The Game Bakers' upcoming title Cairn immerses players in a realistic climbing simulation on the perilous Mount Kami. Protagonist Aava navigates jagged terrains while managing survival needs amid stunning vistas. The game blends exploration, tension, and occasional frustration in its limb-by-limb ascent system.
In a hands-on preview, Cairn presents a slow and stressful ascent up Mount Kami, where players control professional climber Aava. The game, developed by The Game Bakers—known for Furi and Haven—features a world of meticulously framed vistas and vertiginous drops, rendered in an art style reminiscent of a Moebius comic strip. Accompanied by natural sounds of wind and water, plus occasional synthpop, the experience emphasizes the power of pauses for emotional release.
Aava's journey includes a light narrative thread, with calls from friends and lovers revealing personal motivations, alongside hints of near-future calamity on the mountain. Gameplay combines climbing with survival elements: players scrutinize rock formations for routes, manage stamina using limited pitons, and maintain health, hunger, thirst, and warmth. Resources come from picking herbs, drinking from springs, raiding bear boxes or abandoned vending machines, and examining corpses for maps and hints. Campsites allow saving, cooking, or resting, with adjustable difficulty options for survival aspects.
The core climbing mechanic mimics QWOP-style control, moving individual limbs in contorted positions—arms twisted, legs jammed, sometimes with the bum in the air. Successful ascents build a satisfying rhythm, but automatic limb selection often feels unintuitive, leading to frustration, especially on tight paths. Manual selection exists but is slow. Despite these challenges, reaching a precipice delivers triumph, forgiving earlier irritations amid the wilderness's beauty.
"It's slow, stressful, and surprisingly exhausting. But I also know the moment I finally drag myself up onto the nearing precipice it'll all be worth it," the preview notes. This hybrid of climbing, exploration, and survival captures unwavering determination against impossible odds.