I’m a terrible climber. Being afraid of heights probably won’t help. But when I tried it, I loved the slow, methodical work of moving from one ledge to another. It reminds me a lot of why I love running; in both sports, you achieve goals that seem insurmountable by taking them one step at a time. Cairna new game from The Game Bakers, is one of the few games I’ve played that really captures that feeling.
You play as Aava, a famous climber obsessed with climbing a mountain called Kami. You climb by moving all four of Aav’s limbs, one at a time, to find safe cracks, bumps, and ledges that allow you to get higher, all while managing the tools and supplies carried in your pack. Climbing games are becoming something of a trend, but Cairn differs from Ebbingwhere you only control the character’s hands, or Baby stepsa dumber game where you only control the character’s legs.
Ten years have passed since my short-lived membership at the climbing gym, but CairnThe mechanics brought back all sorts of memories of my time scaling walls, especially the importance of good footwork. In my amateur experience, this is a great rock climbing simulator. By planting spikes into the walls, you can create places for the rope to catch you if you slide down the mountain face. A robotic companion will pick up the spikes when you get to safety so you can use them again. Using chalk gives you a temporary grip boost. Eating and drinking will help you stay fed, hydrated and warm.
Progress can be exhausting. I was almost always at a loss as I methodically searched for the next place to place Aavu’s hand or foot. Slipping costs something; you fall on your last spike or on the ground, and depending on how low they are, that could mean another long climb, hitting a wall, or worst case death. Rain, wind, snow and ice make everything even more difficult.
But it’s also kind of peaceful. I was incredibly focused while playing and more than once I found myself holding my Steam Deck right up to my nose as I looked for the next step of my climb. I was often completely in the zone. As I traveled, I even came to see Aava’s quest as my own. When she joked about a good grip, I was glad I had a brief moment of safety. As she was precariously close to falling, her breathing quickened in panic and my stress level rose as well. She would often scream in frustration when she fell, usually mirroring how I felt about the situation.
Image: The Game Bakers
Along her journey, Aava meets other people and hears from people who care for her, providing companionship on what is largely a solo quest. But sometimes she is also rude to them or alienates and ignores those who care for her. Aava even takes out her anger on her robotic friend. Still, I could relate. Like Aava, I also wanted to climb the damn mountain and I usually didn’t want anything standing in my way.
I am prone to like Cairn: I love long runs and there are few things more satisfying than the feeling of conquering a seemingly insurmountable obstacle one step at a time. I’ve been out of running lately and I’ve missed it. Cairn it reminded me of what’s possible when you focus only on the next thing in front of you—and the complex feelings that come with persevering in the pursuit.
Cairn is now available for PC and PS5.