Cairn

A majority of us were children at some point. Doesn’t matter what your background is or where you grew up. We were all kids. Adolescent minds running around, being curious, and seeing the world as this bright and colorful place. Being the kids we were, our little hands and legs did what all children do. That of course being to play. We played with an assortment of toys, our parents, kids around us, and our environment. Of course every kid at some point has gone to playgrounds. Small little jungle gyms where each piece is interacted with in different ways. Swings make you move up and down in a back and forth motion. It requires using your legs and hands to grip onto the swing bars. Maybe there’s a balance beam. Yet again, you use your legs to slowly walk along the beam, and your arms to adjust your body’s weight in different directions depending on where gravity is. Monkey bars, slides, ladders, and something ball related usually being a sports field. One element I assure is part of eighty five percent of playgrounds out there are climbing walls. A surface with multiple points that stick out and a top spot you must reach. A puzzle of where to place each of your limbs so you reach the end point without accidentally falling off.

Personally I always loved swings sets the most as a kid, but climbing walls fascinated my small mind. Every other playset is quite simple, but the climbing wall feels meticulously designed. The wall does have a set way of playing with it, but there are multiple ways you can approach it. As I got older, the middle school I attended sent us to different places for field trips. It was a private catholic school, so they sent us on trips to build our faith and connection. Unfortunately the trips didn’t work the way they thought, but let’s not dwell on that thought too much. One such place they sent us to was a camp, and this camp contained an indoor climbing gym. With the tallest climbing walls I’ve ever seen in my life. A student would strap themselves onto a rope, and two other students would tie themselves to the other end of the rope to slowly hoist them up. Watch as student number one ascended the wall before lowering them back down when they were tired or gave up. I never climbed the camp wall when I was in middle school. Not that I didn’t want to. I thought it would be fun, but half of my mind was telling me I couldn’t do it due to sucking at sports. The other half was because of disconnection with my classmates and peers. Whoops I’m dwelling on the thought too much again. Basically the large ass climbing wall was cool despite never laying a finger on it. Watching classmates go up and wondering how they exactly do it. Having a further appreciation for how it was all designed and set up.

As someone who got more into video games around late middle school & early high school I’ve always wondered if developers would ever delve more into the world of climbing. Well it turns out the answer was ‘pretty soon’ as climbing has been integrated heavily into games over the last decade. In older titles like Uncharted and Tomb Raider the way climbing works feels automated by the design. Simple, because there are multiple other aspects of the game the developers like to focus more on instead. Climbing is there to offer downtime and a different way of traversal, so the path you have to climb is often marked or easy to follow. Then around Breath of The Wild we started to see more of what climbing in video games could be. I’m not sure Breath of The Wild was the first to have free form climbing, but it was certainly the title to raise more awareness for how good climbing can be. Climb on any latchable surface, move in any direction you want, and you gotta worry about the conditions. How much stamina you have, time of the day, weather, etc. While a majority of the world can be navigated horizontally Breath of The Wild asked how much could or needed to be navigated. As the world had tons of verticality and secrets worth checking if you took the time to reach it. Breath of The Wild blew our minds all those years ago, but what if there were more games delving into climbing. Full of games where all you do is climb? The good old question of, "What can be capitalize on next?"

Enter the indie scene. Small developers want to fulfill that niche of people who want to experience the thrill of climbing a large rock or stone surface. The constant thought they can fall to their deaths, and the adrenaline rush of getting higher and higher. Peaks of Yore, White Knuckle, Lorn’s Lure, and Jusant. One of which I’ve reviewed in the past so you can read on it if you want. All of these have shown how great climbing games can be. However, there was always one I kept in the back of my mind when initially revealed. Cairn, latest title by French indie studio The Game Bakers and one of the most realistic climbing games to date. I remember early stages of development for Cairn. The team had just finished Haven and were experimenting on what their next game could be. Someone began programming a character whom you can move the individual limbs of, and so they came up with this. A challenging experience where every second spent has to be a well calculated thought. Cairn was one of my more anticipated games of 2026, and finally beating the game I can safely say it’s one of my favorites of the year. Currently tied with Mina the Hollower for being my game of the year. Grab yourself a hot cup of cocoa and prepare to make the ascent. As we inch our way closer towards understanding what makes Cairn a modern masterpiece.

