Indie Over the Hill Gained 650,000 Wishlists in 10 Months

How an Indie Gained 650,000 Wishlists in 10 Months

Consistency, social media content, and showcase momentum helped drive consumer interest, with the game “over the Hill” reaching 650,000 wishlists.

In a market where thousands of new games fight for visibility every year, hitting 650,000 Steam wishlists in just ten months sounds almost unreal. Yet that’s exactly what over the hill has achieved. In a recent LinkedIn post, Pietro Di Grandi – CEO and co-founder of Strelka Games – broke down how their off-road exploration game has turned consistent work on community, showcases, and short-form content into real momentum. This piece is part of our ongoing Indie Dev Guides focus on practical launch lessons for developers.

Over the Hill – Announcement Trailer

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over the hill, developed by Funselektor Labs Inc. and Strelka Games, is a chilled off-road explorer where players ramble through biomes inspired by real-world locations, driving iconic vehicles from the 60s to the 80s. It’s not just about cruising, either. Players complete objectives, unlock new vehicles, upgrades, customisations, and cosmetics, and can explore solo or cooperate with up to three friends as they tackle trails together.

over the hill

Release: 2026 (planned)

Genre: Off-road exploration, driving, adventure

Developer / Publisher: Funselektor Labs Inc. & Strelka Games

Platforms: PC — Steam (wishlist)

A strong announcement that actually meant something

According to Di Grandi, the wishlist surge started with a properly planned announcement campaign. Rather than quietly slipping onto Steam, over the hill arrived with a clear identity and a strong initial pitch – enough to reach around 200,000 wishlists by the end of the first month.

Crucially, Strelka Games and Funselektor didn’t try to be everywhere at once. Instead of chasing every possible digital event, they focused on a handful of high-impact showcases such as The Triple-I Initiative and Summer Game Fest with ID@Xbox. That selective approach allowed them to concentrate effort on doing a few things very well, rather than spreading limited resources across dozens of lower-impact slots.

Playtests as a community funnel, not a checkbox

Playtests weren’t treated as a one-off marketing beat or a box to tick for “Steam visibility”. Di Grandi highlights that they were instead used as a deliberate community funnel: “They’re a fantastic way to grow your community. Funnel players to Discord, engage with them.”

For many small teams, community management is the first thing to fall off the list. There’s simply not enough time or dedicated staff to keep a server active, gather feedback, and turn curious players into long-term supporters. over the hill shows what can happen when you commit to that work anyway – using playtests to invite players in, listen to them, and give them a reason to stick around between beats.

Short-form content as the backbone, not an afterthought

The team is also clear that social media wasn’t “nice to have” – it was central. Di Grandi notes that, while social media is tough for most teams, short-form content on platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts became the backbone of over the hill’s communication strategy.

By consistently posting between three and five clips per week, they were able to grow their Instagram presence from roughly 3,000 followers to around 50,000. That kind of growth doesn’t happen from a single viral hit; it comes from showing up regularly with recognisable, game-specific content and letting the algorithm work for you over time.

Why this campaign connected with players

None of this would matter if the game itself didn’t resonate. over the hill leans into a clear fantasy: taking classic off-road rigs through beautiful, stylised landscapes with friends. It’s easy to understand in a few seconds of footage, and every asset – from screenshots to trailer shots – reinforces that relaxed, off-road adventure tone.

That combination of strong announcement, focused showcases, meaningful playtests, and a steady flow of punchy short-form clips created a feedback loop. Each beat brought in new players, who then wishlisted the game, joined the Discord, and shared content with their own circles. The result is that 650,000-wishlist milestone – an impressive number in today’s crowded market, especially for a stylised off-road indie rather than a giant licensed brand.

What other indies can take from this

You can’t copy-paste another studio’s success, but you can absolutely borrow parts of their framework. Here are a few questions to ask yourself if you’re preparing your own launch:

• Does your announcement clearly communicate what’s special about your game in the first five seconds of a trailer or GIF?
• Are you targeting a small number of showcases that genuinely fit your game, or firing off applications everywhere and hoping for the best?
• Do your playtests lead somewhere – a Discord, a mailing list, a place where players can stick around – or do they vanish once the event is over?
• Can you commit to one or two short-form clips per week that highlight real in-game moments, not just cinematic teasers?
• Is your core loop instantly readable from a single screenshot or five-second clip?

If the answer to most of these is “not yet”, that’s where your marketing work really starts. Wishlist numbers are an outcome, not a starting point.

Related reading on Fix Gaming Channel

If you’re planning your own launch and feel stuck on the fundamentals – from emails that don’t get flagged as spam to building a simple but credible online presence – take a look at our Indie Dev Guides series for more practical breakdowns.

Fix Stories & launch support for developers

Not sure where to turn? Fix Gaming is launching a brand new initiative called “Fix Stories” – a first-person series where developers share real lessons from development: what worked, what didn’t, and what they learned along the way. It’s a space for honest stories, not marketing copy.

If you’d like to contribute a story about your own wishlist growth, showcase strategy, or launch lessons, keep an eye on Fix Gaming Channel for our upcoming Fix Stories submission details.

Additionally, Fix Gaming offers guidance and insights on launch strategy through our developer-facing services. If you’re looking for tailored advice on things like wishlist funnels, store-page copy, or outreach strategy, you can find more information over on our Fix Access — Developer Services page.

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