Celeste Steam key art
Celeste cover art

Steam revenue analysis

Celeste Steam Revenue & Sales Estimates

Maddy Makes Games Inc.

$38.4MEst. Gross Revenue

3,497,458 estimated sales, 97% positive reviews, and $28,327,797.57 potentially retained by the developer after Steam's platform fees.

Action97% Positive$19.99MC 88

Revenue Overview

$38.4M

Gross Revenue

$28.3M

Developer Revenue

3,497,458

Est. Copies Sold

$4.8M

Revenue / Year (avg. 8 yr)

$26.5MLow estimate
$38.4MBest estimate
$79.5MHigh estimate

How the revenue splits

Gross Revenue
$38,437,063
− Steam Platform Fee(26.3%)
−$10,109,266
Developer Revenue
$28,327,798

Developer vs. Steam

Developer: 73.7%($28,327,798)Steam: 26.3%($10,109,266)

Tiered Fee Structure

Tier 1 ($0–$10M) (30%)$3,000,000
Tier 2 ($10M–$50M) (25%)$7,109,266
Tier 3 ($50M+) (20%)—

More context in the Steam game revenue hub or in the Steam revenue calculator.

How we estimate this

97%positive
120,602Total Reviews
116,984positive (97%)
3,618negative (3%)

Step by step

  1. 1

    Capture Steam review volume as the primary demand signal

    120,602 reviews and a 97% positive rating are used as the starting point because Steam review counts correlate strongly with paid ownership.

  2. 2

    Apply a calibrated Boxleiter multiplier

    For Celeste, we use a midpoint multiplier of ×29 and show a wider range from ×20 to ×60 to reflect uncertainty.

  3. 3

    Use a realistic realized sale price instead of only list price

    Rather than relying only on the current price of $20, we estimate a realized average sale price of $11 to account for discounting over time.

  4. 4

    Translate gross revenue into developer revenue

    We then apply Steam's effective fee rate of 26.3%. That turns an estimated $38,437,063 in gross revenue into roughly $28,327,798 retained by the developer.

Calibrated inputs for this game

Avg. sale price

$10.99

List price $19.99

Boxleiter multiplier

×29

Range ×20–×60

Effective Steam fee

26.3%

Tiered 30 / 25 / 20%

Revenue estimates for Celeste use the Boxleiter method with a broad range from x20 to x60. For the best estimate we use a calibrated midpoint of x29 and a calibrated average sale price of $11 instead of a flat 30x/0.75 model. Factors like age, price tier, discount history, genre, and review profile all affect the true reviews-to-sales ratio.

Platform Comparison

Hypothetical: What would the developer earn at the same gross revenue?

Steam

Gross revenue baseline: $38,437,063

To developer

$28,327,798

To developer: 73.7%

$28,327,798

Platform fee: 26.3%

$10,109,266

Epic Games Store

Gross revenue baseline: $38,437,063

To developer

$33,944,616

To developer: 88.3%

$33,944,616

Platform fee: 11.7%

$4,492,448

Epic: 0% on the first $1M in annual per-app revenue, then 12%. Effective here: 11.7%.

GOG

Gross revenue baseline: $38,437,063

To developer

$26,905,944

To developer: 70.0%

$26,905,944

Platform fee: 30.0%

$11,531,119

* Actual sales on Epic and GOG are not estimated. Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales volumes.

Genre Market Position

Top 11% by revenue in Action
11%

Top 11% of Action games

by estimated revenue

0%◆ Median100%

2,141

Top Games Tracked

$6M

Median (tracked top games)

$20.8M

Mean (tracked top games)

Celeste ranks in the top 11% of 2141 tracked action top-sellers, with estimated revenue 6× this group's median.

Baseline: HelpfulCalculator's curated set of top-grossing Steam games, not the entire Steam catalog. Niche genres may have small samples.

Playtime & Engagement

25.1h avg6.1h median

25.1h

Average Playtime

6.1h

Median Playtime

1.5h

Recent Activity (2 Weeks)

A median playtime of 6.1h and average of 25.1h suggest a dedicated core community playing this action game well beyond the typical player.

