Cairn, a new PlayStation 5 console exclusive indie title, is already proving to be a big hit with gamers, as publisher The Game Bakers reveals that it has already surpassed 200,000 players in its opening weekend. The new survival climbing game launched for PlayStation 5 and PC on January 29, and is already receiving rave reviews from both players and critics. Many are praising its accurate portrayal of climbing and its artistic style, making it a standout indie hit to kick off 2026.
Cairn is set on the fictional Mount Kami, which features unforgiving terrain and blistering weather conditions. Similar to the recent walking simulator Baby Steps, Cairn has realistic and intuitive controls that allow players to carefully climb with their hands and feet, while also needing to keep a close eye on their posture, effort, and balance. Players are free to climb any way they wish up Mount Kami, but it’s important to choose wisely, as some routes may be much more difficult than others. And if that wasn’t already enough, ascending this treacherous mountain also means keeping an eye on resources such as pitons, chalk, finger tape, food, water, medicine, and more.
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Cairn Achieves 200,000 Players In First Weekend
Those looking for more of a unique and tense challenge may want to join the thousands of other climbers and check out the smash-hit indie game Cairn, which launched for PlayStation 5 and PC late last month. Developed and published by The Game Bakers, known for Furi and Haven, has confirmed that the studio’s latest title has passed a huge milestone in its opening weekend. According to a new post on the studio’s official Bluesky account, Cairn has officially welcomed 200,000 climbers across PS5 and PC in its opening weekend. It’s unclear how many of those players may have been on console, but SteamDB reveals that Cairn peaked at just shy of 15,000 concurrent players on Sunday, February 1, which is an impressive feat for an indie title.
It isn’t just impressive player count figures either, as Cairn is one of the highest-rated games of 2026 so far. At the time of writing this article, Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven holds the number one position on Metacritic with a score of 86, while Cairn has also received tons of love from critics, placing it in the number two spot with a score of 84. Its Steam reviews also paint an incredibly positive picture, as it currently holds a “very positive” rating with 94% of its 2,439 reviews being positive. A quick scroll through these player reviews sees tons of praise from real-life climbers, as many say its tension and mechanics perfectly portray just how dangerous a feat climbing can be.
The new year is officially in full swing, and it’s already been a huge first month for PlayStation 5 owners, with plenty more still to come. While Cairn is proving to be one of the big indie hits to release so far, AAA enthusiasts also have Nioh 3 to be excited for, as the latest entry in Team Ninja’s action role-playing game series is set to release for PlayStation 5 and PC on February 6, with a demo available to play right now. Although the series has always been a PlayStation console exclusive, recent rumors point to a possible Xbox release for Nioh 3, possibly as early as Summer 2026.
There’s no denying that Cairn has already cemented itself as one of the best indie hits of the year, but as we’ve only just entered February, there are still plenty more releases to come. Those looking for a new co-op experience on PS5 will have tons of new titles to check out this month, as the previously mentioned Nioh 3 is now just days away, followed by Reanimal, the latest title from Little Nightmares developer Tarsier Studios, on February 13. Then, at the end of the month, Towerborne, a new beat ’em up/action role-playing game, is launching on February 26, with Tales of Berseria Remastered launching just one day later, on February 27.
- Released
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January 29, 2026
- Developer(s)
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The Game Bakers
- Publisher(s)
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The Game Bakers
- Number of Players
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Single-player
- Steam Deck Compatibility
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Verified