Story

Our journey begins at the bottom of Mount Kami. Heralded as the tallest mountain in the world, and also the one with the highest mortality rates. A majority of climbers who attempted to topple this massive rock have either given up, or never returned as they died on the way there. Matter of fact, no one has ever reached the summit of Kami or at least it was never recorded. Kami is both a landmark and beast waiting to be tamed. That tamer being you, Aava, a young woman who has spent a majority of her life climbing mountains and becoming the greatest in the world. You got it all. A steady career, dozens of fans who want to be like you, and a loving girlfriend waiting for you to return home after your next trip. Aava could’ve returned home after her previous venture, but instead she chose to fixate her mind on Mount Kami. She wants to be the first to get to the top of this untamed beast. She doesn’t care whether this act makes her famous or not. All Aava wants is to reach the top of Kami. To know made it this far in life and feel at peace with herself. Unfortunately Aava’s boss wants her to take pictures while ascending Kami. Report the beautiful sights and sounds of the world around her. It’s her job afterwhile, but Aava doesn’t want any of this clouding her mind. Which is why the first thing she did upon stepping onto summit grounds was smash the expensive camera her boss gave her.

Aava is aware this action will bring arguments and consequences in the future. Questions of why she chose to do that. Why is she throwing away her sustainable career in hopes of being alone? Later Aava receives calls from her girlfriend Naomi. Their pet cat Capsule is slowly dying and she needs Aava to be around for when their feline child passes away. If not then stay in touch for when it happens. Another thought which clouds Aava’s mind, and a reminder of the reality that waits below her. One she wants to climb further away from. The mountain is all Aava cares for at this moment. It is both a goal and an escape from what is her life. Along the way she meets a fan slash climber named Marco, and they will question what Aava really wants. Is this the path she truly wants to walk? Is ascending Kami the best way for her to cope with what’s flooding that troubled mind of hers? Is this all that’s left for Aava, or is there more to life? We shall see. Aava wanting to yell back those she is conflicted with. Even though those people aren't there to talk to.

Gameplay

Earlier I mentioned that Cairn is the most immersive and realistic climbing game made to date. What do I mean by this? Well despite there being a couple sections where you can walk around freely, a majority of your time will be spent climbing upward on Kami. Pressing the designated climb button will have Aava latch onto a wall. You then have the ability to select one of her four limbs manually, or let the game choose for you through auto selection. You can then move one of her arms or legs and choose a place to place it down. Most preferably a crevasse or somewhere she can grip. Ledges with better grip allow Aava to more easily cling onto the wall. If one of the four limbs starts shaking it means it’s losing stamina. That it doesn’t have a firm grip, and if one limb starts shaking too much it starts making the other limbs shake. You can reposition her limbs or release stamina. If all limbs start shaking too much and Aava breathes heavily then she’s about to fall. She loses grip and of course moves vertically down. This is a climbing game. You don’t want that happening, because falling is either going to hurt badly or  lead to instantaneous death. Meaning minutes of progress is lost and you’re forced to start back from where you saved last. That’s why it’s very important to find spots where Aava can rest. Those save points where she can set up camp, gaze upon what she has to climb next, and plan things out.

What I’m not saying is that Aava only has limbs to rely on. You have self screwing pitons, and when you jab one into a surface it creates a sorta checkpoint for Aava. If she falls she won’t lose all the progress she made. Instead starting from where the piton is. You carry a total of six pitons max, and can create a trail of them as you work your way up. Climbing back up from where the most recently placed piton is. However, you want to be careful when placing a piton. There’s a short minigame where you press the button at the right time, because doing it incorrectly may lead to the piton stripping. When you reach a standable surface and recollect the pitons you’ve used, those ones you mistimed might come back as scrap. You can reforge pitons if you have two pieces of scrap, but I’d highly advise thinking about how you use them. As if you think about it, misplacing all six pitons lead to you getting three back, and finding scrap while climbing is hard. The other tool at your disposal is chalk. Applying chalk to Aava’s hand allows her to get a few moves of hard grip. No matter what the surface is and how slippery it is, Aava will have an easy time clinging on. Chalk is best used during difficult scenarios, and more can be self produced by scrapping items you find. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention you have a robot buddy climbing with you. He’s the one that fixes your pitons and makes chalk, so at least you understand.

