One of the most successful indie games launched in 2018 was the platformer celeste, a game that quickly unleashed a cult following, from casual players to experienced speedrunners. Critically acclaimed across the board for its story, level design and soundtrack, it was just as quickly nominated and won numerous awards in the indie game scene, culminating in selling millions of copies and becoming an instant financial success. But the most important among these praises and perhaps one of celeste‘s selling points was his commitment to sleek, polished platforming and controls.
Citing many reviews celeste‘s gameplay experience as smooth and precise controls as the reason why the game was so popular in a revival of classic platform games. But while many mechanics and movement options help construct these common controls, some of which are taught to the player and some a byproduct of coding, there is one mechanism in particular that celeste is the perfect case study for. Despite being an unusual mechanic that defies logic, “coyote time” is in celestehas helped the game elevate itself above others of its kind.
The Origin and Meaning of Coyote Time
Strange as it may sound, the term “coyote time” actually comes from: Looney TunesWile E. Coyote and the Road Runner, and the connection to gaming extends beyond both characters potentially participating Multiverse. Anyone familiar with Wile E. Coyote and his antics in his attempt to get hold of the Road Runner should be aware of the many instances where he hangs in the air for a few seconds and is about to fall. Defying gravity for those few seconds of chuckling is exactly what “coyote time” is: a character suspended in mid-air despite not standing on a solid platform that can still move and jump.
With this in mind, it’s easy to see how this could apply to platform games like celeste. Even the most experienced, capable players can still make mistakes, so when it comes to precise controls and the potential delays between pressing a button in real life and what’s happening on the screen, it’s important to give room and taking into account human limitations. Few things in gaming are more frustrating than timing frame-perfect platforming and button input, only to be off for a split second and eventually lose. Coyote time is therefore a lifeline for players.
Celeste and Coyote Time
Coyote time, like a lot of? Celeste’s hidden mechanics, may not be something the player notices right away. In fact, it is quite possible for players to progress through the game without realizing the technical improvements that prevent celeste of a punishingly difficult platformer. Finally, celeste limits its coyote time to just five frames once the player leaves a platform, so it can be hard to spot right away. But much like being able to reset the player’s dashes between screen transitions, it’s not explicitly taught to the player and is just one of many behind-the-scenes mechanisms to keep the gameplay experience going.
As celeste seems to reward players’ intuitive thinking and responsiveness over perfecting their ability to control Madeline, mechanics like coyote time are a way of explaining human error and ensuring players aren’t put off or frustrated at a loss. They would probably have failed several times during the game trying to master certain moves or moves celestehardest levels so coyote time save some of celeste‘s difficulty while subtly helping players succeed.
A parallel to this would be the gaming community’s response to titles like dark souls or Hollow Knight, games that are widely known despite being uniquely challenging games. celeste is similar to this one, as its own controls and movement mechanics have been carefully considered and constructed to ensure the best gameplay experience. Although there is a possible sequel to celeste may not be in the works at the moment, the small team of developers could apparently succeed with future projects due to its attention to detail and dedication to protecting player experiences.
celeste is now available for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
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