson announced that the game had sold 500,000 copies since it launched in January 2018. Even Epic Games picked up on the game's popularity and released it for free during its "12 Days of Free Games" Promotion, which likely assisted to it shipping over a million copies by the end of 2019. With such immense success and a community of speedrunners and platforming fans alike behind them, it's almost hard to believe that a Celeste 2 isn't in development.
Celeste 2 is Likely Not Happening
The mountain-climbing journey gets platforming right in that it is consistently able to introduce new mechanics in every chapter, along with its playability across different platforms. The game is overall complex, but isn't unfair due to numerous checkpoints for players to reach, along with the ability to learn from their previous mistakes in any future run. The emotionally riveting storyline behind Celeste's main character, Madeline, feels organic and heart-wrenching.
Yet in a 2019 interview with IGN, Thorson said they felt they had "tapped the well dry" after Celeste and that they "really don't want to make a sequel to this game." They added that in the future they may change their minds, but didn't know how they would "do a sequel justice." Such worries are understandable, as the popularity of the game was largely unexpected. Being praised on the mechanics, mood, powerful OST, and Celeste's unique dialogue audio would give a sequel its own high bar to reach.
Celeste Technically Does Have a Sequel
Interestingly, a game received that could theoretically be considered Celeste 2 did release in January 2021. Titled Lani's Trek, or Celeste Classic 2, the game is a PICO-8 platformer about hiking around a mountain that is meant to act as a sequel to the original Celeste Classic. The latter was also a PICO-8 platformer from 2015 that inspired the Celeste fans know and love today.
Lani's Trek is free-to-play on itch.io, either through a browser or via download. It's much smaller given that it was created in a reported three-day period, and takes on a more retro style like its predecessor Celeste Classic. The lead developer commented on the game's existence by saying, "We said we probably wouldn't make a sequel to Celeste, but we never said anything about Celeste Classic."
Celeste's 100 Additional DLC Levels
If Lani's Trek isn't as appealing, fans may recall that Celeste received free DLC that contained the hardest levels yet developed for the platformer. Meant to be viewed as a new chapter, these 100 levels, 40 minutes of new music, never-before-seen mechanics such as 2-Dash Refills and Jellyfish, and bittersweet goodbyes to the characters was released under the title "Farewell DLC."
These additional levels can be unlocked after completing Chapter 8, although the first four subchapters are available before this. These levels make up the longest chapter in the game and utilize its most technical mechanics, such as Wavedashing and Wallbouncing. The effort from developers was well-received, and Celeste performed well when it was released for Nintendo Switch consoles.
With no official write-off, Celeste fans can remain hopeful that an official sequel may arrive in the far-flung future. Its popularity certainly doesn't seem to be dying down, even four years after the original game's launch. Followers may also be interested in Extremely OK Games' newest project, a 2-D explorative action game called Earthblade, which is expected to launch sometime in 2023.
Celeste is available now for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.