Cairn Climbing Sim Hits 500K Downloads After Peak Devs’ Endorsement
▼ Summary
– Peak, a climbing game, sold over two million copies in two days and boosted fellow mountaineering sim Cairn through mutual promotion on social media.
– Cairn developers The Game Bakers featured Peak’s meme-worthy plushie Bing Bong in their game, sparking a positive exchange between the two studios.
– After Peak’s co-developer Landfall Games praised Cairn, the latter’s demo surpassed 500,000 downloads, aided by Peak’s popularity.
– While both games focus on survival mechanics like fatigue and weight management, Peak emphasizes co-op humor, whereas Cairn is a single-player, meditative experience.
– Cairn’s climbing mechanics involve manual limb movement, offering an intuitive yet challenging gameplay style, with its demo available on Steam ahead of a November 5 release.
The climbing simulation game Cairn has surpassed 500,000 demo downloads following a high-profile endorsement from the developers behind the hit game Peak. This unexpected boost came after a social media exchange between the two studios, highlighting the power of indie developer camaraderie in the gaming industry.
The interaction started when Cairn’s developers, The Game Bakers, shared a clip featuring Peak’s iconic plushie, Bing Bong, as an in-game item. Bing Bong, a meme-worthy companion in Peak, must be carried throughout the entire adventure for a special achievement, similar to Half-Life 2’s infamous Gnome Chompski. Landfall Games, the team behind Peak, responded with high praise, calling Cairn “peak” in a playful nod to their own title.
The ripple effect was immediate. Within 24 hours, The Game Bakers announced Cairn’s demo had crossed the half-million download mark. While the game’s polished mechanics and immersive climbing experience certainly earned attention, the shoutout from Landfall, along with Peak’s massive popularity, undoubtedly played a role.
Though both games center on climbing with survival elements like fatigue and weight management, their tones couldn’t be more different. Peak thrives on chaotic co-op antics, while Cairn offers a solitary, almost meditative experience. Its unique control scheme requires players to manually position each limb, creating a surprisingly intuitive yet deeply engaging challenge. Critics have praised its realism, with some calling it one of the best climbing games ever made.
For those curious, Cairn’s demo is available on Steam ahead of its November 5 launch. Meanwhile, Peak remains a steal at just $8, with glowing reviews further cementing its status as a must-play. Whether you prefer frantic teamwork or methodical solo climbs, both titles prove there’s plenty of room at the summit for innovative indie games.
(Source: PC Gamer)
