Cairn, developed by The Game Bakers, is a 2026 survival climbing game that follows world-renowned alpinist Aava as she attempts to single-handedly (well, figuratively, at least) climb one of the highest and most treacherous mountains in the world. Players must familiarize themselves with a unique control schema for climbing and choose their path to ascent wisely as they guide Aava up this formidable peak. In addition to the climbing itself, players need to monitor the supplies she's carrying in her backpack wisely, to make sure Aava never runs out of food or water on her journey. The adventure is harrowing, but so are the emotions that get stirred up on the way to the top.
It was an absolute pleasure to get to talk about this powerful and extremely challenging game with Adam Gumbert, of The Tier List and Respawn Aim Fire podcasts. In this discussion we share our thoughts on the climbing mechanics and whether the survival elements supported or detracted from our experience of the game. We also take a close look at Aava's personal journey and ask ourselves which is the "good" ending and which is the "true" ending of this game.
Timestamps
00:00:00 - Intro
00:03:50 - Weekly Boss Battles
00:09:42 - Meet our Guest - Adam Gumbert, The Tier List
00:21:52 - Cairn Discussion
01:23:05 - Game Ratings
01:28:02 - One Small Thing
Meet our Guests
Adam (he/him)
@adamgumby.bsky.social
You may have read his words on Game Sandwich or heard him on shows like Respawn Aim Fire or his newest podcast The Tier List. Or maybe you’ve attended (or participated in) his live gaming events like this year’s Game-pardy panel at PAX East. We were delighted to have Adam come join us for this episode!
Check out Adam's work on:
Bluesky
The Tier List
Respawn Aim Fire
Game Sandwich
Keep in touch with us on social media:
Kate's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/katerblossom.bsky.social
Emily's Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/aspecificegg.bsky.social
No Small Games Bluesky ✦ https://bsky.app/profile/nosmallgames.bsky.social
No Small Games Instagram ✦ https://www.instagram.com/nosmallgames
Want to learn more and weigh in on what games we should play in future episodes? Check us out and leave a game suggestion at nosmallgames.com
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