The content below was published on the PlayStation.Blog.
We’re thrilled to confirm that the climbing survival game Cairn will launch on PS5 on November 5, 2025. You can attempt your first climb with Aava today—a demo is now available for PS5! Hone your climbing skills in the Tenzen ridge before tackling the ascent of the unrelenting Mount Kami.
It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves
A cairn is a stack of stones marking a trail or serving as a memorial. It powerfully represents the idea of “I made it this far.”
In Cairn, our survival climbing game, you’ll need grit and persistence to “make it this far.” When we decided to create a game about mountaineering, we were captivated by the dedication climbers show. They risk everything for the extraordinary feeling it provides: utter satisfaction and freedom. This is the emotion we aimed to recreate for you, the player.
We spent 3 years researching and developing our unique climbing system. It’s entirely novel. While climbing exists in other games, it’s often a traversal mechanic to reach new areas. In Cairn, climbing IS the challenge—where you triumph or fail. It will make your hands sweat.
This climbing gameplay stands on two pillars: simple-yet-deep controls and unrestricted freedom to scale any surface.
Easy to learn, hard to master…ow! my fingertip!
First, climbing is simple. We designed a deep simulation using minimal inputs. In Cairn, you control each hand and foot individually—using only the left stick and a grip button. Ninety percent of actions require moving the left stick and pressing Square. Sounds straightforward, right? Similar to Gran Turismo using two inputs for driving, yet you’ll practice for hours to shave 3 seconds off a lap. In Cairn, the difficulty lies in tactical limb placement and maintaining balance—not complex controls.
We engineered an advanced movement system mimicking real climbers based on where you aim limbs. The simulation computes body mechanics AND exertion: your character tires and breathes heavily as a result.
This creates profound immersion: watch your climber, listen to their breath, and feel their limbs tremble through the DualSense controller’s precise haptics. No UI feedback exists—you learn to gauge exhaustion visually. With practice, you’ll recognize impossible, bold, and safe moves.
Climbing’s beauty is its clarity: reach the next ledge or summit. You see your goal—just get there. Failure is equally obvious: you fall. This focuses you on essentials—your body, movements, stamina. And finally reaching that ledge? Pure relief and joy!
Finding routes is speaking the mountain’s language
Cairn’s second revolution is unrestricted climbing freedom. No pre-designed paths—just an entire mountain where you can grab every crack you spot.
The mountain was built stone-by-stone by our design team (whom we deeply thank). This delivers unmatched liberty—even our level designers won’t know your chosen route.
Playtesting revealed something fascinating: gamers often walked to the wall and climbed immediately. Real climbers, though, studied the wall first—noting cracks, handholds, obstacles, and ledges before plotting a route. Pre-planning, adapting, resting, deciphering rock—this is Cairn’s joy. Every second presents a choice.
Beyond the climb
Cairn isn’t just climbing. It’s immersion in stunningly stylized nature. It’s hearing a storm roar while alone on the mountain. It’s surviving hunger, cold, thirst, and pain. It’s Aava’s journey to the summit and the people/places she’ll encounter. It’s her determination, sacrifices, and pursuit of freedom. More on these aspects soon…
