Cliffhanger: Cairn

Conquer mountains, even if you have no idea what you're doing.

‣ Cairn
From: The Game Bakers
Platforms: PC
Release: 2025
Steam Page • Demo Video • Developer Site

Anyone picking up the controller can feel the fear and thrill of rock climbing.

Technical climbing and accessible gameplay don't cross paths. There are climbing simulators that focus on players who are familiar with the real-world activity, using contours and cracks in rock faces to move up. And when games cater to larger audiences, they simplify climbing to pulling characters up on obvious holds and ledges. These two worlds don’t meet.

Then, there is Cairn, a simulation and arcade mashup where you can feel the fear and thrill of proper rock climbing, even if you have no idea what you are doing.

You play as Aava, a professional climber preparing to summit the unconquered Mount Kami. Moving one limb at a time, Aava's hands and feet snap where you place them. She uses technical climbing moves to navigate craggy walls, pushing into the rock's angles and gaps with her hands and feet, creating balance that stabilises and supports her shifting body weight.

If it's a nice hold, she'll hang on with ease and maintain her stamina longer. But the worse a hold, the more stamina she uses to maintain her grip and balance. If Aava gets too tired, alerting you with loud gasps and violent shakes, she'll let go and fall. Death is possible, but a rope and deployable anchors help reduce the risks.

And you will fall, because you decide where and how to climb.

Most climbing games use predesigned routes, but in Cairn, you have the freedom to go your own way. You select where to start, guiding Aava's hands and feet to appropriate spots. You can carefully work your way through a series of cracks and protruding rocks. You can burn some energy to make small lunges and reach higher holds. You can attempt risky moves, hoping you find a good spot to rest before your stamina fails.

Cairn gives you a taste of climbing's adrenaline. Aava gasps and groans as she fights gravity, and you can hear her heart pump faster as the intensity grows. Your gut clenches as Aava shakes and struggles through a tricky section, and you feel euphoric relief when she relaxes in a stable position.

Yet, this game is not a simulation for climbing fans—it's for everyone. The movement system is intuitive and inviting—it's a bit awkward at first, but once you become comfortable and grasp how to move Aava around, you quickly ease into Cairn's possibilities and freedom. You'll feel like a world-class climber, even if you've never even tried to stand on top of a brick.

Aava's quest to conquer Mount Kami is the emotional heart of the game, told with cutscenes and voice-acted dialogue. She's very driven, perhaps even obsessed, and it will be interesting to see if the full game has an interesting story to go with her ordeal. A camping system and some scavenging elements add a light touch of strategy and also hint that the climbing will become more challenging and epic as she scales up Kami's slopes.

📽 Demo Snapshot: Okay, let’s finish this!

Indie developer The Game Bakers has established a reputation for creative and accessible games like Furi's twin-stick combat and Haven's lush exploration adventures. They make unique titles with design and polish that invite all types of gamers to join in. In Cairn, they use that talent to let anyone experience the fear and ecstasy of climbing, wrapped in an atmospheric arcade adventure.

Cairn is due for release in 2025

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Explore The Game with Youtube Chapters:

• 📽 01:30 Meet Aava

• 📽 03:55 How to climb

• 📽 13:58 Time to get outta here

• 📽 19:18 Outdoors

• 📽 20:00 A look at camping

• 📽 25:08 Let's try this climb

• 📽 28:00 A look at this mountain

• 📽 29:17 Tackling the second wall

• 📽 31:00 Taking a rest

• 📽 36:18 Made it!!

• 📽 36:58 The routes so far

• 📽 37:25 Let's go for the summit

• 📽 42:37 Almost there

• 📽 46:00 Mount Kami lies ahead

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