Over the Hill review

Over the Hill is officially styled over the hill, in defiant lowercase, like how Jack or Jill might nonchalantly reply to a WhatsApp message demanding to know where the pail is. The same casual grammar was deployed with Funselektor’s previous title, the lo-fi racer art of rally, lending Over the Hill the unflappable vibe of a driving game so laid-back it actually doesn’t mind whether or not you play it.

A gentle off-road simulator set across a handful of big ol’ maps, Over the Hill takes the diesel-stinking masochism of MudRunner and strips away anything that might cause your heart rate to spike. Whereas that game had you hauling flatbeds full of timber through Siberian quagmires and learning what a differential is, Over the Hill is about exploring pretty landscapes at your own pace. It’s a cosy memory of an imagined previous life, spent mindfully navigating the piney wilderness of the Canadian Rockies and a sprawling patch of the Algerian Sahara in a selection of dinky, pastel-coloured 4x4s.

There are no fuel gauges, no timers, and no remote villages in need of essential deliveries. Instead there are waterfalls, rock sculptures, scattered cargo crates, photo opportunities and points of interest to roughly aim your car towards, some of which reward you with various bobbins like canoe racks and novelty aerial toppers to decorate your vehicle with. There’s the occasional challenge trail that guides you along tricky routes with steep inclines, boulders and cliff edges to navigate around. Gratifyingly, that’s about as structured and gamey as Over the Hill gets.