Thirsty Suitors early gameplay shows off bright visuals and dynamic dance battles

polygon.com:

In Thirsty Suitors, protagonist Jala finally returns home to her small town of Timber Hills — only to be confronted by six of her exes, against whom she must do battle. This plot may sound suspiciously similar to Scott Pilgrim vs. the World on its surface. But Thirsty Suitors swaps out the story of a self-centered band guy for a tale about a queer South Asian woman reckoning with intergenerational trauma and family expectations.

“Thirsty Suitors is an action-adventure RPG about immigrant culture, resolving relationships, family pressure, and expressing yourself,” said creative director Chandana Ekanayake, co-founder of developer Outerloop Games, in a recent preview of the game. “She returns to her hometown of Timber Hills after a bad breakup and goes on a reconciliation tour, to right her wrongs and to learn something about herself.”

Our look at Thirsty Suitors began with Jala grinding rails on her skateboard through a surreal dreamscape. It mixes a bright, pop-art feel with forward-moving platforming a la Sayonara Wild Hearts. The infectious music, composed by Ramsey Kharroubi (Boyfriend Dungeon) syncs with Jala’s movements. As she skates from element to element, a narrator weighs in — an internal dialogue in the form of her chiding sister. Jala’s anxiety is palpable. She completes a series of tricks before being interrupted by the towering figures of her parents, both larger-than-life in Jala’s mental landscape. She isn’t ready to come home.

Her fears are entirely relatable. There’s nothing like being a first-generation immigrant kid, knocking on your parents’ door, and knowing you’ll have to navigate generational and cultural differences. In Thirsty Suitors Jala splits her time between exploring her hometown, cooking