

The sublevels, and by extension the game's Chapters, get progressively harder as more mechanics and obstacles are introduced, and the use of these elements merge and flow together the closer the player gets to the summit. Refreshing the dash is done in a multitude of ways, but the main actions include touching the ground, collecting stamina crystals and screen transitions. The status of the player's available dashes is indicated by Madeline's hair colour. It can only be used a limited number of times, and must be refreshed before dashing again. This dash is the core mechanic of Celeste's gameplay, giving the player a short burst forward in the direction that the player is holding. The dash-one of the main movement options in the game-is gifted to the player at the end of the level, seemingly by the Bird.

The Prologue introduces players to the basic controls, such as jumping and the ability to climb walls. It follows the simple to learn and hard to master controls that are a staple of its genre, and gameplay has often been compared to others, like Super Meat Boy. Celeste's gameplay features fast and tight controls along a series of challenging platforming sublevels that make up a larger Chapter.
