Cairn

Steam Reviews

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• Recommended Posted January 31, 2026 on Steam Every once in a while a game is released that instantly reminds me why I have always loved video games, and this is one of them. Genuinely beautiful game so far, that makes the slow act of climbing incredibly engaging
• Recommended Posted February 1, 2026 on Steam Cairn is everything I'd hoped it to be, and more. Nearly every aspect of the game reinforces its portrayal of climbing as a feat that is extremely demanding, and perhaps reckless. Everything is meant to keep you on edge and make you calculate your moves — and in its best moments, you feel just as stressed as Aava would be. The tension is primarily kept up with two things. The first are the survival mechanics — you are on multiple timers (mostly Hunger and Thirst) simultaneously, all of the time, and you have to manage them to ensure you're in best shape to continue climbing. The second is simply Aava herself. Every shake of a limb, every vocalization of pain helps convey the struggle and put you in her place. The sound design in general deserves a lot of praise, both in effects and in music. The weather sounds just as oppressive as it should, and the soundscape does a good job at immersing the player. The soundtrack by The Toxic Avenger really elevates the setpieces, and the ambience (both ambient music, and general nature sounds) are pleasant to the ear. Admittedly I'm still conflicted on what the story meant to convey, there are still a lot of things that I need to mull over, but to me the narrative was one of what we're willing to sacrifice for what we define as parts of ourselves. I'm baffled by the discourse surrounding Aava being unlikeable though — like, yeah, that's the point??? Main characters being disagreeable and not someone you'd root for isn't anything new for The Game Bakers, let alone media in general (see also: Breaking Bad and Moby ♥♥♥♥). Yet this set people off for reasons I cannot even fathom. Onto the cons: [list] [*]The auto limb select sucks, straight up. The game is impossible to play without having to correct with manual select at least once at every wall. The algorithm for choosing limb priority is flawed and has a worrying consistency at being wrong. [*]The "tiring" system sometimes doesn't hold up to scrutiny. Positions that look fine will exhaust Aava, and something seemingly inhuman will allow you to catch your breath. It can catch you off-guard and cause you to panic. [*]Despite how much emphasis the game puts onto the weather, and it being very effective in terms of aesthetics, it ends up not really affecting the gameplay. I never felt affected by the wind or the cold, the fog basically doesn't exist, and I [i]think[/i] the rain makes surfaces slippery, but I barely felt that. It ends up just kind of... being there. [/list]
• Recommended Posted February 8, 2026 on Steam One of those games you think about a lot after you beat it. The gameplay loop wasn't easy to figure out at first (I'm not a climber), but with some options tweaked (namely, the option to show you if you got a good grip) it becomes much more manageable and enjoyable, On paper, I should have hated it. My passion was always more about the depth of the sea rather than the hights of a mountain or skies, but something about Cairn just puts you into the proper mood. The game gives you just the right amount of control to struggle with some walls, but still makes them manageable with the right tools (buffs) and patience. I'm not sure the Free Climb (hardcore) difficulty is for me, but the Alpinist (default) level of hardships was just enough to make me enjoy all the survival mechanics. Oh, and if you hate those, you can always disable them outright in the options, which is great (I've always enjoyed having control of the games I play). I absolutely adore the fact that Cairn rewards being attentive to your surroundings, The amount of secret caves, various hidden backpacks and bodies of the climbers that came before are a really nice touch. And it's not just being attentive, then comes the part where you try to figure out how to get to that cave or backpack, which is something I greatly enjoyed. The exploration part of the game is great, so if you love that in games, you'll be pleasantly surprised. I could go on about the vibes (the mountain, the sounds, the music... — those are just impeccable), but what made this game stick out for me are the themes it raises along the climb. I found myself yelling at the screen after another fall and then pressing Alt+F4 in frustration, only to wake up next day with the thought "I got to climb the mountain, I got to get back there!". Because it's that addicting. I highly recommend playing this if you love a good story and games that make you feel (in this case, you feel something unexplainable, the yearning to climb).
