When I was a kid, I remember my Dad always talked about one day visiting and climbing Mount Everest. Even back then, I wondered how one could ever consider making a climb of that magnitude. What health compromises would you need to make? How would you prepare? And how could you muster the strength and mental fortitude to climb so high, knowing that even the slightest misstep could spell disaster? Most people could never dream of participating in such an undertaking, yet we are still fascinated by the concept. So, we turn to video games. 

Numerous games have tried to adapt the challenges of climbing great distances to various successes. The most recent example is Cairn from The Game Bakers. Here, you are tasked with climbing a massive mountain while managing your thirst, hunger, stamina, and general health. Further, there’s a pretty well-thought-out story and unique climbing physics to make the challenge even more vast. These aspects combined could be a recipe for a disaster in and of themselves, but thankfully, the overall experience of Cairn is absolutely fantastic. 

The Reason For Climbing

Carin focuses on a young woman by the name of Aava, who has devoted herself to the craft of mountaineering. Her father was a famous mountain climber and forced her daughter into the sport, putting her on her first rock climbing challenge when she was just three years old. Now, the only joy she finds in life is by risking her life by scaling some of the biggest mountains on Earth, even if it means leaving her loved ones behind.

When the game starts, Aava is preparing to climb Mount Kami, which could be her greatest challenge yet. No one has reached the mountain top and returned alive, and despite the dangers, Aava vows to succeed where others couldn’t, or die trying. While numerous figures in her life try to contact her, whether it’s her partner Naomi or her publicist Chris, all that matters to Aava is the climb and the fulfillment that it offers. However, certain challenges, contacts from Naomi, and an unexpected interloper may force Aava to hesitate for the first time in her career. Will she reach the top of the mountain or return with her tail between her legs? The choice is yours. 

The story of Cairn is more of an excuse to motivate you to keep climbing the mountain, yet in spite of that, it’s still really compelling. Aava comes off as a stubborn yet kind human, lost in her own world at the expense of the people around her. It’s a hard trait to sympathize with, yet I found myself compelled and fascinated by her arc. It certainly helps that the game gives you choices towards the end that put the direction of her arc in your hands. 

Of course, if you’re climbing a giant mountain, then the visuals better be good. Luckily, the graphics utilize a very pretty cel-shaded style. The few characters you see in person look great and are brought to life with a very pleasant art direction. As for the world around you, it looks absolutely gorgeous as well. In the day, the sun illuminates the mountain beautifully, and at night, the stars light your path. 

I will say, though, that depending on the platform you play on, some of the visuals may not look as good as you’d hope. I played the game on Steam Deck, and some of the graphics did look a little off. This isn’t a problem with most games I’ve played on the platform, as I expect a certain degree of compromise in the visual detail on screen. However, the lack of detail on some elements of the mountain could directly impact your gameplay, as you may find yourself struggling to find the proper footing for your climb.

As for the music, it’s more focused on subtle ambience rather than melodies. Every time you overcome a major challenge, a short choral track will play, but for the most part, your only backing track is the sounds of nature around you. I actually liked this detail, as it put you into the headspace of Aava. Plus, if you end up playing some of your own music, it adds a whole new dimension to the climb. 

Cairn‘s story and presentation are wonderful. There’s a great degree of subtlety utilized in both, which works fantastically. The details you find around the world and the way in which Aava’s arc can wrap up based on your choices all add to an overall satisfying experience. However, let’s be honest, you’re not playing Cairn to be engaged by a story. You, much like Aava herself, want to feel the thrill of the climb. So, how does Cairn‘s gameplay mechanics hold up? Actually, really well, despite some smaller issues here and there. 

A Challenging Ascension 

When I first started playing Cairn, I was really concerned about how the climbing mechanics would feel. While there are plenty of games that have created beautifully immersive experiences out of ascending a mountain, there are just as many that have made movement controls into an intentionally frustrating challenge. Sure, there is a place for those games, but it’s not quite what I would’ve wanted from this one. However, Cairn doesn’t suffer from this issue. 

There is a massive amount of detail and intricacy in the act of climbing Mount Kami. When you approach a cliffside, you press a button that will give you control of an individual limb that you must aim towards the right foothold in order to ascend. By default, the game will automatically choose the next limb for you to control. For instance, you might start by placing your left foot on a small rock jutting outwards, then it will prompt you to control your left hand, then right hand, then right foot, and so on.

As you climb higher and higher, you will need to manage your resources so you don’t fall to your untimely demise. The most important resource of all is the piton, a spike that you can plant into the rocks to secure your spot if you fall or lose your balance. Additionally, there are also hunger and thirst management mechanics, so you’ll need to refill your canteen and find some food left behind on Mount Kami. 

Thankfully, scattered around the mountain are rest stops where you can make some food and manage your backpack. You can also save progress here, repair your pitons, restore your health, pass the time, and rewrap the bandages around your fingers. That last point is one of my favorite activities, as you can see the blood and scarring start to accumulate on your fingers, and you can wrap the bandages to maintain your grip amidst the climb. The detail in how each finger is brought to life is staggering. 

Sometimes the physics of climbing can feel a little off, such as strangeness in the automatic selection of limbs and the direction in which those limbs can go. There were some instances where I found my leg fused into a cliff, but these instances were few and far between. Overall, the gameplay of Cairn feels great. Managing resources and working out the best way to ascend Mount Kami never felt too unfair. 

The climbing itself feels really responsive (aside from the aforementioned issues). The control of each limb allowed me to find footholds in places I never thought possible, without feeling like I was cheating the physics system. If you fail to find a foothold in time, you’ll fall to your death without a piton, making the challenge vast. However, if you personally find yourself struggling a bit too much with the climbing mechanics, there are thankfully numerous accessibility options to help you along the way. These include the ability to rewind a fall or one that grants infinite quantities of select resources. 

Cairn was a game that, in order to succeed, needed to get its climbing mechanics right. If these elements fell short, then the game would fail as a concept. That said, Cairn‘s gameplay mechanics go above and beyond in their feel and contribution to the zen experience that the game offers. I quickly found myself addicted to it, and even though I’ve already beaten it, I’m looking forward to climbing Mount Kami yet again soon.

Reaching the Top

Much like with mountaineering, the journey is just as important as the destination when you consider the quality of a game. The story, the presentation, and of course, the gameplay, are all no small components. There are plenty of experiences I’ve had in the last few years where there has been a great story and presentation, but lackluster mechanics, and thus the entire experience suffers. So I was relieved when I realized that Cairn maintained its quality from the base of the mountain to the very top. 

The story, despite taking a backseat to the game’s other elements, is still enthralling thanks to Aava and her arc, plus her interactions with the people around her. The presentation uses the cel-shaded art style really well, even if my hardware of choice slightly let it down. Most of all, the gameplay mechanics are satisfying and fun to engage with, whether it’s climbing a mountain, managing your health, or just walking around. 

Cairn is not immune to problems, don’t get me wrong. The occasional physics glitches that pop up when you start climbing may be minor or could send you hurtling off a cliff when you didn’t deserve it. Yet these issues are small in the grand scheme of everything the game has to offer. Thanks to a great degree of replayability, you will find yourself getting quickly addicted to mastering the art of mountaineering over and over again. 

I can’t recommend this game enough, despite its minuscule shortcomings. If you are like me and found yourself wondering what climbing a great mountain is like, then this is the experience for you. The zen-like experience of Cairn is one I implore anyone to enjoy for themselves, though, be aware of any potential urges to book a flight to Mount Everest for yourself. 

Disclaimer: The Game Bakers provided Final Weapon with a PC (Steam Deck) copy of Cairn for review purposes.