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| Cairn’s hand-drawn style sets the tone for a climb built around patience, risk, and determination. |
By Jon Scarr
Cairn drops you into its world without much explanation and trusts you to figure things out as you go. There’s no long tutorial or checklist of mechanics to work through. You start at the base of a mountain with just enough tools to begin climbing, and from there the game lets your choices do the teaching. It rewards slowing down and paying attention to what’s in front of you.
From the opening minutes, it’s clear Cairn isn’t interested in pushing you forward quickly. Progress comes from noticing how the mountain reacts to you and how Aava holds up under strain. Every move feels deliberate, and every mistake becomes useful information. That approach sets the tone for everything that follows.
You play as Aava, a climber attempting a single-player ascent of Mount Kami. The game doesn’t stop to explain who she is or why she’s here. Instead, it lets the climb itself reveal her character over time. The further you go, the more you understand her through the effort it takes to keep moving upward.
Once it clicks, Cairn stops feeling like you’re trying to “solve” a climb and starts feeling like you’re trying to survive one. It’s not about rushing to the next marker. It’s about getting your hands and feet placed cleanly, finding a moment to breathe, and making the next move without overcommitting.
Cairn Details
Platforms: PlayStation 5, PC
Reviewed on: PS5
Developer: The Game Bakers
Publisher: The Game Bakers
Genre: Climbing Simulation, Adventure
Game Mode: Single-player
Learning Who Aava Is Through the Ascent
Cairn’s story unfolds quietly and without interruption. There are no lengthy cutscenes or heavy exposition. Instead, the narrative is built through small moments, environmental details, and the physical act of climbing itself. You learn about Aava through what she endures rather than what she says.
As you move higher, you start noticing signs of others who attempted the same journey. These traces add context to the mountain and reinforce how demanding the climb really is. The game never lingers on these details, but they leave an impression that sticks.
What makes the story work is how closely it connects to the act of climbing. Aava’s persistence and isolation come through in the way she moves and reacts to the terrain. By the time you reach the later sections, you understand her mindset not because the game explained it, but because you’ve shared the same struggle.
The restraint in how the story is delivered ends up being one of Cairn’s strengths. It trusts you to draw your own conclusions and reflect on the experience without forcing a specific emotional reaction.
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| Aava’s climb up Mount Kami captures the isolation and scale that define Cairn’s story. |
Every Move Matters on the Wall
Cairn’s gameplay is built around deliberate, intentional movement. You aren’t holding a button to climb. Each limb is placed manually, and the game expects you to commit to what you choose. Early on, it can feel awkward, but once the controls settle in, the whole mountain opens up.
There are no highlighted routes or obvious answers. You’re constantly reading the rock face, looking for edges, cracks, and small places to settle yourself before pushing again. Sometimes the safest option is to slow down and conserve energy. Other times, you need to move before fatigue catches up. That balance gives the climbing its rhythm.
Stamina pressure is communicated through Aava’s breathing, posture, and stability rather than on-screen meters. If you stay in one position too long or push too hard, you’ll feel it fast. It keeps you honest, especially when you’re far from a safe place to recover.
Pitons add another layer of decision-making. They can save you in difficult moments, but they’re limited. Using one too early can leave you short later on. Learning when to rely on them and when to trust your own movement becomes a huge part of the experience.
Over time, the controls fade into the background. You stop thinking about inputs and start reacting instinctively. Progress comes from reading the mountain and knowing when to push forward and when to back off.
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| The route view highlights how many ways a climb can go right or very wrong in Cairn. |
Built Around the Feel of the Climb
Cairn’s presentation is designed to support the climb rather than distract from it. The environment is readable at a glance, with rock faces and ledges defined in a way that helps you make decisions quickly. That matters when one bad call can erase several minutes of progress.
As you climb higher, conditions shift. Weather rolls in, visibility changes, and some stretches become harder to judge in the moment. These changes aren’t just window dressing, either. They affect how you approach a section, when you stop, and how much risk you’re willing to take.
Sound design does a lot of work here. You hear Aava’s breathing tighten as she strains, the scrape of hands against stone, and the short silence when she finally finds stable footing. Music is used sparingly, which makes those moments hit harder when it does come in.
On PS5, performance is mostly solid. Movement generally responds the way you want it to, though there are moments where transitions onto flat ground feel slightly off. These instances are rare, but noticeable in a game that depends on precision.
Overall, the presentation supports what Cairn is trying to do. Everything exists to keep you focused on the climb and the next decision in front of you.
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| The scale of Mount Kami comes through clearly, reinforcing how small the climb makes you feel. |
Cairn Is a Climb That Teaches You Through Experience
Cairn leaves a strong impression because it commits fully to what it wants to be. It doesn’t rush you, and it doesn’t try to make every challenge comfortable. Instead, it asks you to engage with it on its terms and improve by sticking with it.
The climb becomes something you grow to understand rather than something you simply overpower. When things go wrong, it usually feels connected to a choice you made, not a cheap trick. That sense of ownership makes every successful stretch feel earned.
It works best when you meet it where it is. If you’re willing to take your time and accept the learning curve, Cairn delivers a focused, thoughtful climbing experience that stays with you long after you’re done.
Cairn Review Summary
Liked
- Limb-by-limb climbing that feels earned once it clicks
- Smart risk management with pitons and recovery moments
- Storytelling that stays tied to what you’re doing on the mountain
- Readable environments that support quick decisions
- Strong audio work that helps you “feel” Aava’s condition
Didn’t Like
- Occasional awkwardness when transitioning onto flat ground
- A few moments where a move doesn’t come out the way you expect
- Early hours can feel awkward until the controls settle in
Overall Assessment of Cairn
Gameplay: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆ (4.5 / 5)
Presentation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆ (4.5 / 5)
Performance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4.0 / 5)
Fun Factor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆ (4.5 / 5)
Overall Value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½☆ (4.5 / 5)
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