In an entertainment industry where telling authentic cultural stories has gained importance, the indie video game Thirsty Suitors follows Jala, a South Asian bisexual woman who is returning to her sleepy hometown to a judgmental mother and a host of upset exes. And in this offbeat, humorous, and playful role-playing game, it is her family that will ultimately help her succeed. Each night, her father carries Jala to bed when she falls asleep, even though she is well past the age of needing a piggyback ride. When defeated by one of her ex-lovers, she is revived by her father, who provides a few words of encouragement. By blending the emotional heft and punch of a distinctly immigrant story with whimsical elements such as physics-bending back flips, Thirsty Suitors follows in the path of recent Asian immigrant films like “Everything Everywhere All at Once” and “Turning Red.”

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Persons: exes, Jala’s, ”