Dosa Divas, the new turn-based RPG coming from Outerloop Games and published by Outersloth, is instantly charming. From the start, there’s a lot to be optimistic about here, from the involved turn-based combat to the bright, colorful graphics to the punchy writing. The demo leaves a tantalizing taste, leaving you hungry for more.
Dosa Divas follows two sisters, Amani and Samara, as they reunite to return home and see their parents. They’re aided by a food truck mech named Goddess, which you control in the overworld. Plans go awry quickly when their evil corporate sister, Lina, shows up with plans of domination and control. There are hints of a deep, fractured history here: Amani left, their family restaurant closed, and Lina fell to the dark side of the fast-food meal kit.
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It’s immediately engrossing and hints at some really interesting and dark moments. The only boss fight in the demo, for example, is against a former protege of the sisters who may have lost an arm because of them. It quickly brings you into its world, setting up narrative hooks that make you want to see more.
Infectious personality pulls players immediately into the latest from Outerloop Games.
It helps that the writing is snappy and full of personality from the jump. Amani is clearly trying to avoid the tough conversations, wanting to move on from a past she’d rather not talk about. It’s also clear that Samara is hurt by Amani’s ten-year absence, followed by her sudden reappearance. Even still, they quip and joke, as real siblings often do through uncomfortable moments.
Goddess speaks entirely in written-out emotes – an early 2000s MSN chat room come to life. The side characters are similarly full of personality, as the elderly leaders of the town are all too eager to fight and die if they have to. The writing makes the world feel lived in, establishing a sense of history between these characters and places.
Amani and Samara quickly get roped into the trials and tribulations of a nearby town, the only resistance against the corporate overlords in the region. They’re tasked with cooking for the village and bolstering their forces. The cooking mechanic is a focal point, a series of mini-games that determine how much of something you make. Do well, and make more to help feed not just the villagers, but yourself in battle with varying effects.
Make sure to pay attention to the unique tastes of each villager.
There are plenty of ingredients to find, and each recipe the residents of the world want requires different combinations. While one villager may want a sweet mango dish, another may want a spicy soup that requires coconut milk.
Dosa Divas intelligently weaves the environment into the gameplay, so you have to pay attention to where certain ingredients are placed to find them again if you run out. The cooking mini-games are fun and quick. Hopefully they increase the difficulty and variety scales with more complex ingredients, as I was seeing the same handful by the end of demo.
There’s more than just cooking to do, as you also need to trounce the evil corporate forces that threaten the village. The battle system is reminiscent of Paper Mario and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, as you need to time inputs to deal more damage and block incoming hits. Each attack has a different type, and using the right type against an enemy breaks their shield, leaving them stuffed.
Stuffed enemies take a ton more damage, so it’s always advantageous to break their guards. It’s a lot of fun, especially with a bunch of flashy and unique animations for different attacks and enemies.
Dosa Divas establishes itself as a potential indie RPG hit.
Dosa Divas centers the community, tying the region’s inhabitants to the battle system. If you complete side quests and cook for folks, it raises your standing with the town. Doing so enough to reach the next level unlocks new skills and abilities to be used in combat. It creates a satisfying loop of seeking out hungry folks, finding the right ingredients to make them happy with the right recipe, and going back out into the world to kick more butt.
The graphics are colorful, with visuals that convey a cartoon-like quality, and the battle animations are fluid and easy to read. Playing on Steam Deck, the demo runs at a solid 60fps, with some minor drops in the overworld. They were few and far between. Hopefully, they’ll be ironed out entirely before launch, as this felt right at home on Deck.
So far, Dosa Divas has the potential to be one of this year’s indie greats. The writing is chock-full of personality, with fantastic performances. The cooking mini-games and battles are snappy and fun to engage with. The demo ends on a cliffhanger as the Dosa crew has to make a choice – continue on their journey, or stay to help a town in peril? Dosa Divas has all the right ingredients, here’s hoping the full course is as delectable as this tantalizing taste.
Dosa Divas is set to launch on PC and consoles in 2026.