The last thing I want to mention are the survival aspects. I said this was a realistic climbing sim, and they took everything into account. Aava has to manage hunger, thirst, and warmth. If one of these falls below a certain threshold they reach negative status. Her vision becomes blurry and it becomes harder to see the ledges and cracks she can place on her limbs. If negative status falls all too far then Aava will blackout. Another form of dying or hitting a game over. That’s why it is very important to look for natural resources. Plants, food left behind by previous climbers, and natural water deposits. When Aava sets up camp she can cook the resources she’s gathered. You can’t eat things raw, because doing so may lead to worse hunger or thirst. Cooking not only fills up these drained meters, but may also grant Aava a momentary status boost. Such as better grip, increased resistance to cold winds, or preventing the three meters from decreasing. Don’t just be a loot goblin who grabs everything they see. As Aava’s backpack only has so much space. You need to shake it up every now and then to make more room, or manually rearrange the items. Do this and you can continue ascending in a healthy condition. Those are the basic mechanics for Cairn, and while there’s certainly more to talk about I want to save it for the end of this review. Cairn will hit you in ways you should’ve seen, and we gotta hope you’ll make it.

Thoughts

I really enjoyed my time with Carin. It’s a game that feels like it was specifically made for me, which is weird because I’m not obsessed with climbing like most people. This review opened up with me explaining how despite being offered opportunities to climb at a younger age I chose not to. However, the activity of wall climbing is interesting, and Cairn takes an interesting approach. Being less about how soon you get to your goal and more about how you do so. Cairn is not the hardest game I’ve played, but it does get stressful. Every second spent climbing has to be smart and thoughtful. A couple wrong moves or failure to adjust your limbs comfortably lead to instant death. If not that then the hunger or thirst will wear you out. The game isn’t afraid to throw you into stressful scenarios such as rainstorms, violent winds, or an avalanche that happens late into the game. Most save points are evenly spaced, but there was one section that was three times the size of the saul climbing distance I do before taking a break. With no save points whatsoever and four pitons left in my pockets. Cairn is very stress inducing, and if your mindset is not capable of handling high stress dosages every few seconds then I’d probably suggest not playing it. Yet, if you are willing to check out Cairn then you’ll find a game that’s incredibly rewarding. I said every second spent is a calculated thought, and this is why it's so satisfying to play.

The game rewards players for making correct moves, or taking their time. Planning out routes & where to place their limbs next. That wall I just mentioned with no checkpoints was one of my favorite bits in the game. As I’d pan out the camera to look at what was ahead. When would be a good time to spend one of my four pitons left. What surfaces were slippery and what were not. If the current path gave me enough cracks to work with. If I had to take a risk and move my limbs quickly to reach the next point. Clinging onto my dear life when strong winds swept in. When I finally reached a safe point where I could stand all that adrenaline released. After a while I found Cairn to be rather peaceful. A calming experience as you enjoy the soft ambient music, world around you, and the loneliness. Something that actually contributes to the story we’ll discuss in a few minutes. If you are having a tricky time with Cairn then I’m happy to report the game has a few accessibility options. Such as turning off the survival mechanics, having infinite pitons, or reversing time when you fall. Allowing your ascent to be much easier or reduce the progress you have to redo. I played a majority of this game without it, but at times I did tackle the survival mechanics off just so I could have a few more minutes to reach my goal. This does bring me onto one of my few criticisms of the game, but it’s nothing that I’m really angry at Cairn for. Just how accepting it will be among different players.

