Over the Hill, the off-roading exploration game from the studio behind Art of Rally, has received a new trailer during the latest indie-focused Triple-i Initiative showcase. Not only does it reveal a lovely looking new area to explore, it brings news of an upcoming closed alpha playtest you can sign up to now.

Developed by Funselektor and Strelka Games, Over the Hill’s latest trailer presents the new Algeria biome players can freely navigate – either solo or during co-op play – in their tried-and-true vintage 4×4. This particular rendition of Algeria promises “sweeping plateaus, ancient ruins, sand-swept valleys and even fallen meteorites” across its sun-baked landscape.

As for that playtest, it’s running via Steam on 24th-26th April. Eager beavers can sign up to get involved right now, with applications closing 16th April.

Announced in January last year, Over the Hill is described as a “dynamic, immersive experience” set during the golden age of offroading. It features real-world-inspired locations – “from valleys to mountains and everything in between” – with support for two-player co-op, which’ll be dead handy when a winch is needed to pull the overly enthusiastic from sticky spots.

There’s no release date for Over the Hill just yet, but it’s currently expected to arrive this year. And we’ve got high hopes for this one after Art of Rally, which we called “as graceful and poised as Michèle Mouton holding a Quattro S2 at an impossible angle, and as stylish as any driving game” in our review.