Pricing
Never pay to build.
Cairn's core loop is free forever. Paid tiers buy convenience and cosmetics — a four-layer model where none of the layers gates a single mechanic.
Cairn
The complete single-player game.
- Chunked infinite world
- All 17 block types & the hotbar
- The full Capture Kit (F2 / F9 / F8)
- OBS overlay + creator license
- Local worlds & autosave
- Server-side backups
- Cosmetic skins
Cairn Plus
A one-time thank-you. Cosmetic only.
- Everything in Free
- Cosmetic block skin packs
- Priority preview drops
- Studio supporter badge
- Changes to gameplay (never)
Cairn Cabins
Your worlds, backed up off-machine.
- Everything in Free
- Automatic server-side backups
- Restore any saved version
- Up to 10 worlds synced
- Cancel anytime
Free-mode commerce · every checkout records a real order through the platform placeholder gateway. Cabins is billed monthly once a live payment key is connected; here the first month is recorded as a demo order.
The four layers
Modeled on how sandboxes actually make money.
Pay-once core, an optional cosmetic upgrade, a hosted-backup subscription, and a creator economy on top — none gating the loop. This is the shape; a new studio clears at small volumes, honestly.
Free core
The whole game, no gate. The product is the marketing.
Cosmetic upgrade
Cairn Plus — a one-time skin pack. Looks, never mechanics.
Hosted subscription
Cabins — server-side world backups, the convenience layer.
Questions
Fair enough to ask.
Is the game really free?
Yes. The full single-player game is a free download with nothing held back from the core loop. Plus and Cabins are optional.
Do I need Plus to stream or make money on videos?
No. Our creator license applies to the free game — record, stream, and monetize freely regardless of what you own.
What does Cabins actually do?
It backs your local worlds up to our servers so you can restore them on another machine or after a mishap. Your worlds always live on your computer first; Cabins is the safety net.
Why show a checkout if it's a reference build?
Commerce runs in free mode through the platform's placeholder gateway: a real order object is recorded without charging a card. Connecting a live payment key flips the same buttons to real charges that go to the studio's account.