Fancy some chill off-roading with cosy vibes? Art of Rally and Absolute Drift dev Funselektor’s next game, Over The Hill, looks like it’ll crank your winch
Funselektor, the studio behind indie racing games Art of Rally, Absolute Drift, and last year’s Golden Lap – all of which are very cool if you’re into artsy takes on things that go vroom vroom, has just announced it and collaborator Strelka Games’ next title.
It’s a cosy off-roader called Over The Hill, and it looks like the answer to the question ‘What if the likes of Snowrunner and Euro Truck Simulator grew their hair out a bit and stopped caring so much about power-to-weight ratio numbers?’
Inspired by Funselektor founder Dune Casu’s adventures through the North American wilderness in a camper van, Over The Hill is all about free-roaming exploration chill enough that you can philosophise while you do it. You and an optional mate will strap into not quite Land Rover Defenders and be able to roam different off-road environments, with “hidden gems, objectives and challenges such as offroad trails” being out there to discover.
As you can see in the trailer below, immersion and vibes are big goal here, with a day-and-night cycle and weather changing dynamically as you roam about, trying to not roll over and pancake the kayak you’ve probably got strapped to your roof.
You’re armed with a trusty winch, of course, so here’s hoping it’ll prove as much as a reliable best buddy/lifesaver when you inevitably plant your right foot and do something dumb as it is in more hardcore off-road sims.
“After having developed several games about motorsport, we wanted to go off-track by offering players a vast world to lose themselves at a slower pace,” Casu said of Over The Hill, adding: “There’s something special about being in the wilderness in the middle of nowhere, from the peace, the sounds of nature and less distraction from the civilized world. I hope this game can really drive that feeling home.”
Lord knows we all need a distraction from (gestures) the world right now, so hopefully Over The Hill does deliver a good way to do so when it releases down the line. For now, it’s wishlistable on Steam.