Cairn Review: A Thoughtful Climbing Game

Cairn review: a climbing game that captures the slow rhythm of progress

I'm a poor rock climber and I'm scared of heights, but I've always loved the slow, methodical push to reach the next hold. Cairn, a new game from The Game Bakers, nails that feeling. It's a climbing-focused experience that blends careful planning, resource management, and quiet tension into an evocative solo journey.

Premise and core mechanics

You play as Aava, a famed climber obsessed with summiting the mountain called Kami. Unlike many platformers, Cairn asks you to control all four of Aava's limbs one at a time. You move her hands and feet to find safe cracks, bumps, and ledges, inching upward while balancing tools and supplies stored in a backpack.

• Place spikes in the rock so your rope can catch you when you slip.
• Use chalk for a temporary grip boost.
• Manage food, drink, and warmth to keep Aava fed, hydrated, and safe.
• A small robot companion retrieves placed spikes when you reach safety.

These systems combine to create an almost puzzle-like climbing simulation. Slips and mistakes carry consequences: you can fall back to your last spike or all the way to the ground. Depending on how far you drop, the setback might mean grinding back up the face, bruises from hitting the wall, or death. Weather—rain, wind, snow and ice—adds real stakes and forces you to adapt your strategy.

How Cairn compares to other climbing games

Climbing games have grown in popularity recently, but Cairn stands apart. Where Jusant focuses primarily on hand-over-hand movement and Baby Steps takes a sillier, foot-centric approach, Cairn simulates the full-body, deliberate technique of real climbing. The emphasis on four-limb movement and careful planning makes it feel closer to a climbing simulator than an action game.

Immersion, pacing, and emotional beats

Progress in Cairn can be grueling. I found myself constantly on edge as I scanned the rock for the next safe hold. The game rewards patience and good footwork—skills I briefly learned during a decade-old rock gym membership. Moment-to-moment play often felt zen-like: focused, repetitive, and oddly peaceful.

"Cairn reminded me what's possible when you focus just on the next thing in front of you."

The game's pacing also fosters emotional connection. You'll hear Aava breathe faster when she nears a slip, laugh off a solid grip, or curse when she falls. These reactions made me feel like I was climbing with her, not just controlling her. NPC encounters and messages from friends or family provide companionship during a mostly solitary ascent, though Aava can be brusque or distant with them—something that felt believable given her single-minded drive.

Why this matters: parallels with running and perseverance

As someone who loves long runs, I connected deeply with Cairn's core idea: big goals break down into many small steps. The game rekindled the focused mindset I get on long runs—one step, one hold, one breath. That steady, incremental progress and the mixed emotions that come with persevering are at the heart of the experience.

Practical info

Cairn is available now for PC and PS5. For readers following gaming news, it's a notable release for players who enjoy methodical gameplay, realistic climbing mechanics, and atmospheric single-player design.

Author: Jay Peters