I wanted to post this guide to Steam, but then I realized I don't own Celeste on Steam and therefore the site won't let me post it there. So I guess I'll post it here instead.

Some notes:

1. This is the first guide I've ever written completed.
2. This might seem a bit lengthy for a hint guide, but that's kind of the point. I wanted to offer as many steps as possible to allow stuck players to get as few or as many hints as they need to figure it out on their own.
3. I am open to feedback/criticism. Tell me what you think! Point out my errors! Make fun of my writing style! Or...um...be nice?

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About this guide - READ FIRST

When I play games with puzzles, I like to try to solve them on my own. However, sometimes I get to a point where I just need a subtle hint to point me in the right direction.

This guide has been written in a way to give players a chance to figure out how to find the crystal hearts before spelling it our or completely giving it away. My hope is that it will offer just enough information to a player in need of direction so that they can still experience the joy of discovering each heart with as little outside help as possible.

Understanding this guide

Each section of this guide has several types of hints to suit your unique needs. Here's how I broke it down:

Difficulty: If you just want to know how hard each heart is to find, look here for a rating out of 5

TL;DR Hint: Here you will find a single sentence with a clue to help you find the heart on your own. NOTE: If you want to start with a subtler hint, skip to the numbered hints below.

General Location: This section will reveal in which area of a chapter you will find each heart, usually just by naming the sub-chapter.

Specific Location: If you're still unsure where to look, this section will give you more detail on the area in which each heart is found.

Hints 1-7: Start with "Hint 1" for a slight nudge. Each successive hint in this section will progressively reveal a bit more information, hopefully leading you to the heart without making it too easy.

Solution Parts 1-4: Here, the guide will hold your hand and lead you directly to the heart. The first two parts usually don't give away the whole thing. To be honest, if you still can't find it after Solution Part 3, you're probably better off just finding a video guide.

And that's all you need to know! Happy Hunting!

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Chapter 1 - Forsaken City

Difficulty: 4/5

TL;DR Hint: This one isn't much of a challenge to locate, but once you get there, the puzzle takes a bit of critical thinking to solve.

General Location: Crossing

Specific Location: In the room with two geared platforms, take the first one to the second and when that one launches you upward, dash to the upper-left and climb the wall (just left of the up arrows sign) into a hidden passage. Then dash to the upper-left corner of the screen to access the hidden area. Keep heading left until you reach the satellite.

Hint 1: Find the far-out strawberry. (See "Specific Location" if you need help getting there.)

Hint 2: This one's for the birds.

Hint 3: The satellite and computer are important.

Hint 4: Look closely at the way the birds are moving.

Hint 5: It seems each bird is moving in a different direction.

Hint 6: The colors are important.

Hint 7: The computer and satellite keep cycling the code you need to reveal the crystal heart.

Solution Part 1: Each colored bird is dashing in a specific direction.

Solution Part 2: The movements of the birds are the key to the code. Purple = left, yellow = up-left, white = up, red = up-right, and blue = down-right.

Solution Part 3: Move up against the wall on the right side of the lowest platform. Now perform the dashes as designated by the code: white (up), purple (left), blue (down-right), red (up-right), purple (left), then yellow (up-left). [Note: If you start on the right side, you should land safely on the platform after each dash, except the last dash which will place you above the chasm.]

Solution Part 4: If you did it right, the birds should come together and form the heart. To collect it, simply dash directly into it.

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Chapter 2 - Old Site

Difficulty: 3/5

TL;DR Hint: The clue hidden at the end of the chapter should point you in the right direction, but you'll need to do some creative dashing to get there.

General Location: Start of Chapter 2...or is it at the end?

Specific Location: Start of Chapter 2. (Not the end.)

Hint 1: You'll be able to find this one's location fairly easily at the end of the chapter. Just climb up the ruins where Theo is camped.

Hint 2: Unfortunately, there's no way to get it when it is completely surrounded by brick walls.

Hint 3: At the end of the chapter, after spotting the completely closed-off heart, check the nearby book for a clue.

Hint 4: The note reads:

"An apparition
Not of this world
But because of it
Lurking out of frame

Awake, my heart is a fortress
In dreams I am vulnerable"

Hint 5: Pay close attention the the last two lines to understand where to look. The third-to-last line is a clue about how to get there.

Hint 6: "Awake, my heart is a fortress" means the heart is unattainable at the end of the chapter, since Madeline is awake. "In my dreams I am vulnerable" means you can only access the heart during the dream portion of Chapter 2. "Lurking out of frame" is a hint concerning something Madeline can do when she's moving from one frame/screen to the next.

