Chilled off-road exploration sim 'over the hill' has a demo worth exploring

Launching sometime later this year, over the hill is a casual but challenging off-road adventure that you can do solo or with friends and a demo is up now.

Coming from developer Funselektor Labs, a name you might recognise from the likes of art of rally and Absolute Drift. It sticks with their signature minimalist style, keeping things looking quite inviting and colourful. If I had to compare it to anything, I would say mechanically it's like a basic low-poly version of SnowRunner / MudRunner meant for a much more chilled-out audience that just like to go off-road and explore for a while.

While it's quite chilled, it's not without a little sprinkle of difficulty here and there. Plenty of places to get stuck in the mud, or in a river. You have to use a few different tricks and tools to keep your vehicle going, like your trusty winch to pull your vehicle to safety. It's a game all about exploring your surroundings, and attempting a challenging trail or two.

See the latest trailer below:

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The demo worked out of the box on Fedora KDE with Proton 11. No crashes or technical issues to speak of, but performance could definitely be improved. On my Ryzen 5800x + Radeon 6800 XT, the High preset at 1440p was giving less than 60FPS quite a bit - which for this style of game just seems far too low. It's only a demo so I am hoping to see the full release have some improvements there. Other than that, no issue with it.

My initial impression here is that it's going to be a real gem to relax with friends and go adventuring together. I've loved driving around and discovering new points of interest, along with customizing my ride. I want to explore more to unlock more customizations for sure. Definitely a demo that's worth a go!

In an email to GamingOnLinux, their PR team mentioned there's been over 150,000 players trying out the 4x4 off-roadtrip over the weekend ahead of Steam Next Fest.

More about it:

Demo Content

Explore Emerald Lake, the first area of over the hill’s Canada region. Made up of woodlands, lakesides, and steep mountainous terrain, the area offers a quiet alpine ambience alongside a range of routes and off-road challenges.

Vehicles and Equipment

The demo includes three classic offroad vehicles to choose from, each with their own unique characteristics. Before heading out, players can also choose from a section of tools to bring with them, including Repair Kits for vehicle maintenance, Portable Winch Anchors for recovery and positioning, Planks for crossing gaps, and Camping Kits for breaking up longer journeys.

Challenge Trails

Challenge Trails are optional in-world routes marked at trail gates. Once activated, players will be guided off the main paths and into more technical terrain. Some Challenge Trails are short and introductory, while others are longer routes that require more careful driving. Players are encouraged to match a trail’s difficulty with their vehicle choice, available equipment, and driving experience.

Wildlife and Photography

Emerald Lake is home to a wide range of native fauna, including bald eagles, moose, black bears, wolves, and more. Players can use the in-game Camera Mode to document wildlife encounters while exploring the region’s trails and waterways.