Far too high up this cliff face, my arms start to wobble, my breath comes in rapid gasps, and I let out a handful of fearful whimpers that let me know it's time to fix something, fast. Convinced that I can steady myself before disaster, however, I attempt to shuffle awkwardly to my right, moving each limb in turn as I search for a more stable hold. But it's not enough. Player character Aava's stamina gives out, her hold slips, and I find myself falling through empty space where once there was solid rock.
Cairn has been on our radar for a long time, and now that it's finally getting closer to its release early next year, it's proving to be a strong early contender in Steam Next Fest. Its current position places it second in the survival game wishlist charts, an impressive feat only heightened by the fact that it doesn't really obey genre norms. There's a decent amount of hunger and thirst management, but the brutal nature of the mountain adds an almost roguelike twist - one wrong move and you can be starting again from the ground.
But the most interesting aspect of Cairn is the way it treats climbing like a puzzle to be solved. Presented with a cliff face, it's up to you how you choose to make it to the top. You might seek a deliberately challenging climb, or you might go for a short walk to limit the distance of your upcoming ascent. For now, I'm picking the most obvious routes - the ones where you can clearly see the handholds and outcroppings from the ground. But even those are no guarantee of a safe climb.
Aava is clearly an accomplished climber, but beyond some light bouldering, my experience is limited, and it's not long before I'm desperately stretching for holds that are clearly out of reach, but I was convinced were a key part of my plan. That's where the survival elements start to come into play. Cairn's limited UI means you're not contending with anything as simple as a stamina bar. Instead, you have to listen out for signs of difficulty and adapt. Sometimes, that's as simple as finding an easy hold where you can catch your breath. Others, it means screwing a piton into the wall and coming 'off belay' - leaning back from the cliff to take a proper rest.
It's an interesting twist, meaning your characters' concern shapes your own - as she starts to puff, it's up to me to pay attention and take the load off, but if I can't find a way to do that in time, she'll fall. If I've planned carefully, that might only mean slipping a few feet down the wall, but if it's been a while since I dropped a piton in my hurry to ascend, it can mean a much bigger fall, and potentially a major injury. In one climb, I smashed into the rock face and was forced to take an hours-long break. But during that time the sun set, the temperature fell, and I got very hungry. In my moment of hubris higher up the mountain, I ended up setting myself back a significant distance.
Fortunately, the frustration I felt was mirrored by Aava. Cairn positions your character as an expert, but one who's not interested in the fanfare that comes with her apparent ability. She's curt with the people who phone her to discuss her climb - if she even answers their calls at all. She gets annoyed when I get the piton minigame wrong, and yells in frustration when I slip off the wall right at the start. It's aimed inward, but I can't help but feel I'm letting her down. Still, it's a fascinating characterization - a huge departure from the often chipper indie game protagonist, and one clearly inspired by the hyper focus of extreme climbers.
Cairn is not exactly a hidden gem. This is a hotly-anticipated game from the experts at The Game Bakers, developers of the uber-stylish Haven and Furi. But it's a surprisingly zen twist on the survival formula that will likely dominate the rest of this genre through Next Fest. It's intense but also meditative, a gradual, careful placement of each limb to take you, ever so slowly, towards your mountain goal. Until you hear that first worried intake of breath from Aava, and realize that maybe it's not as relaxing as your first thought.
Learn to thrive with our list of the best survival games.
