Rules & Guidelines
Everything you need to know about submitting maps and clears to Celeste's Hardest Maps Clear List
Map Submission Requirements
Has to be easily accessible via GameBanana or another permanent source, such as Google Drive.
The map must contain at least one GM+1 difficulty room (or higher).
Must be cleared by at least one person with video.
Must not be too similar to existing challenges verified elsewhere. Decided case-by-case.
"Elsewhere" currently refers to Goldberries, Speedrun.com, and Randomizer. This is not a strict ban on maps which are or contain rooms similar to challenges on these lists. Each case will be reviewed individually.
Examples of what might be rejected under this rule:
- Vanilla chapter with a timer imposed for clear
- Existing map but edited to require golden to clear
- Compilation of a large number of Randomizer rooms within one map
The map maker decides whether their map should be added or not.
6. Submit new maps in the #suggestion-box channel of the official Discord! See the requirements below.
Make a post in the #suggestion-box channel with the following info:
1.Your clear video of the map
2. A link to the map (it's okay if it's in the description of the video)
3. Your difficulty placement
Note: Maps suggested to 1* or 2* will be placed on Pending to gather opinions before a decision is made. Maps suggested to 3* and above skip this step.
Clear Submission Requirements
Core Rules
Don't cheat. Plain and simple.
Generally, clears will only be accepted on the most updated versions of maps. Exceptions will be noted, and clears which use cheese that has been patched afterward will stay on the list (in most cases).
A clear video is not necessary but strongly recommended. Video is required for any clear 3 star or higher.
Exceptions can be made.
If you submit with a video, put it in a permanent place where it may be viewed indefinitely (YouTube, Twitch, etc.) Journal is required if there is no video.
Use a permanent image hosting service (such as Catbox) for your journal screenshot.
Known permanent services:
- Catbox
- Uploading directly to Discord (even though the links are inaccessible via browser, you can paste them into Discord itself to retrieve the content)
Known non-permanent services (these will be rejected):
- Imgur (posts are deleted after not being viewed for a while)
Gameplay Rules
Don't pause abuse or use savestates to clear a screen. Using these to practice or learn is allowed.
Pause buffering is allowed for performing 1 frame taps as long as there is no danger of death (or time limits, such as those imposed by stamina).
Pause tech (i.e. pausing for slowfall, bino control storage, spinner stunning) is allowed in either:
1. Safe places (including grabbing onto walls)
2. Where they are required
Additionally, spinner stunning is allowed anywhere.
Making mid-gameplay inputs easier by pausing is always banned, even if you are not advancing frame by frame. As a rule of thumb, if you are incorporating a pause into your route (with the exception of pause tech in the two aforementioned situations), it probably isn't allowed.
Don't use mods that give you important information which you normally don't have access to.
Such as CelesteTAS, or skinmods which provide vision for gameplay that is normally off-screen.
Don't use features that significantly affect the visual part of the clear (e.g., simplified graphics feature from CelesteTAS).
Enabling the vanilla Mirror Mode variant is allowed, but only with the extended variant fix also enabled ("Extended Variant Mode" mod: Gameplay Tweaks > Corrected Mirror Mode).
Using Input History to your advantage in any way is NOT allowed (e.g., having frame count shown for inputs).
Waiting 118 hours to prevent spinners from loading is not allowed (unless it is intended by the map).
Unless it's intended by the mapper, savestating at any location that is not an exact respawn point is not allowed. You need to complete said room in full.
*There are exceptions, such as stating in the middle of a previous room, and clearing the next from that state. As long as the room was completed in full from start to finish without any element of gameplay skipped, it counts as a room clear.
If the map is heavily dependent on cycles, such as CMgv, then you should state only during the respawn animation. Stating on a specific frame to gain an advantage is not allowed.
Savestating anywhere that may skip a portion of a room you would otherwise not be able to skip is not allowed.
Video Recommendations
Use an input overlay (heavily recommended for any clear 3 star or higher).
If you can't use a normal input display, the Input History mod is allowed as long as you turn off the "Show Frame Count" option.
Use file timer (heavily recommended).
Disable screenshake and turn photosensitive mode on.
Put the link to the map in the description of the video (especially if you are submitting a new map to the list).
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What do the stars between the map names mean?
The stars separate the maps into rough difficulty categories. 1 star, 2 star, and 3 star represent green, yellow, and red GM+1 respectively. 4-6 star encompasses GM+2, etc.
Maps are placed according to the difficulty of their hardest room.
Map movements can be suggested in the #suggestion-box channel of the official Discord. Remember to read the pins before suggesting.
Q. What does it mean when a map's title is red?
These maps are considered by the community to have high sustained difficulty. This means that there are multiple rooms at or near the peak difficulty of the map and will likely take longer than others in the same star.
Maps can be suggested to be marked/unmarked as having high sustained difficulty.
Q. What is the legacy sheet?
The legacy sheet is an archive of maps that have since been removed from the clears sheet. The reason for removal is located in the map's cell.
Q. Why are there some clears that go against the rules despite them being enforced?
All rules are only enacted after they begin being enforced, so any clears that are submitted before a rule is enforced will not be removed.
Q. What defines the leniency for "exceptions can be made"?
Genuinely speaking here, everyone will be given the benefit of the doubt unless it's blatantly fake. This list is supposed to be an archive of the community's best efforts, for both the clearers and the mappers.
Important Resources
What the website's about.
A google drive of maps that aren't available on GameBanana anymore.
An unofficial, community-maintained project which aims to list the difficulties of hard list rooms.
Another unofficial, community-maintained project which lists maps that could be hard list worthy but are uncleared.
Community & Contact
Join the Discord
There is a dedicated Discord server. Join to see announcements, changes, and meta-discuss about the list with the list team.
Join Discord ServerSubmit a Clear
If you want to submit a clear, ping the @Hard Clears Team role in the public Celeste Discord, the dedicated Hard List discord, or you can DM any of the list mods if you're uncomfortable with speaking in the servers!
Website Devs:
CodeNat[CE]deesoffFroggo[TATA]mishaList Mods:
[TATA]DanevelyncubeshyperisabelleSeraphinaHelpers:
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