• Recommended Posted January 30, 2026 on Steam Jusant, step aside. The boss has entered. Summing up the current: 2+ hours played so far +2 hours in the demo, which hooked me immediately and made me throw it straight into the wishlist. A year of waiting for the release, with delays along the way. A French team that sweated over this project for 3 to 5 years, depending on diff sources. And what can I say. So far it looks like Game of the Year material. Maybe not a straight-up “Game of the Year” title, unless Gabe suddenly takes mercy and releases HL3, or Playground somehow doesn’t screw up Fable, but it absolutely looks like a strong contender for “Indie of the Year”. [u]First:[/u] the climbing mechanics. Control here is extremely precise down to every movement, the controls are comfortable, animations are smooth, and the sense of the character’s body weight and that constant “one more slip and you’re done” feeling is spot on. [u]Second:[/u] you actually have to plan and survive. I liked Jusant, it have its charm, but that’s a pleasant, casual, beautiful fantasy story (also by the French, by the way). But here we have a hardcore game. Hunger can kill you, thirst can kill you, cold can kill you, falling and cracking your skull is very much an option, and resources are not infinite. Yes, there are plenty of consumables around that can be crafted or cooked into something useful/what you can eat, but you still have to find them. You can bandage each finger separately, cook food out of whatever crap you scavenge nearby, the weather changes, and there’s a day-night cycle. I can already imagine what awaits higher up the mountain: far more aggressive cold, far fewer resources. [u]Third:[/u] unexpectedly, the game actively rewards curiosity and exploration. If you like climbing somewhere extra or slipping into some side passage where a bonus, a perk, a bit of lore, or maybe vital survival resources are waiting for you, this is your place. I was trained from childhood on Deus Ex and Thief, so I’m the kind of player who loves poking around off the critical path, into caves or cracks, just to happily find loot or a fragment of story. It’s a great feeling when developers in games like this give you a knowing nod that says, “Yes, we expected you here, you curious little bastard. We added this specifically for the 5% of players like you. Here, have some loot and a medal, you my playful fool.” And you grin at the monitor with that warm sense of pride from a dopamine hit. I mean, that’s why we play games, right? [u]Fourth:[/u]atmosphere. Ambient sounds play, you’re in a tent on a high cliff, a pot is heating water, wind tears at the tent, and rain rages outside. The game is quite tense, yet it always finds moments like these where you can breathe and relax. That cost too much, especially after hard day at work - boot up your PC or console, relax, take yourself into different world or situation or....I mean, that’s why we play games too, right?? [u]Fifth:[/u] the sense of progress. A strange plus, but there’s something powerful in it. Look at Half-Life 2: you constantly see the Citadel. With every step, it gets closer and closer. The entire journey behind you feels like one big adventure toward a single goal, almost a road movie, and that goal is always in front of your eyes. The Talos Principle 2 is built around this idea. Stealth games live off it entirely, take Styx (French game again!) or Thief 2 with its massive Mechanists’ Tower. Here, it’s a huge mountain. From the very start at its base, there’s a feeling that you’ll never conquer this thing. With every cliff you climb, the summit feels closer and closer, the goal more achievable than before. This is wired into our DNA, really. I think this is the psychology of climbing itself. [u]Sixth:[/u] minimalism. Before Cairn, I booted up BF6, and the 50 tabs in the main menu, the notifications, battle passes, battle pass points, whatever those even are, gave me a headache. I honestly don’t understand 60% of the menu. It feels like someone took a dump all over it. So many elements, so much clutter, and I only ever use five of them. I just want to run around and shoot some tanks after work, not grind battle pass points. This isn’t even a dig at BF6. The poor series just became a victim of trends. Most games are like this now, even ones that aren’t live services. And what a relief it is to launch Cairn and see a clean main menu with four neat tabs, no unnecessary crap, a tidy interface that doesn’t cover half the screen. Want to support the developer? Here’s a separate Deluxe page that clearly tells you what you get. It sounds weird, but when I bought the game, I paid for that too. Not for a menu-induced headache of “uhhh, I just want to drive some tanks… where do I go… where are the settings… okay… and where’s the server browser…?”. That just a dev respect to players basic principle. Good games are experiences. And the experience Cairn offers is special, because the project is genuinely unique and currently has no real equal. Sorry, Jusant, you’re good in your own way. DontNod, we love you, no hard feelings. If you don’t want to crack your skull in real life while climbing mountains, you can do it here instead. My only complaint, and the developers probably won’t read this anyway, but ill try - is that I really love to see a Ukrainian text localization. I’d really love for more people from the Ukrainian community to get familiar with a project like this. [h3][b]Update: [/b][/h3] I conquer Kami this evening. 7 ingame days, 16 hours, 42 falls, 1 death, with 2 almost empty bottles of water and few meds. What a journey, what an experience. [h3]This is absolutely Indie of the Year material, without question.[/h3] [b]P.S. S.[/b] As a small bonus: If you enjoy the atmosphere of this game, I highly recommend checking out the French (again!) animated film Le Sommet des Dieux (2021). It’s based on a Japanese manga, so the film feels like an intriguing blend of Eastern and Western cultures. The theme and atmosphere are very similar to the Cairn.
