Cairn Review - Doughnut Underestimate It

Cairn, developed by The Game Bakers. I’m not sure if I love their studio’s name or hate it. Maybe because subconsciously, I can imagine a smug writer somewhere coming up with a myriad of baking puns to coincide with the game as they talk about it—chortling and chuckling to themselves as they do so. That annoys me. It’s not clever or funny. You know what? I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna be that guy.

At a glance, you can obviously tell this game is about rock climbing. And if you’re looking for a mostly-realistic (so I hear) take on that, then look no further. But climbing isn’t the only thing to manage and master, but an assortment of other mechanics are at play as you ascend the tallest mountain of this fictional world: Kami.

Hunger. Thirst. Temperature. Grip. Stamina. Health. Backpack management. Finger condition. Cooking. All these things are vital ingredients (hah!) that make up the recipe of this game. And what a fine recipe (stop) it is. While it may have its own indie-quirks, such as the protagonist contorting themselves in unrealistic positions and the odd animation snapping—it doesn’t detract from the overall core: climbing.

The story of the game is light, but I feel like it struck a good balance between nothing and something. This game can’t really be spoiled, as it’s more about the journey than the plot, but I’ll keep it brief. You follow Aava, a rather stubborn, irritable and often rude climber who has her eyes set on the summit of Kami. She has people back on the ground rooting for her, whose concerns she pays little attention to. These things, including her hot temper, make her a bit of an unlikeable protagonist. I’m going to assume this was intentional, as this makes the light story have a bit more edge than it would otherwise. There are conversations to be had about her mindset and her actions during the climb. Since there’s not much story, it makes each thing that does occur much more significant. My interpretation of her character is that she is climbing for herself; nobody else. She would choose death over failure—very much to the detriment of the people who care for her.

So that’s the main story covered, but there’s also small (emphasis on small) side quests you can do on your adventure; many of which you’ll have to go out of your way to find and complete. That’s another thing about the game: it isn’t a linear ascent. You can climb Kami any way you want, and there’s absolutely no way you will see and find everything in one playthrough.

The ascent itself is not easy, with any minor mistake having the potential to hurl you towards your death below. It doesn’t help that some mechanics I touched upon earlier aren’t really explained in the game’s tutorial—mainly stamina. But that’s okay, you’ll soon get used to them as you play. The game can certainly frustrate at times, especially if you’re struggling to navigate one particular section of the climb; possibly even forcing you to reevaluate your route. Whoa, just like real climbing! Another thing the game loves to do is remind you of the last time you saved. “20 minutes since your last save point”, the game will flash on the screen. This causes each arm or leg wobble to send your heart racing as you clutch your controller in your sweaty palms; ramping up the tension. It’s in these moments the game really flours (ugh). Stressful and tense to say the yeast—I mean least.

In terms of atmosphere, it’s not too dissimilar from Death Stranding. The game doesn’t actually play like Death Stranding at all—being far harder than that game and having an emphasis on climbing rather than walking. But the game made me look back and yearn for more difficulty in the Death Stranding games; wishing it had the unforgiving nature that Cairn had. Journeys are most fulfilling when it takes effort to reach the goal; that is where I feel The Game Bakers succeeded over Death Stranding, despite only being an indie studio. It seems like that core game design decision rings throughout—tough, but dough-able (sorry, last one).

Cairn is an indie GOTY contender for sure, and I hope it’s in that conversation come November/December time when The Game Awards come around.

For those who are willing to rise to the challenge, this game is worth playing. Highly recommended.