Hint 7: The heart you saw at the end is the one you need to find at the beginning of the chapter, while Madeline is still dreaming. This will require some fancy maneuvering including the implementation of a technique that you probably never used before, unless you've been through Chapter 8.

Solution Part 1: To reach the heart, you will have to climb the outside wall located at the start of the chapter.

Solution Part 2: In order to make your way up, you will need to employ a technique that might feel a little like breaking the rules.

Solution Part 3: Dash to the edge of the screen. Notice what happens when Madeline enters the next screen. [Pay close attention to her hair color.]

Solution Part 4: Every time Madeline enters a different screen, her dash stamina resets. (You can tell by observing how her hair resets to its original color.) Knowing this, you should be able to jump between two screens while spamming this technique to get where you need to go. Start at the edge of the screen by the campfire. Jump and dash up, then move over to the next screen. Dash up again and move back to the other screen. This will allow you to reach the wall above the campfire. Climb up to the next screen and wall jump then dash to the screen above. Now you'll need to use the same technique as before to reach the wall on the left side of the screen. Remember, every time the screen shifts, Madeline regains her ability to dash. Once you've reached this wall, simply climb up to the screen above and retrieve the heart by dashing into it.

Author's note: This is one of the hearts than many players find to be unfairly difficult to find, due to the fact that the technique employed to reach this one isn't used in the main story at all (although it is necessary to get through the post-story Chapter 8). My opinion is that these hearts are meant for super players who want to go above and beyond the limits of the main story. However, I was a bit upset about this one when I finally looked it up in frustration, because I just don't think I would have ever figured it out on my own.

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Chapter 3 - Celestial Resort

Difficulty: 1/5

TL;DR Hint: If you poke around enough, this one should be easy enough to find--as long as you don't accidentally pass it up.

General Location: Huge Mess

Specific Location: Obtainable from the purple towels/dirty laundry area.

Hint 1: You can see the location of this heart while completing the "books" portion of this sub-chapter.

Hint 2: You can't actually get to it from the books area. You'll have to find another way.

Hint 3: Watch what Theo does in this chapter. He might give you an idea.

Hint 4: Maybe you should poke around a bit in that area where Theo entered the vents.

Hint 5: Did you find a hidden passage? Something is blocking the way...

Hint 6: Looks like you'll have to clean the place up a bit first.

Hint 7: After clearing the towels/laundry, you'll have to find your way back here somehow.

Solution Part 1: As soon as you finish the purple towel area and they are all cleared away, start heading back. [Note: if you move to the next screen after clearing the towels, you will not be able to backtrack to obtain the heart without restarting from the beginning of "Huge Mess".]

Solution Part 2: You'll need to find another hidden passage to get back to where you came from.

Solution Part 3: Just after clearing the towels/laundry, climb up through the waterfall on the right.

Solution Part 4: Make your way back through all the rooms in this area until you reach the room where the scene with Theo took place. Head to the hidden passage on the ceiling here and follow it to the heart. Dash into it!

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Chapter 4 - Golden Ridge

Difficulty: 1/5 ... [or 5/5 if you lack knowledge of a certain secret trick from a certain NES game]

TL;DR Hint: A hidden homage to a classic platformer is more than just a visual Easter egg.

General Location: Shrine

Specific Location: Above the arrow block, past the glowing light, under the waterfall, and through the bricks.

Hint 1: There are many hidden passages in this chapter.

Hint 2: Some of the secret areas are only accessible by smashing breakable blocks in the wall.

Hint 3: Climb all over, look for cracks, dash into anything that looks suspicious.

Hint 4: Always look behind every waterfall.

Hint 5: Look beyond the strawberries.

Hint 6: The heart is out in the open…

Hint 7: ...but you can't get to it unless you know the way. You'll know what to do when you see it.

Solution Part 1: From the start of "Shrine", take the arrow block up to the platform above. Head into the glowing light to the right. Now, head over to that waterfall and swim under it to find a strawberry...and a breakable wall on the right. Head through it to arrive at this heart's location.

Solution Part 2: Do you see anything familiar here? If not, you can at least recognize something that seems out of place.

Solution Part 3: If nothing in this area brings back any memories, then you probably never played Super Mario Bros. 3. The white block is a direct reference to a secret technique you can perform in SMB 3 to access hidden areas found in a few levels of that game.

Solution Part 4: The trick is to get on top of the white platform and hold DOWN. Madeline will fall behind the white block, allowing her to jump on the pink platforms in the background. Make your way up to the heart and grab it!

