Cairn

Cairn is just really nice to play, with an emotionally gripping story and beautiful sights. You will struggle and get frustrated, but you will overcome whatever is in your way.

Cairn goes beyond a simple climbing game, turning the human drive to endure pain in pursuit of a summit into play. Its meticulous physics give weight to the question of why we keep moving forward, delivering a thoughtful take on struggle and achievement.

Cairn may have fewer mechanics than some games, but it drills down on what's there so successfully, and regularly tests the players' resolve and accomplishment of these skills, that I was often itching for the next challenge it'd send my way.

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.

After more than 13 hours of climbing (and much more gameplay overall, considering my failures), Cairn proved to be a special game, very consistent with its premise. It became clear, after some time, that it doesn't try to please everyone, but delivers an intense, fun, and quite original experience for those willing to play at its pace.