I've beaten Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree's Radahn before he was nerfed. Suffice to say, I believe I'm pretty good at games, but like many other gamers, I'm not good at touching grass - let alone climbing a mountain. I've never attempted it, and nor will I, but Cairn gives me an introvert-friendly way to see how I'd handle the experience. In all honesty, I'm not good at that, so thank goodness I didn't start with a real mountain. But it's fine - I don't need to be good at it. Cairn is all the better for its challenging gameplay, and this little Steam Deck gem is ridiculously cheap right now for how great it is.
Developed by the team behind Haven and Furi, some of the best indie games I've ever played (which surprised me at the time), Cairn feels like a fitting balance of the two experiences. While the former is a more relaxing experience, Furi is anything but. It's a chaotic, fast-paced action title that is stressful yet remains engaging, and Cairn blends the two ideas into one beautifully challenging mix.
Cairn puts you into the role of Aava, a professional mountaineer keen to be the first person to summit Mount Kami. There's a narrative thread, with the protagonist making sacrifices in order to commit her life to her dream, but in reality, it can be ignored for the limb-breaking, sweat-inducing complications of climbing a mountain, and trust me, it's no walk in the park.
You're forced to use each limb in a coordinated manner, struggling to grip on any small natural handles you can find, and hoping that you can reach the game's various checkpoints. If you fall, that's it. You can use pitons for strategic breaks (or rappelling down if required), wiping away that sweat on your face, and restoring your stamina for the next few treacherous climbs. Each climb is like a soulslike boss, and every wall feels like a threat to your life.
It's brutal in ways that many games can't be, forcing you to think ahead and judge your own solutions constantly. However, every time you manage to get to the top, the view out over the horizon is satisfying and provides a sense of calmness, pride, and achievement. You don't need to risk your life to see Mount Everest. Somehow, Cairn has managed to pour those feelings avideogame format, all from the comfort of your bed using your Steam Deck or handheld PC. (It's just DK: King of Swing on the Game Boy Advance cranked up to eleven - Ecom Ed).
Cairn is a surprising indie. It came out of nowhere and hooked me from start to finish, a culmination of hard work and stress that gives you a feeling of pride that often only the hardest of games provide. I fell in love with the mountaineering journey, and you can too. Right now, Cairn is just £21.24 at Fanatical, a 15% discount on a newly-released indie gem, and considering how much it would cost to climb a mountain, that's a pretty low price.
Alternatively, you could spend thousands on going to Mount Everest and risk your actual life, if you want. It's up to you. Personally, I prefer the warmth of a Steam Deck's lovely-smelling exhaust fan over the bitter cold.