CAIRN

The mountain is the boss in this exacting ascent

Climbing a rock wall might feel like a boss fight in Cairn, not least in the sense of satisfaction acquired on reaching the top. Of course, the two activities have always had their parallels. Why do we put so much effort into beating a fiendish boss, after all? Because it's there. Because, like a climber, we decide to test our abilities even though we don't have to. Emeric Thoa, Cairn's creative director, wants to capture these motivations in main character Aava, an individual pushing beyond her limits, determined to reach the peak. And, as her guide, you will also toil, fall, try another route and eventually surmount the vertical face. "We want the character and the player to be aligned," Thoa says.

That The Game Bakers is taking on a new challenge of its own here is no surprise, given its history of genre-hopping. Yet, Thoa explains, Cairn follows a common throughline of reimagined sports martial arts in Furi, snowboarding in Haven, pool in mobile title Squids.