YOU WONT BELIEVE: Aava | Mind Blowing Facts

Indie Game of the Year 2026 is shaping up to be a tight race: Here are our top contenders so far

It's another strong year for indie gaming.

Destructoid · Jun 28

‘Why do they climb mountains? Why do they sacrifice everything and take so many risks just to climb a rock – nobody asked them to?’ — Cairn’s creative director unpacks the studio's survival-climber

We sat down with The Game Bakers' Creative Director, Emeric Thoa, and got granular about the studio’s survival-climbing experience, Cairn.

TechRadar · Jan 30

Cairn review – obsession, suffering and awe in a climbing game that hits exhausting new heights

A punishing, beautiful survival game that turns mountaineering into an intimate test of endurance, fixation and emotional resolve – you’ll be in tears by the end

The Guardian - UK · Jan 29

A poor surprise reveal for Highguard leaves it fighting an uphill battle for good reviews

​In the fiercely competitive market ​of the online multiplayer game, Highguard​’s rocky start means it now has a lot to prove

The Guardian - UK · Jan 28

"We wanted to explore that longing for absolute freedom": Cairn is a survival climbing game about human will, endurance, and sacrifice

Big in 2026 | We speak to The Game Bakers about sacrifice and survival in tactical climbing sim Cairn

GamesRadar · Jan 7

Cairn finally has a release date, so get ready to scramble your way through this atmospheric climbing game

Setting a new bar for climbing games.

PC Gamer · Dec 4, 2025

One of Steam Next Fest's biggest survival games was a supremely zen rock-climbing experience - right up until I fell to my death

Cairn is tearing up the survival game charts

GamesRadar · Oct 14, 2025

This hardcore mountain climbing sim from the studio behind hidden gem Furi looks like it’ll take survival games to new heights

Indie studio The Game Bakers plan to release Cairn in 2025

GamesRadar · Jun 7, 2024