Author's note: This heart was the first one I found and extremely satisfying to discover, since I immediately recognized the block and knew exactly what to do. However, it is understandable that many players of Celeste become quite frustrated with this one, since it requires outside knowledge of something very specific in a game from 30 years ago. Personally, I think it's a neat little nod to one of the great platformers of the past and a fun secret to discover for those of us who know the reference--but I'll admit it does kinda suck for everyone else.

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Chapter 5 - Mirror Temple

Difficulty: 3/5

TL;DR Hint: Some keys can fit in more than one key hole.

General Location: Depths

Specific Location: Past the locked block, and through another.

Hint 1: This chapter contains many hidden passageways in the darkness.

Hint 2: Explore every nook and cranny, and you'll find it eventually. Remember, some walls are breakable.

Hint 3: The key is the key to unlocking this heart.

Hint 4: There are actually two blocks in this area that require keys to open.

Hint 5: Though there are two blocks requiring keys, there is only one key to spend. [The key can only be used once.]

Hint 6: Don't forget to check the walls for cracks. And the ceilings, and the floors...

Hint 7: There is a way to get around the first locked block, without using the key.

Solution Part 1: Make sure to find the key first. However, don't use it on the first keyhole you see. You'll need to find a way around that first locked block. [If you already used the key on the first block, you will need to restart from the beginning of "Depths".]

Solution Part 2: If you're on the right side of the chasm (by the first locked block), you'll have to head back using the red bubble. Take it back to the left side--but not all the way back.

Solution Part 3: About halfway back across the chasm, there's a block you can dash up into, then continue to dash up into the ceiling. This hidden tunnel will allow you to pass by the locked block without using your key so you can use it later.

Solution Part 4: The block concealing the heart is hidden a bit further in this chapter. Find the breakable floor and smash through it to reveal the second locked block. The heart is floating around here somewhere.

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Chapter 6 - Reflection

Difficulty: 5/5

TL;DR Hint: To reveal this heart you need to input one code, four ways.

General Location: Hollows

Specific Location: There is a hidden hole in the wall way up high on the left side of the first room of this sub-chapter. To reach it, you gotta take the golden feather on the left up to the golden feather on the right straight up to a third golden feather which you'll take straight left.

Hint 1: If you're at the colorful code room, you're in the right place. (See above location hints for help getting here.)

Hint 2: If you've already collected the crystal heart from Chapter 1, you should recognize the colors on the wall. (If you don't have a clue, go back and get Chapter 1's heart first.)

Hint 3: Beneath the color code, you'll see four signs beneath four unlit torches.

Hint 4: Try the code you used to get the heart in Chapter 1.

Hint 5: Look closely at the symbols here. What could they mean?

Hint 6: The signs are here to point you in the right direction.

Hint 7: Each symbol represents a different way to input the same code. Think about the name of the chapter.

Solution, Part 1: The code on the wall here is the same code as the one in Chapter 1. If you recall, each color represents a direction, as displayed by the birds near the computer and satellite.

Solution, Part 2: The code, in case you forgot, is: white (up), purple (left), blue (down-right), red (up-right), purple (left), then yellow (up-left). Dash in each direction in that order and the first torch should light up.

Solution, Part 3: The second and third torches will light up by changing the direction of the dashes. Symbol #2 has arrows pointing right and left. So...switch those two directions on the code to give you: up, right, down-left, up-left, right, then up-right. Symbol #3 has arrows pointing up and down. This time, go back to the same code and instead switch all of the up-down directions: down, left, up-right, down-right, left, then down-left. Performing those dashes in that order will light up the torches beneath those symbols.

Solution, Part 4: The fourth sign is blank or unreadable. If it had arrows like the other signs, it would have up/down and left/right arrows, meaning this code switches the dash directions both horizontally and vertically. Translation: dash down, right, up-left, down-left, right, then down-right. The fourth torch will light up and the heart will appear.

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Chapter 7 - The Summit

Difficulty: 5/5

General Location: 3000M

Specific Location: The heart is locked behind spikes, in a secret area near checkpoint #28.

Hint 1: You probably noticed some unique collectables on this chapter. If you locate the heart in 3000M, then you can probably figure out what these are for.

Hint 2: You need to collect the gems to unlock this crystal heart. There’s one in each 500M section of the chapter.

Start, Hint 1: This one is at the very end of this area. Don’t move on to "500M" before collecting it!

