You’ve probably heard of the murder mystery game that has been making its rounds on the internet with those endearing little multicolored astronauts. InnerSloth’s Among Us has captured gamers’ love around the world because it offers players a whimsical escape from the confusing and daunting times of 2020.
In case you aren’t familiar with the title, Among Us takes place on a spaceship in which anywhere between four to ten players are divided into crewmates and imposters. The crewmates perform tasks around the ship and try to stay out of harm’s way. Meanwhile, the imposters have to kill the crewmates and sabotage the ship to win. Once a dead body is discovered, players can call an emergency meeting. This is where the real action begins.
Here, the surviving players can discuss and compare evidence as the crewmates attempt to vote out the imposters and vice versa. The goal of the crewmates is to either finish their tasks or vote out the imposters. The imposters’ goal is to kill the crewmates or simply vote them off, sending them careening out an airlock into the vacuum of space. The interaction between the players makes Among Us a very complex and thrilling game.
Rise to fame
While it’s no doubt that Among Us has been enjoying its current spotlight due to the number of shenanigans that can happen in the game, this was actually first released in 2018. One might ask why it’s taking off now after all this time. The answer to that question may be as complicated as the game.
One obvious reason is that Among Us being picked up by notable YouTube and Twitch stars such as Pewdiepie. Naturally, this would give the game more appeal. The other, more interesting answer is arguably attributed to the global situation due to COVID-19 and the events of 2020. It gives friends who may have been separated due to quarantine a chance to reconnect and share a few laughs. In a world full of surprises around every corner, Among Us offers players an exhilarating escape.
Have a strategy
Once you start playing, you need to develop your own strategy. Whether you are an innocent crewmate or a plotting imposter, you need to have a game plan. Although there are many different approaches, here are some basic strategies that many people have applied.
Crewmates often choose to travel in groups to stay safe and make sure they have an alibi in case they’re accused of being an imposter. This is usually a foolproof way to win as a crewmate.
As an imposter, one of the most important goals is to stay under the radar. Let the crewmates accuse each other and don’t give too much away. Another very helpful imposter strategy is to pretend to be doing tasks to throw the crewmates off guard.
It’s no surprise why Among Us has exploded in the past few weeks. It seems to have created an entirely new genre of gaming that supports logic, reasoning, as well as teamwork. According to artist and animator at Innersloth, Marcus Bromander, the game “has grown because it’s able to bring many different online communities and personalities together.” It fosters that feeling of togetherness that can be so rare these days. Among Us is available to play for free iOS and Android. It is also available on Steam for $4.99.
YouTube: Among Us Steam Release Trailer
Photo credits: The images used are owned by InnerSloth and have been provided for press usage.
