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Cairn cover

Cairn 2026

Simulator by The Game Bakers, published by The Game Bakers. Directed by Emeric Thoa.

Nintendo Switch 2 PC (Microsoft Windows) PlayStation 5 Simulator Sport Adventure ESRB: M Steam Deck Verified
87
Critics
aggregate score
85
Players
IGDB rating
94%
Very Positive
18,940 Steam reviews
875 playing now
on Steam, 1,195 peak today
10 h to beat
main story, 20 h for everything
0 awards won
4 nominations

About

On Steam, 94% of 18,940 player reviews are positive (Very Positive). 875 people are playing it on Steam right now, with a peak of 2,297 in the last 30 days. It is Verified on Steam Deck. The main story takes about 10 hours, doing everything about 20 hours. It was nominated for 4 awards.

Reach a summit never climbed before in this survival-climber from the creators of Furi and Haven. Climb anywhere and plan your route carefully, managing pitons and resources to survive the unforgiving Mount Kami. Discover what Aava is willing to sacrifice to achieve the ascent of a lifetime.

Story

As pro climber Aava, you embark on the ascent of Mount Kami, a summit that has never been reached. Along the journey, meet unexpected companions and hear from those left on the ground. Discover the mountain's history and decide what Aava is willing to sacrifice to achieve the her dream.

What is happening now

Cairn is a survival-climbing simulator that emphasizes realistic mountain ascent mechanics with intuitive controls. The game launched on PC and PlayStation 5 in January 2026, positioning itself as an adventure title that blends sports simulation with indie sensibilities. The Game Backers have announced a Switch 2 port arriving in early 2027, signaling the studio's confidence in expanding the title's audience beyond its initial platforms. A free demo has been made available to introduce players to Cairn's climbing mechanics ahead of the console's launch.

How long to beat Cairn

from 4 players
Main storyrushing through the story
10 h
Main + extrasstory plus side content
15 h
Completionisteverything the game has
20 h

From the people behind Cairn

shared cast and crew
Furi cover
Furi
2016 · Emeric Thoa
Haven cover
Haven
2020 · Emeric Thoa

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Cast and crew

1 credits

Crew

ET
Emeric Thoa
Director

Awards

0 won, 4 more nominations
Golden Joystick Awards 2026
Nominated: Best Game Trailer Nominated: Best Indie Game (Self-Published)
Gamescom Award 2025
Nominated: Best Audio Nominated: Games for Impact

Media

Cairn screenshot
Watch trailer 1 Watch trailer 2 Watch trailer 3 Watch trailer 4 Watch trailer 5 Watch trailer 6

Releases

Platform
Date
September 15, 2020

Earliest full release on each platform; regional dates can differ.

PC and Steam Deck

Steam store page

Steam Deck: Verified works great out of the box

Minimum
Recommended
OS
Windows 10
Windows 10
Processor
Intel Core i7-6700 (4 * 3400), AMD Ryzen 5 1500X (4 * 3500) or equivalent
Intel Core i7-10700 (8 * 2900), AMD Ryzen 7 3700X (8 * 3600) or equivalent
Memory
8 GB RAM
8 GB RAM
Graphics
GeForce GTX 1050 Ti (4096 MB), Radeon RX 570 (8192 MB)
Geforce RTX 2060 Super (6144 MB), Radeon RX 5700 (8192 MB)
Storage
10 GB available space
10 GB available space
Additional Notes
SSD required. Controller recommended.
SSD required. Controller recommended.

Will it run on my PC?

Your numbers stay in this browser.

Requirements and Deck status as listed on Steam, checked Oct 28, 2026.

Cairn player count

concurrent players on Steam
875playing now18m ago
1,195peak today
2,29730-day peak
2,297highest we have seenNov 1, 2026
Oct 23: 407 Oct 24: 515 Oct 25: 481 Oct 26: 348 Oct 27: 336 Oct 28: 371 Oct 29: 1,695 Oct 30: 1,739 Oct 31: 2,143 Nov 1: 2,297 Nov 2: 1,894 Nov 3: 1,195
Oct 23daily peak, last 12 daystoday

Players counted on Steam every one to six hours; the daily peak is the highest count of the day.

Cairn achievements

52 achievements on Steam

Rarest

Spotted!
4.6%
Engineer Craft 15 pitons from scraps
5.2%
Master chocolatier Cook up an easter egg
5.3%
Don't stop me now Climb 30 meters without using a piton
7.2%
Home
7.6%
Doped up Combine the effects of burst, grip, extra grip, focus and grit in one go
9.1%
All 52 achievements by how many players unlocked them
In Memoriam
9.8%
Love birds
11.2%
Luxurious grip
11.9%
The Ancient
15.5%
Aava Porter Bridges
17.3%
Your story
17.5%
Leap of faith Run and jump into the void while on the rope
18.7%
Herbalist Cook the ultimate infusion
19.2%
I did it!
19.2%
Meteorologist Assemble the 3 doll pieces
19.6%
Light up the sky
19.7%
Red Rope Club Make an alcoholic cocktail
19.8%
Honest heist Collect wild honey from the wall
22.3%
The Child
22.4%
One day, I'll be rich!
24.2%
Bag maniac Did you really think you could keep your bag tidy?
24.6%
Serious training Open the box in the gym room
25.4%
The Secret
27.1%
Part of a whole
27.3%
Return to Source
28.5%
Upstream
28.9%
All that glitters
29.8%
Neither a success, nor a failure
30.6%
Heartbeat
31.7%
No thanks
31.9%
One hell of a night
33.5%
Close call Survive to a near-deadly fall
33.6%
Lick responsibly
35.4%
Picture for Chris Use the photo mode
35.8%
Grizzly woman
36.3%
Siesta Enjoy a nice outdoor nap
37.8%
Nurse Tape your fingers 20 times
38.7%
End of the Rope Reach the furthest extent of the rope
39.2%
Everything else disappears
42%
Hungry like a wolf Loot food from a corpse
43.9%
Lactic acid Recover stamina by shaking your arm over 50 times
47.1%
Kami sashimi Catch a fish
56.2%
Interloper on the wall
58.3%
Moment of cool
59.9%
Leave no trace Compost 10 trash items
66.2%
Just a bit too late Fall while planting a piton
67.2%
Not even a scratch Survive a 15-meter fall
68.2%
Ain't scared Jump from the ground and latch onto the wall
68.3%
Those who come back down
75.6%
Mandatory warm-up
83.2%
Bird’s eye Check your route from the remote view mode
83.8%

Share of Steam players who unlocked each achievement.

In the news

4 stories
Cairn and Furi creator’s games are all so different that ‘there’s a chance our next game is an MMO match-3 about friendship,’ jokes creative director, Emeric Thoa
1 outlet · Sep 22, 2026
Cairn DLC
1 outlet · Sep 22, 2026
Following a Summer Delay, Cairn’s massive free Deep Water DLC lands this October
1 outlet · Sep 22, 2026
Survival-Climbing Game Cairn Comes to Switch 2 in Early 2027, Free Demo Available Today
2 outlets · Sep 9, 2026