• Recommended Posted February 19, 2026 on Steam Ok let me start by saying this game is amazing! Got hooked up hard when the demo first came out, and I couldn't wait for the full release. Needless to say it didn't disappoint. Nevertheless, a great game such as this doesn't come without flaws in some areas. These need to be adressed before someone buys it, otherwise some may be a big dealer breaker to some. ✅ PROS • Unique visuals The art direction is bold and distinct. It doesn’t try to look realistic in a generic way. It creates its own atmosphere. The mountain feels lonely, hostile, and beautiful at the same time. • S-tier music When the soundtrack kicks in, it hits hard. Emotional, powerful, almost spiritual. It elevates key moments to something unforgettable. I think one of the main reasons this is a huge plus is cause of the vocals. • Chill vibe (with tension underneath) On the surface it’s quiet, almost meditative. Just you, the wind, and the mountain. But underneath that calm is constant tension. You’re always calculating your next move. • Survival mechanics done right Energy, grip, positioning, everything matters. It’s meaningful. If you don't prepare, you won't reach the next checkpoint. • Deep, meaningful gameplay This isn’t just about climbing. There’s subtext here. Isolation. Endurance. Fighting your own limits. I personally read it as a metaphor for battling depression, closing yourself off while others seem to move forward with their lives. Whether that was intentional or not, the emotional weight is real. • Real choices, real endings Huge respect for this. Your decisions matter. The ending I got was emotional and surprisingly deep. no spoilers. I genuinely sat there for a minute after it finished. I’ll try the other route eventually… but honestly, the climb is long, so replaying isn’t something I’m rushing into. ❌ CONS • The controls can be your worst enemy There are moments where the game simply refuses to let you climb the way you intend. Not difficulty! just clunkiness. • The slip mechanic is frustrating When you slip, the game auto-selects another limb for you. That sounds fine in theory. In practice? It often sabotages high-risk plays and turns skillful movement into punishment. It feels like the system working against you instead of testing you. • Ragdoll physics after falling Not a deal breaker, but definitely annoying. Falling from a small ledge can snowball into death because you’re stuck in ragdoll and completely locked out of recovery. Sometimes it feels like you’re punished harder than the mistake deserved. • “Free path climbing” isn’t always free The game suggests freedom, but there are sections where grip strength is so weak that you’re clearly forced into the developer’s intended route. If you’re going to sell freedom, commit to it. • The music is incredible… but too rare Like I said before the music is S tier. Why lock such an amazing soundtrack behind long stretches of pure wind noise? I understand the idea of musical payoff, but 30 minutes of silence before a track hits is too much. Some subtle ambient layer would’ve elevated the quiet moments without ruining the impact. This game is not perfect but is worth climbing!
• Recommended Posted February 16, 2026 on Steam A phenomenal start to 2026 and one of those games that reminds me why I love playing video games. Cairn's concept is fresh and original, and the climbing feels exceptionally great once it clicks. The game is challenging in a good way and sometimes even frustrating, but that only makes reaching the several checkpoints more rewarding. Climbing Mount Kami feels incredibly satisfying. I took my time on the way up without searching every corner for collectibles. Instead, I let the atmosphere and the journey sink in and naturally came across a few hidden secrets which for me made the world feel even more immersive. That, together with the climb itself, made Cairn an experience unlike any I have had in a game in a long time. An extremely strong game and already one of my personal highlights of 2026.