90
Cairn is a game that came out of nowhere and immediately grabbed my attention with its gripping story, engaging climbing and numerous threats or challenges found along the way. It’s the type of game that you think of the entire day, trying to figure out what to do next and what route you need to take. It’s a climbing game, as it is a puzzle and exploration-focused experience. It’s nice that the game runs smoothly, there’s no pressure and it’s more about your skills and determination. Cairn mimics real life when it comes to climbing, but it also keeps some interesting ideas, and it continues to be incredibly fun. Yes, it will take a while to get used to the controls, but once you get past that, you will see it’s a very solid, albeit challenging experience. It will give you around 10-15 hours of excitement and fun, along with a reason to always come back and see all the side content or secrets.
90
Cairn is more than just a pleasant surprise. Expectations were low, but the game made a good impression. The way you get absorbed in the relaxing gameplay is incredible.
90
Cairn is bringing back the original spirit of indie games about being innovative and thinking outside the box. With a simple gameplay manages to hook up players and suck them into his slow-paced world.
9
It’s a fully immersive and thoughtful video game; you feel part of the universe of Cairn from the very first moment you start playing. I climb in real life, and the climbing in the game feels very natural. Of course, there are certain details, but the game is an absolute marvel with a simple yet captivating story and an atmosphere that overflows with soul everywhere. It’s one of the best video games I’ve had the chance to play in the last five years. If you enjoy nature and climbing, this game is 100% for you.
8
This game has a super fascinating world, lore, soundtrack and mechanics. I don't give an higher vote because the story arc of the main character felt a bit banal to me. Anyway I hope to return again to dig more into the history of the troglodytes!
9
This game is breath of fresh air gameplay wise. There are very few true exploration/hiking/climbing games (individually), there are even less that feature all three in the same game. This game just hits all the right spots. The graphics are stylized and look great, the music is incredible, the design of the mountain is amazing. It's really impressive from a level design aspect how they put this mountain together, honestly. The sense of scale when you are climbing some of the bigger walls is not something replicated in any other game out there on the market. The story is interesting, and the endings are thought provoking. Do yourself a favor and play this, it's my Indie GOTY so far.
Cairn
Released On:
Jan 29, 2026
Metascore
Generally Favorable
85
User score
Generally Favorable
8.3
My Score
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All Platforms
Metascore
Generally Favorable
86% Positive
32 Reviews
32 Reviews
14% Mixed
5 Reviews
5 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jan 30, 2026
100
Cairn is thoughtful in its mechanical exploration of being a climber and it also delivers a story that pushes back on the mythology of the sport and the people that reach the highest levels. This is an essential game.
Mar 3, 2026
90
Cairn is a game that came out of nowhere and immediately grabbed my attention with its gripping story, engaging climbing and numerous threats or challenges found along the way. It’s the type of game that you think of the entire day, trying to figure out what to do next and what route you need to take. It’s a climbing game, as it is a puzzle and exploration-focused experience. It’s nice that the game runs smoothly, there’s no pressure and it’s more about your skills and determination. Cairn mimics real life when it comes to climbing, but it also keeps some interesting ideas, and it continues to be incredibly fun. Yes, it will take a while to get used to the controls, but once you get past that, you will see it’s a very solid, albeit challenging experience. It will give you around 10-15 hours of excitement and fun, along with a reason to always come back and see all the side content or secrets.
User score
Generally Favorable
84% Positive
100 Ratings
100 Ratings
7% Mixed
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
9% Negative
11 Ratings
11 Ratings
Mar 8, 2026
10
História boa. Mecânicas boas. Arte sensacional. Um jogo pra quem gosta de jogar e pra quem gosta de uma boa experiência sensorial.
Feb 5, 2026
90
Cairn is a brutally demanding yet strangely soothing climbing experience that turns every movement into a meaningful decision. Its unique limb-based controls and meditative pacing create a powerful sense of immersion, even as its punishing difficulty and sparse checkpoints test your patience. If you're willing to endure the struggle, the mountain offers one of the most memorable journeys in recent indie games.
