Over the Hill: The Off-Road Game That's Hooked Me Completely

When was the last time a game made you want to drop everything and 100% it? For me, it's been a while—but then I played Over the Hill, a co-op (or singleplayer!) off-roading adventure that launched on Steam this week. Even just a short session has me determined not just to play more, but to complete everything it has to offer.

So what's the hook? Over the Hill gives you a beautiful open world with dynamic weather and a day/night cycle, sweet-looking vehicles, and challenging driving physics. There are secrets to find, cosmetics to collect, vehicle upgrades to unlock, and wildlife to photograph. That last one is what really sealed the deal for me.

I was driving slowly up a bumpy trail, occasionally using my winch to pull my little Jeep up a hill, when I heard the familiar croak of a raven. I zoomed out and spotted the bird flapping over the trees nearby. Switching to camera mode, I snapped a picture. Nice.

But then I saw something slinking through the tall grass near my Jeep. I followed it with my camera for about a minute until it finally stepped into full view—a coyote! I photographed it too, and right then I decided I was going to find and document every single animal in the game.

And honestly, I'm enjoying the driving so much that I think I'll go for everything: every point of interest, every vehicle and cosmetic, every upgrade, and every meteorite. Yep, you can locate meteorites hidden around the world using special installed gear, then figure out an off-road route to reach them, attach your winch, and pull them free. I've already found one, and I'm gonna find the rest.

As a bonus, Over the Hill is verified on Steam Deck. So as soon as I'm done writing this, I'm kicking back on the couch for a weekend of driving. Oh, and it's 20% off on Steam until October 28—so if you're curious, now's a good time to jump in.

What do you think? Will you be picking this up?