The pandemic that has spared no one has imposed many challenges on us, one being the inability to go out with our friends and family. For this reason, we spend the majority of our time in isolation. This brings many days full of insipidity. Fortunately, people from across the world have discovered a way to utilize their free time, and that is on the latest game known as Among Us.  

Despite being released on June 15, 2018, the game had grown sudden popularity this year, reaching over one million players worldwide on September 3 (Forest).  

Among Us was created by InnerSloth, a three-person company. In accordance with their website, it is a multiplayer game of teamwork and betrayal. Members have the option of playing online or over local Wi-Fi. In terms of price, the game costs five dollars on PC and remains free of charge on mobile devices— that is with the inclusion of advertisements. Players have the ability to make additional purchases to personalize their in-game characters.  

Among Us takes place on a spaceship where four to ten crewmates are responsible for carrying out various tasks. Each player is given access to a personal map to assist them in navigating the ship.  

At least one of the players is secretly chosen to be an imposter. Their objective is to kill off the crew members without getting caught. Imposters have the ability to sneak through vents, sabotage the ship, and close doors to trap their unsuspecting victims.  

The primary goal for crew members is to fill the group taskbar and discover the imposter before it is too late. Crew members are allowed to react to an imposter’s sabotage, check their map and security for strange activity, and report dead bodies. 

Once a body is discovered, crew members can call a meeting to discuss their suspicions through a chatbox. During their discussion, players are given a limited amount of time. The imposter(s) will try to prove their innocence.  

If a player is killed, they are not allowed to talk until the end of the game. In the meantime, they can run assigned tasks as a ghost to lead their team to a sublime victory.  

After the discussion, players are asked to vote for who they think is the imposter. The crew member with the most votes is then ejected from the ship. If the imposter is voted off, the crew wins.   

It is safe to say that we are all lacking social interaction these days. Among Us provides a great way to safely engage with people from around the world. Considering the distress that the pandemic caused, games like these are what we need to relieve our built up tension. 

Sources:  

Among Us, www.innersloth.com/gameAmongUs.php.  

Forest. “Over 1 Million People Are Playing Among Us Right This Moment. That’s Insane.  

Thank You All so Much.” Twitter, Twitter, 4 Sept. 2020, twitter.com/forte_bass  

/status/1301726084505853952?s=20.