New PS5 Console Exclusive is an Instant Hit

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The new indie game Cairn, available exclusively on PlayStation 5 and PC, has quickly become popular with players. Publisher The Game Bakers announced that over 200,000 people played the survival climbing game during its launch weekend, starting January 29th. Both players and critics are giving Cairn excellent reviews, particularly highlighting its realistic climbing mechanics and unique artistic design, making it a standout indie success early in 2026.

In Cairn, you’ll explore the challenging and harsh environment of Mount Kami. Like the game Baby Steps, Cairn focuses on realistic climbing mechanics. You’ll carefully use your hands and feet to ascend, paying attention to your body’s posture, energy, and balance. The game gives you freedom to choose your own path up the mountain, but be warned – some routes are much harder than others! You’ll also need to manage essential resources like climbing gear, food, water, and medical supplies to survive the ascent.

Cairn Achieves 200,000 Players In First Weekend

If you’re searching for a truly unique and challenging gaming experience, check out Cairn, the popular new indie game that launched last month on PlayStation 5 and PC. Created by The Game Bakers – the team behind Furi and Haven – Cairn has already reached a major milestone. The studio announced on their Bluesky account that over 200,000 players have started their climb across both platforms. While it’s unknown how many are playing on PlayStation 5 versus PC, SteamDB data shows Cairn had nearly 15,000 players online at the same time on February 1st, which is a fantastic result for an independent game.

Beyond its impressive number of players, Cairn is receiving fantastic reviews, making it one of the best-rated games of 2026 so far. As of today, Cult of the Lamb: Woolhaven leads on Metacritic with a score of 86, but Cairn is a close second with 84. Players on Steam overwhelmingly love the game too, giving it a “very positive” rating with 94% of its 2,439 reviews being positive. Many real climbers have praised the game, saying it realistically captures the tension and challenges of rock climbing.

Is this the revival of Kami’s golden age of tourism? We couldn’t be happier to have welcomed 200,000 climbers to the mountain over the weekend. — The Game Bakers (@thegamebakers.com) 2026-02-01T20:37:09.165Z

The year has started strong for PlayStation 5 fans, with great games already available and more on the way. Indie game Cairn is gaining popularity, and fans of big-budget titles are looking forward to Nioh 3, which launches on PlayStation 5 and PC on February 6th – a demo is available now! Traditionally a PlayStation exclusive, there’s talk that Nioh 3 might come to Xbox as early as Summer 2026.

Cairn is already a standout indie game this year, but February promises even more exciting releases. PS5 players looking for co-op experiences have a lot to look forward to! Nioh 3 is coming out very soon, followed by Reanimal from the creators of Little Nightmares on February 13th. Later in the month, on February 26th, Towerborne, a new beat ’em up/action RPG, will be released, and Tales of Berseria Remastered will follow closely on February 27th.

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2026-02-02 17:04