Current Activity6% still active

Game Details

Dataset updated: April 18, 2026

DeveloperMaddy Makes Games Inc.
PublisherMaddy Makes Games Inc.
Release DateJanuary 24, 2018
Years on Market8 years
Current Price$19.99
Calibrated Avg. Selling Price$10.99
GenreAction
Peak Players1,174
SteamSpy Owners2,000,000 .. 5,000,000
SteamView on Store

Features

Single-playerSteam AchievementsFull controller supportSteam Trading CardsSteam CloudRemote Play on PhoneRemote Play on TabletRemote Play on TVFamily Sharing

Related Games

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much has Celeste earned on Steam?

Based on our analysis using the Boxleiter method, we estimate Celeste's total gross revenue on Steam at approximately $38,437,063.

This estimate comes with a confidence range:

  • Conservative estimate (x20): $26,508,320
  • Calibrated midpoint (x29): $38,437,063
  • Optimistic estimate (x60): $79,524,959

The actual revenue may vary due to regional pricing, seasonal discounts, and refund rates.

How many copies has Celeste sold on Steam?

With 120,602 Steam reviews and a 97% positive rating, we estimate Celeste has sold between 2,412,040 and 7,236,120 copies, with a best estimate of 3,497,458.

This is based on the Boxleiter method, which uses the observation that roughly 1 in every 20 to 60 buyers leaves a Steam review. For the midpoint we do not assume a universal 30x value; we use a calibrated multiplier of x29 that adjusts for the title's age, price tier, genre, and review profile.

How much does Maddy Makes Games Inc. earn from Celeste?

After Steam's tiered platform fee of effectively 26.3%, Maddy Makes Games Inc. keeps an estimated $28,327,798 from Celeste's gross revenue of $38,437,063.

Here's the breakdown:

  • Gross Revenue: $38,437,063
  • Steam's Fee (26.3%): -$10,109,266
  • Developer Revenue: $28,327,798

Note: This doesn't account for publisher shares, taxes, or development costs.

What percentage does Steam take from Celeste?

Steam uses a tiered revenue sharing model that reduces the platform's cut as a game earns more:

  • First $10 million: 30% to Steam, 70% to developer
  • $10M to $50M: 25% to Steam, 75% to developer
  • Above $50M: 20% to Steam, 80% to developer

For Celeste, with an estimated gross revenue of $38,437,063, this results in an effective rate of 26.3%. Steam keeps approximately $10,109,266 and Maddy Makes Games Inc. receives $28,327,798.

How accurate are these revenue estimates for Celeste?

These estimates use the Boxleiter method, a widely-used industry approach that estimates game sales from the number of Steam reviews.

Factors that affect accuracy:

  • Review-to-purchase ratio varies by genre
  • Discount history - games with frequent deep sales may have higher ratios
  • Regional pricing - different prices in different markets are not captured
  • Refunds - Steam's return policy means some counted sales were refunded
  • Bundled sales - keys sold through third-party bundles may not generate reviews

We provide a confidence range ($26,508,320 to $79,524,959) to reflect this uncertainty. For the best estimate we combine the Boxleiter range with a calibrated midpoint (x29) and a calibrated ASP of $11.

What would Celeste earn on Epic Games Store instead?

If Celeste generated the same gross revenue on the Epic Games Store, Maddy Makes Games Inc. would keep approximately $33,944,616 - that's $5,616,818 more than on Steam.

At this revenue level, Epic's concrete platform fee would be $4,492,448. Epic charges 0% on the first $1 million in annual per-app revenue and then 12% on the remaining amount. On GOG (30% cut), the developer would earn approximately $26,905,944.

Note: This is a hypothetical comparison. Actual sales volumes differ significantly between platforms, and Steam's larger user base typically drives substantially higher sales.

How long do players spend in Celeste?

According to SteamSpy data, players spend an average of 25.1 hours in Celeste, with a median playtime of 6.1 hours. The large gap between average and median suggests a dedicated core community playing well beyond the typical player.

What is Celeste's Metacritic score?

Celeste has a Metacritic score of 88/100, which is considered "generally favorable" by critics. The Steam community rates the game 97% positive based on 120,602 user reviews.