The over the hill Steam Next Fest demo ran June 12–22, 2026 and was tried by more than 500,000 players, according to the August 10 GamesPress release. The title has also passed 1,200,000 Steam wishlists. Funselektor says it is not maintaining the public demo before launch; a limited playtest signup through the official Discord is the current pre-release access path.

Installing the over the hill demo on Steam

The public demo was a limited-time Steam Next Fest build, not a permanent demo. It ran June 12–22, 2026 as demo AppID 4703940. The August 10 GamesPress release reports that more than 500,000 players tried it and that over the hill has passed 1,200,000 Steam wishlists.

The public demo is no longer maintained before launch. In its August progress update, Funselektor explained that keeping a separate demo build and worldwide free servers running is not feasible for the small team. The current pre-release route is a limited playtest signup through the official Discord link in the Steam Community update. This is a signup opportunity, not a permanently available public demo.

What was included in the demo

The demo was a slice of the full game rather than a prologue, so it represented every major gameplay system in compressed form. The Steam store page describes the full feature set; the demo subset covers the same mechanics on the Emerald Lake biome.

  • Map slice: the Emerald Lake biome (Canada-themed), a forested and lakeside environment with dynamic weather, day-night cycle, and terrain deformation.
  • Vehicles: at least three confirmed drivable vehicles, including the Ford Bronco Gen 1, Toyota Land Cruiser 40, and Land Rover Defender, plus the cosmetic customization options described on the Steam store page (paint, lights, roof rack, spare tire, Bull Bar).
  • Co-op: up to 4-player online co-op with crossplay, matching the full-game scope.
  • Photo mode: built-in photo mode with adjustable tilt, FOV, headlight intensity, and bloom, as described by the PhotoModeAwards review.
  • Meteorites and portals: the meteorite-resource loop and portal travel between biomes are present in the demo, but portal destinations are limited to the demo's biome subset.

The Forbes preview (forbes.com) describes the demo as a "cozy multiplayer" snapshot consistent with this scope.

What was not in the demo

The demo is a smaller sandbox than the full release, and a few mechanics existed in the broader game but were trimmed for the festival build. These omissions are deliberate, not bugs:

  • The full release biome set is larger than Emerald Lake; the rest of the biomes listed by the Steam description (valleys, mountains, and unannounced biome names) were not part of the Next Fest build.
  • The full release vehicle list (community-collated around 18 vehicles) is larger than the three confirmed drivable vehicles in the demo.
  • Demo save progress carry-over to the full release was Not announced as of 2026-07-25.

How the demo differs from full release

AspectDemo (Steam Next Fest, Jun 12–22, 2026)Full release (2026)
PlatformsSteam onlySteam, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2
AppID47039402929250
Map scopeEmerald Lake biomeMultiple biomes, full meteorite location set
Vehicle rosterAt least 3 confirmedCommunity-collated full list plus unannounced vehicles
Co-opUp to 4-player online co-op with crossplaySame confirmed scope
Photo modeConfirmedConfirmed
Demo save carry-overNot announcedNot announced as of 2026-07-25
PricingFree during festival windowNot announced as of 2026-07-25

PC Gamer's preview (pcgamer.com) and GamingOnLinux's demo coverage (gamingonlinux.com) both describe the demo as a stylized off-road driving slice, not a release candidate.

Controller note and system guidance

The demo is controller-driven. The Forbes preview (forbes.com) explicitly notes the strong preference for pad input. Keyboard and mouse work, but if you only have a controller, plug it in before launching. Steam Deck users should check the ProtonDB rating (protondb.com) and Steam Deck HQ coverage (steamdeckhq.com) for current performance context, which was demo-era and may shift at full release.

Sources

Fact Boundaries

  • Current-game: The public demo ran June 12–22, 2026 on Steam only, using demo AppID 4703940.
  • Current-game: GamesPress reports more than 500,000 demo players and 1,200,000 Steam wishlists.
  • Current-game: Funselektor is not maintaining the public demo before launch; a limited Discord playtest signup is the current pre-release channel.
  • Community: ProtonDB ratings reflect demo-era performance only.
  • Legacy: No prior same-title demo exists; unrelated song, idiom, business, and film uses are excluded.
  • Unannounced: Demo save carry-over, public demo re-listing, and full-release pricing were Not announced as of 2026-08-10.

FAQ

Is the over the hill demo still available?

No permanent public demo is currently maintained. The Steam Next Fest demo ran June 12–22, 2026; Funselektor now directs interested players to a limited playtest signup through the official Discord in its August progress update.

Does the over the hill demo have multiplayer?

Yes. The demo supported up to 4-player online co-op with crossplay, matching the full-game scope on the Steam store page.

Does the over the hill demo work on Steam Deck?

ProtonDB recorded demo-era performance at Platinum 80+ fps at 2560x1440 per the ProtonDB page. Steam Deck HQ also covered the announcement (steamdeckhq.com). Demo-era performance was rough in some reports and is being addressed for release.

Will my demo progress carry over to the full game?

Demo save progress carry-over to the full release was Not announced as of 2026-07-25. Plan to start fresh when the full game launches.

How many players have tried the over the hill demo?

More than 500,000 players tried the over the hill Steam demo, and the game passed 1,200,000 Steam wishlists, according to the August 10 GamesPress release.

over the hill multiplayer: co-op, crossplay, local statusSee how over the hill multiplayer works in 2026, including 4-player co-op, crossplay across PC and consoles, and local co-op status.Every over the hill vehicles roster: era and drivetrainParent hub for the over the hill vehicles entity family. Use it to land on a specific vehicle after browsing the vehicles hub, then ladder into upgrades, customization, and the first-unlock flow.