Cairn is a realistic survival-climber with breathtaking views

Sometimes a minimalist concept done well is all a game needs to work. Instead of inventing enemies and intricate gameplay rules, the objective in Cairn is simply to climb a picturesque yet dangerous mountain called Kami. Granted, no one has reached the summit of this mountain before, but that isn’t going to stop Aava (pronounced Ah-vah) and her trusty Climbot from trying. I was able to play 30 minutes of the upcoming survival-based climbing sim by The Game Bakers, the developer behind Furi and Haven, at the Day of the Devs during GDC 2025. And fortunately, by going deliberately slow and steady, I was able to reach the end of the demo in one piece.

Ain’t no mountain high enough

The opening section of the demo introduces Aava, a rather focused loner, stretching in a rock-climbing gym with eight practice walls to climb. On the middle Alpinist difficulty setting, which doesn’t have an assist mode, moving up a wall requires methodical precision. Using the default controls, the game will automatically choose one of her limbs for the player to move. So long as Aava’s hands and feet are placed appropriately, whether it’s on a comfortable edge or within a rock crack, she will scale a cliff face without much trouble. However, if her arms and knees start to buckle and her breath becomes panicked and heavy, there’s a chance she’ll slip and plummet to the ground. 

Thankfully, Aava can use pitons that effectively save her progress as she makes her ascent. These will prevent her from losing too much ground if she falls off and give her the opportunity to belay for a much needed break to recover stamina. Better yet, if the pitons are nailed into the rock perfectly through a timing mini-game, the Climbot will be able to collect them once Aava reaches solid ground. The player can also zoom out the camera and determine the best, most efficient route up the mountain. That said, for an even tougher challenge, players can choose the highest Free Solo difficulty where pitons are disabled altogether.

While turning off the HUD and enabling automatic controls made Cairn more immersive, I went the opposite direction for the sake of precision. At times I found that a limb didn’t snap to a wall how I thought it would and the only way I could correct that quickly is by using manual controls. I also toggled the option for highlighting limbs, since there were occasions when Aava’s body would block the view of her hands and legs.

A matter of survival

Although it wasn’t as prevalent in the demo given its short length, Aava needs to manage her basic needs, including health, hunger, thirst, and temperature. Her backpack comes with bottles of water, snacks, pills, and other recovery items, like ramen that can be cooked in tents at save points. Pocket change found in the gym can buy extra items at vending machines, while Aava can find wild herbs, raspberries, and streams to refill resources. Managing temperature wasn’t a problem in the demo, but considering that the top of Kami is covered with snow, it will likely be one in the full game.

As Aava clambers her way up the mountain, she will meet other companions and communicate with various characters through the Climbot’s radio. It’s unclear whether the people she will encounter will aid or hinder her, but she may need to consider sacrificing some of her resources or ignoring them altogether 

Cairn is set to release in 2025 for PC (Steam) and PS5. A demo of the game is available on Steam.

This preview is based on a demo provided by the publisher during the Day of the Devs: San Francisco Edition during GDC 2025.

Nick Tan

Contributing Editor

Once upon a time, Nick's parents confiscated his Super Nintendo because he was "playing it too much." He has secretly sworn revenge ever since. Nick is now a freelance writer for various video game sites. Powered by iced green tea, he typically plays RPGs of all kinds like Shin Megami Tensei, Elder Scrolls, and Fallout. In his spare time, he follows the latest season of Critical Role.