Start, Hint 2: During the last area of this sub-chapter, Madeline has to join with her "dark side" to progress. The last one here will take you to the next area, so you'll need to avoid it while looking for the jewel.

Start, Solution: While using the dark bubbles to dash your way up the last section here, make your way over to the upper-right platform before entering the last dark-side orb. This is accomplished by using the springboard on the left wall and dashing twice above the dark orb and safely landing on the wall to the right. Climb up and head to the right. The first gem (blue-white star) can be found here.

500M, Hint 1: The path splits a couple times here. The gem is down one of these diverging paths.

500M, Hint 2: If you look closely at the top of the first area that branches, you'll notice that one of these paths allows access to the other path while the other is a one-way ticket. After deciding which way to go, look for little passages all around.

500M, Solution: At the start of this sub-chapter, jump and dash to the upper left. Now, jump and dash from the moving platforms to make your way up and to the right. As you make your way across the spikes in this next room, look below for a skinny crevice and carefully drop down into it. You'll see the next gem (blue rectangle/topaz radiant) at the bottom of the screen. You'll have to perform a series of dashes to get to the jewel, being sure to collect the green gems to renew your stamina along the way. Good luck!

1000M, Hint 1: This one is hidden pretty well behind a series of concealed passageways.

1000M, Hint 2: Even after finding a secret area or two, you'll want to continue to scour the walls for passages within the passages. Try looking behind blocks of dream juice, and remember that some walls need to be smashed with a dash.

1000M, Solution: When you reach the chasm with a blob of dream gel on the ceiling, proceed to the second blob on the ceiling and dash up through it to the next area. (Alternatively, you can go up through the first dream blob to grab some strawberries first. Then the block of dream gel on the right wall here is where the next secret passage is hiding. Dash horizontally through the middle of the gel, from left to right, and you'll find yourself in the next area.) Here, you'll have to climb the left wall, hop & dash across the disappearing stone platforms, and up through one more block of dream gel. STOP! The hidden passage in this section is on the right side between these two dream blocks, behind a cracked wall (requiring a dash to break through). You made it! Now for the tricky part. Hop up onto the disappearing stones here and drop into the chamber below. Dash around and collect the three key-points (ding-dong!) while using the dream gel to renew your stamina. Finally, shoot on over to the left side and climb up to collect the (green/emerald) gemstone!

1500M, Hint 1: Just another hidden area, closer to the end of this sub-chapter than it is to the beginning.

1500M, Hint 2: Pay close attention to the walls. If you've exited the hotel part, you've gone too far.

1500M, Solution: Just before leaving the hotel section of this level, there's an area with three tall windows. After passing the third window, you should notice an indent in the right wall. Dash through there to find the hidden area with the gem. A series of skilled maneuvers will get you down to the (round yellow) gemstone.

2000M, Hint 1: This one is pretty far out.

2000M, Hint 2: Hopefully by now, you've gotten pretty skilled at climbing walls and ceilings.

2000M, Solution: After getting through first spikey section of this sub-chapter, head to the left. See that giant chasm? You have to make your way across it by grabbing points along the ceiling. There are three points for you to rest and regain stamina. First, double dash straight up above the spikes to reveal a small hidden platform. Next, drop down and dash (twice) to the left of the screen to land on another safe place. Now you'll have to make it past the stalactite blocking your way. Jump to the left, dash left (past the obstacle), then dash up, climb up, and wall jump up to another hidden platform. The next maneuver is a hard one. Be prepared to die dozens of times before getting it right. All you have to do is get to the left side of that stalactite by dropping down and double dashing, then climb up and wall jump up to the next screen. It's not easy. Once you're up here, you'll find the pink princess diamond and an easy path back to where you came from.

2500M, Hint 1: Smash through some walls.

2500M, Hint 2: Some walls require more than just a dash to break through.

2500M, Solution: From the start of this sub-chapter, take the first red bubble you see to the LEFT and through the wall. Now take this next red bubble to the RIGHT and all the way through a couple screens. This next part is brutal. You have to use your mad skills to get over to the right, bashing a switch just before the end to open the door blocking off the sixth and final gemstone (a white pearl). Good luck and Godspeed.

3000M, Hint 1: Look for a little hidden area.

3000M, Hint 2: It's not hard to find and it's right next to a checkpoint.

3000M, Solution: To the right of Checkpoint #28, dash through the narrow passageway to arrive at the crystal heart chamber. If you have all six jewels, they will appear here. Then each jewel will shatter in sequence and the heart will descend. Congratulations! You did it!