Dosa Divas Hands-On Impressions at Summer Game Fest 2025

From Outerloop Games, the developers of Thirsty Suitors, Dosa Divas left quite the impression on me during my time with it at this year’s Summer Game Fest. Its combat felt intuitive, its writing was witty, and I already started to get invested in the characters and world in the short time I played it. The demo covered an introductory section of the game, as sisters Samara and Amani reunite after years apart and explore a fishing village with their spirit-mech named Goddess. They discover the goons of a rotten fast-food empire wreaking havoc around town and resolve to support the villagers.

As a big fan of action commands in turn-based combat (think Paper Mario or Clair Obscur: Expedition 33), Dosa Divas’ combat system felt engaging. Timing button presses resulted in stronger attacks and beefier blocks, and this timing felt satisfying and rewarding to get right. With a nifty signal indicating the best time to block during enemies’ attacks, the timing also felt fair.

Dosa Divas uses a boosting system to add some extra spice and strategy when deciding how to attack. You can expend boost points to strengthen attacks or keep them in reserve while accumulating points back each turn. You can also take advantage of enemies’ weaknesses by attacking them with the correct type of move and staggering them. Finally, combat also includes Special Attacks with more elaborate button inputs to rack up damage. I loved the swiftness of the combat flow, the punchiness of landing a stronger attack or perfect block, and the style on display in Dosa Divas’ UI and animations.

Props to the writers as well, as I loved the overall playfulness and heart of the dialogue. The bond between Samara and Amani shone through their conversations, and the campiness of the corporate goons was fun to see. Also, I will always appreciate emoticon usage in dialogue, and I find it an especially charming touch here.

In my brief time exploring the demo’s village, I enjoyed the various activities that helped make the world feel alive. Fishing felt relaxed, and it was neat seeing Goddess transform into a makeshift fishing vehicle. Helping townsfolk by providing them with deliciously cooked meals was rewarding, as doing so would increase the town reputation gauge that would, in turn, unlock new Special Attacks for battle.

Speaking of these cooked meals, the cooking system also felt robust and fun to play with. To cook spirit dosas, you enter an alternate realm. The cooking process entailed various minigame-type steps using scavenged ingredients from the overworld, caught fish, and more. The resulting hearty meal can be traded to townsfolk to slowly but surely combat their processed food-induced haze, thereby connecting communities to their culture, history, and shared memories.

I’m sure this demo has just scratched the surface of what Dosa Divas will dive into, both in its story and gameplay mechanics, and I for one can’t wait to play the full release! This spicy narrative turn-based RPG is coming to unannounced consoles and PC via Steam sometime in 2026. Thank you to the developers for the opportunity to play this demo!