What to know
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Home is a story-related, missable trophy tied to a single dialogue choice with Marco near the end of Cairn.
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To unlock it, you must agree to go back down the mountain with Marco instead of continuing the ascent.
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If you want both endings in one run, you need to choose to descend with Marco first, then reload and choose to keep climbing.
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This choice happens in the Blades area, after you meet Damas and then reunite with Marco near the bridge.
In Cairn, after spending hours inching your way up Mount Kami, the Home trophy asks you to do something that feels counterintuitive: turn your back on the summit and go down with Marco. It is one of Cairn’s key narrative moments, and understanding exactly when and how to trigger it helps you avoid a second full playthrough just to see this ending.
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Trophy name | Home (silver on PlayStation platforms) |
| Requirement | Go back down with Marco when given the option near the end of the game. |
| Where it happens | The Blades region, at Marco’s final choice prompt near the bridge. |
| Story point | After you meet Damas and then talk with Marco about whether to continue the ascent. |
| Missable? | Yes, tied to a one-time decision in that save state. |
| Related ending | Home ending (Aava descends the mountain with Marco). |
| Other ending | Part of a Whole, unlocked by choosing to continue the ascent instead. |
| Best order for both | Take Home (go back down) first, reload, then choose to keep climbing. |
| Extra reward on PC/Xbox | Capsule Keepsake unlocks alongside the Home achievement on some platforms. |
| Replay option | After credits, you can reload from the choice point instead of starting a new game. |
In Cairn, all of the narrative weight of your run collapses into a single decision point late in the climb, and that is what defines which ending and trophy you receive. There are only two endings: Home and Part of a Whole, each tied to one branch of that choice.
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Home is the ending you get when you decide to descend with Marco and abandon the push for the summit.
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Part of a Whole is the ending you see when you insist on continuing the ascent and face the final stretch of the mountain.
Nothing else you do across the climb changes which ending triggers; earlier dialogue and exploration do not lock or unlock this trophy. As long as you reach the decision with Marco, you always have the opportunity to choose the Home path in that save.
Location and timing of the Home decision
The Home trophy is tied to a conversation that happens in the Blades, one of the final regions before the summit. By the time you reach this area, you will already have gone through earlier major zones like the Terrace and met Marco several times along the climb.
In the Blades:
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You meet Damas and move through a section that transitions you toward the upper part of the mountain.
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After progressing past Damas, you reach a quiet interior space filled with old climbing gear where Aava and Marco talk about the state of the expedition.
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Shortly after that conversation, you climb down toward a bridge area where Marco waits and initiates the critical dialogue choice.
From a pacing perspective, this feels like a breather before the final push, which is why it can be easy to assume the game is about to ramp up rather than end. If you are hunting trophies, this is exactly where you should slow down and pay attention to the prompts.
How to unlock the Home trophy step by step
How to reach Marco’s final choice safely
Before you can decide to go home, you need to make sure your run actually reaches The Blades and Marco’s last checkpoint.
Step 1: Progress naturally to The Blades
Play through the story until you reach The Blades, following the main climbing route and objectives. This region appears near the top of the climb, so you will already have gone through multiple environmental transitions and story beats.
Step 2: Meet Damas and clear his section
Continue until you encounter Damas in The Blades; this meeting is part of the main story and cannot be skipped. After your interaction, advance through his associated climbing and narrative segment until you are funneled toward the upper part of the route.
Step 3: Enter the gear-filled room with Marco
You will come across a room or shelter space filled with gear left by prior climbers, where Aava and Marco share a reflective moment. This is a narrative signpost that you are close to the turning point for both endings.
Step 4: Exit and head down toward the bridge
Leaving that room, continue along the intended path until you descend toward a bridge area. Here, Marco will be waiting and will automatically start a conversation with you.
Choose to go down with Marco
Once Marco initiates the conversation near the bridge, the game presents you with your final branching choice.
Step 5: Wait for Marco’s proposal
Listen to Marco as he talks about the risks ahead and the time window you both have on the mountain. He frames the decision as a question of whether to keep going or to recognize that turning back might be the wiser option.
Step 6: Select the Go Back Down option
When the dialogue options appear, choose the option that explicitly commits to going back down the mountain with Marco (Go Back Down). Once locked in, this starts the sequence for the Home ending and triggers the associated trophy.
Step 7: Let the ending and credits play out
After you choose to descend, the game transitions into the Home ending sequence where Aava accompanies Marco down the mountain, emphasizing survival and companionship over conquest.
When the credits roll during or after this ending, the Home trophy or achievement will pop, and on some platforms you also receive the Capsule Keepsake unlock tied to this ending.
How to see both endings and still keep your progress
If you are chasing 100 percent completion or a platinum, you likely want both Home and Part of a Whole without replaying the entire game. Cairn is structured to allow that in a single save, with one important catch: you need to take Home first.
Step 1: Choose to go back down with Marco first
On your first time at the decision, pick Go Back Down with Marco to secure the Home ending and trophy right away. Doing this first is important, because the reload option that appears after credits lets you return to the same choice and then pick the other path.
Step 2: After credits, reload the save from the choice
When the Home ending and credits finish, you will be taken back to the main menu with the option to continue or load from before the branching decision. Use this to jump back into the game at the point where Marco offers the two options.
Step 3: Choose to continue the ascent for the other ending
This time, pick the opposite dialogue option, Continue the ascent to commit to the summit attempt. This sets you on the Part of a Whole route, letting you see the alternative conclusion and unlock the corresponding trophy in the same overarching run.
By following this order, you avoid locking yourself into a second full climb just because you picked the summit ending first. It is a simple structure, but it saves a lot of time if you plan around that single decision.
Narrative context of choosing Home with Marco
While the Home trophy is mechanically just a binary choice, it carries one of Cairn’s clearest statements about risk, obsession, and knowing when to stop. Aava’s decision to go down with Marco is framed as an act of self-preservation and acceptance that some peaks are not worth dying for.
In the Home ending, Aava and Marco descend together, focusing on survival and mutual support rather than individual achievement. The tone contrasts deliberately with Part of a Whole, where continuing the ascent leads through an avalanche sequence and a more ambiguous relationship with the mountain.