I’m not exactly sure if Cairn fully benefits from having survival mechanics. On one hand it creates an extra layer of fun. It forces players to look out for caverns or spots potentially containing items. Early on I found a cave full of honey combs, and grabbed a few scoops of honey. This was the only spot in the game I encountered with honey, so I had to put some thought into what I cooked with it. The gameplay buff I gained with honey was great, so it served as a reward for picking it up. Another section saw me stuck at this cliff face. My thirst was almost completely drained, but then I noticed a cavern below where my camp was stationed. I climbed towards, found what was the remnants of a rave party, and looted tons of food and water. Refilling my thirst meter so now I had the energy to keep going. There’s the buffs and status effect I mentioned for cooking good meals. These parts of the game I found fun and engaging, but as you move further you realize you encounter less and less food. With the last two moments of the game depriving you of any more resources. Forcing players to work with what they have left, but most likely they consumed all they had. With the last section specifically knocking down the size of your hunger, thirst, and warmth meter. Forcing you to have blurry vision during the game’s last section. It was neat what the game was trying to do, but it made me question the system. Not bad, because hunger & thirst is implemented well for the most part. I’m not saying remove the mechanics entirely. Just the players who’ll face problems with them.

Aside from that I’d say the gameplay is great. Introducing new mechanics with time so the core gameplay loop doesn’t get stale, because this is a somewhat lengthy game. It took me twelve or so hours to beat, and it’s a good runtime for what Cairn is doing. It never felt like my time was being wasted. Maybe they introduce a surface where you can’t latch the pitons and is slippery. The ice walls you can only climb with picks you get late into your journey. The weather & time that makes you consider when to wait things out and take a break. The only complaint I have left is that Cairn being a physics heavy game can be buggy at times. With your limbs twitching out for no reason, clipping into physical objects, or the physics not making sense at times. However, these issues were small overall. I do wish that when you zoom out to see what's above you can place markers on where to climb next, but sometimes it's fun deal with things as they go. This leads us to discuss the other aspects of Cairn. Visually this game has incredible art direction. The Game Bakers have always made well stylized games from Furi to Haven. I don’t think Cairn is the most colorful game they’ve made because they honed in on realism and immersion a bit, but it is their prettiest. With moments where I’d just stare off. A sun slowly settling in the distance, the night sky, or valleys below me. Music while the ambient is calming. I mean you don’t want loud stuff in a game where you gotta think carefully & focus. There’s some nice lore to read on about the people who used to live on this mountain. The way society worked for them, how they traded, taught each other, religious practice, etc. To me it was never explained why they left or went extinct. Just how they lived, and I thought it was neat.

Okay, so the main story is all that’s left to talk about. (Spoilers going forward) Cairn almost made me cry. It contains my favorite ending of the year and I’d be sad if it doesn’t get nominated for a few narrative awards. It tells a story about obsession, refusal to address struggling mental health, wanting to escape all your life problems, and choosing to do everything I had listed only makes things worse. There’s a bit of self interpretation too if you’re willing to look for it. To me, Aava chooses to push away those around her because she believes no one understands what she is going through. Forcing herself to be alone so she can do what she thinks will make her happy. The game prompts you a choice near the end of whether you want to continue ascending. Choosing not to give you an ending where she gets to go home and live her life, but if you pay attention you see that Aava kinda regrets having done so. Still unable to resolve or face many of the problems that wait for her. You can then reload a safe and attempt the rest of the climb. If you reach the top of Kami she watches as Aava screams into the skies above. Realizing she is alone, she has fully disconnected herself from society, and she is most likely gonna die up here due to the cold and choices she’s made. This moment works both for Aava and the player, because of all you had to endure to get here. You then gaze upon the stars, and instead of cutting to a scene where Aava is dead you instead see Aava slowly climb these stars. The game letting you soar, and removes the restrictive and challenging climbing you’ve been doing so far. Aava moves ever faster with each shine she hits. Finally feeling at peace with herself.

Cairn is a masterpiece. It is not a game for everyone like I said, but yet again has there ever been one. It is a work of art in both its design and what it tries to say with the story. To me this is the Game Baker’s greatest piece of work to date, and I wonder where they’ll go next after this. I do know they plan to support Cairn with future expansions, but as for what their next game will be we shall see. I don’t know if they’ll reach the heights that Cairn achieved. (Pun intended) Yet, I hope their future pans out well as Cairn has proven how far they’ve come as an indie studio. I am gonna give Cairn a 10/10 for being incredible.

10/10, Incredible