Building a Custom PC vs Buying Prebuilt PC: Which One Is Actually Better?
Building a custom PC vs prebuilt PC is a tradeoff between control and constraints. A custom gaming PC lets you
Indie climbing game Cairn has quickly become one of 2026’s biggest early hits, reaching more than 300,000 players shortly after launch, while a different title, Hermit and Pig, quietly holds the highest review score of the year so far.
French studio The Game Bakers, based in Montpellier, released Cairn on January 29, 2026 as a PlayStation 5 exclusive. The game had originally been scheduled for November 5, 2025, but the team of roughly 25 developers postponed the launch. That decision appears to have paid off. Cairn attracted around 200,000 players in its opening weekend and has already climbed past 300,000.
Cairn is described as an indie climbing adventure and a punishing climbing simulator. Players control Aava, a professional mountain climber known for dangerous expeditions, as she attempts to become the first person to reach the summit of Mount Kami, a fictional peak no climber has ever conquered.
Instead of a traditional stamina bar, Cairn uses physical and audio cues. Trembling limbs, strained breathing, and signs of discomfort indicate that Aava is close to losing her grip. Players also manage hunger, thirst, and temperature, which turns rest, food, and sleep into tactical choices during the ascent. Critics have responded positively, giving Cairn an 86 average score on OpenCritic, placing it among 2026’s stronger releases.
Despite Cairn’s strong start, it is not the highest-rated game of the year so far. That position currently belongs to Hermit and Pig, a colorful top-down RPG that features Hermit and a pig sidekick. The game combines familiar RPG elements such as battling enemies and searching for items with themes of social anxiety and a corporate conspiracy. According to OpenCritic, Hermit and Pig holds an average score of 88, the highest aggregate rating among early 2026 launches.
Action title Nioh 3, developed by Team Ninja, and Dragon Quest 7 Reimagined also sit near the top of the charts, each with an 85 average score on OpenCritic. Both remain prominent Game of the Year contenders, yet they currently trail Hermit and Pig on pure rating.
Early in 2026, Cairn leads on player reach, while Hermit and Pig lead on average score, setting up an interesting race as the release calendar fills out.