Jan 29, 2026
90
If you’re at perfect, meditative peace, making every decision in a serene, graceful flow state, you’re doing it right. And make no mistake, for a game about a human being dangling off the side of a widowmaking mountain for over a dozen hours, there’s so much serenity to be had in Cairn.
Jan 29, 2026
85
Cairn is a test of faith earned through sheer grit and determination. The Game Bakers delivers a captivatingly vertical experience, as physically demanding as it is emotionally profound. You emerge breathless, but your perspective forever altered by the immensity of Mount Kami. A relentless, visceral, and transcendent climb that proves that to touch the heavens, you must first be willing to be broken against the rocks. A true masterpiece of the genre.
Jan 29, 2026
80
In its rousing finale, without a single word, Cairn makes me understand what was always inscrutable to me. I realize what Aava feels when looking up at Mount Kami from below. Not a grave, not even a threat, but a gateway to eternity. Powerful.
Jan 29, 2026
50
Once acclimated to the core mechanics, climbs become a series of puzzles to solve, rather than tests of might. Some sections are challenging enough to mirror Aava’s frustrations, with me cussing and shouting whenever a foot placement didn’t register properly and made me fall to the previous piston—if I had been smart enough to put one, that is. Despite the monotony, however, I remained determined to see it through. The problem is that the foundation on which Cairn bases these hardships lacks not only a stronger stability, but purpose, as well.
Feb 27, 2026
10
Juste Incroyable , novateur et incomparable dans le paysage Vidéo ludique. Une grande aventure, beaucoup d'émotions et une belle surprise qui restera gravée en moi longtemps Merci aux développeurs
Feb 9, 2026
10
Fun and challenging game, with good scoring and pretty good characters. This game is for sure going in my 2026 goty contenders category and I can’t wait to see whats next for The Game Bakers, I enjoyed their last game “haven“
So glad I fought through the challenging climb towards the end and made it to the summit!!.
Feb 9, 2026
10
Content worthy of GOTY. The game practically invented "Climbing 2.0" like no other game has. Beyond that, it explores what an exploratory game would be like in its purest verticality, rewarding you with better items, lore, and beautiful vistas. Along with this, its story offers much reflection on life and death, with a very impactful **** we have here incredible, fun gameplay with a good story. For me, it's a 10.
Feb 1, 2026
4
This is a really cool game that I’ve been waiting for a long time, but it has quite a few issues. First, the main character's physics. While climbing, you can get into tons of positions that would cause a real person to fall immediately, get exhausted very quickly, or are simply anatomically impossible. Second, the mountain surface structure. I often fell in spots where the character should have been able to walk calmly. Even in situations where she should lean against the wall and shimmy along the ledge, she almost always falls instead. Third, the stamina system. The calculations seem off here. Even with maxed-out stats, good grip strength, and an easy route, the character gets exhausted almost instantly if one or two limbs aren't perfectly placed on a hold.
Feb 2, 2026
1
An extremely lazy game in every sense, where even the core mechanic barely works and functions terribly. Some of the worst and most unrealistic animations I’ve ever seen - the heroine’s limb physics are literally like spaghetti. She can rotate her leg 180 degrees and, using just one toe of that leg, lift her entire body upward through her own body textures while pushing off a flat surface. .but next time she might fall while standing on a convenient ledge and keeping his feet firmly on the groundAnd this is just one case out of hundreds - the game is terrible in every aspect.
And this is not a gameplay convention, but an incredibly lazy implementation that hurts your eyes every second. On top of the gameplay, the game has lame story, graphics, style and dialogue
SummaryReach a summit never climbed before in this survival-climber from the creators of Furi and Haven. As pro climber Aava, you embark on the ascent of Mount Kami, a summit that has never been reached. Along the journey, meet unexpected companions and hear from those left on the ground. Discover the mountain's history and decide what Aava... Read More
Platforms:
- PC
- PlayStation 5
Initial Release Date:Jan 29, 2026
Developer:
Publisher:
