There is no doubt about it; in recent weeks, Among Us has taken the world by storm. Although released in 2018, it seems that 2020 is the year for this online multiplayer game that can turn friends into foe, and trusted allies into backstabbers (literally). Even Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) is riding the Among Us wave, whose live streamed game on Twitch amassed 400,000 viewers. Needless to say, if you haven’t played yet, welcome to your new addiction.

Among Us is primarily a game of teamwork. When you first log on, you can join an open server and play with random players, or, you can create your own server and play with friends. Games consist of four to ten players, although I recommend the more the better, for longer games and of course, more turmoil. 

Among Us is set in space, on a spaceship where users play as little blob-like astronauts in colorful suits. These are your crewmates. But among you, is one (or multiple, depending on the setting) imposter. The imposter has one goal; to kill all the crewmates. This is done through good old fashioned murder (obviously), as well as sabotaging things like communications, oxygen levels, reactors and more to pick off players more discreetly.

To win the game, crewmates must complete all of their assigned tasks, which appear in the task bar, and successfully guess who the imposter is before they kill everyone on board. This is done through calling meetings, where crewmates vote who they think the culprit is. Whoever receives the most votes is projected into space and out of the game. The catch is, whoever gets voted off may not actually be the imposter. Because it is the imposter’s goal to remain alive as long as possible, until every other crewmate is dead. And this is done through the art of deception.

I recommend if you are playing with friends or on Discord to not talk while completing tasks, in case one of you may give away who the imposter is. Tasks range from cleaning out the oxygen filter, to watering plants, to fixing faulty wiring and much more. The imposter is not given any tasks, thus, they must pretend to complete them. This is where things can get tricky for the imposter, especially if they are not adept at lying (which is why I’m terrible at being the imposter). Imposters can also “vent,” that is, make an escape getaway using the air vents in the space ship. This is especially helpful after you murder a crewmate and another one is quickly approaching. 

All of this may sound complicated at first glance, but I assure you, even those that are exceptionally terrible at video games like myself can quickly get the hang of this game. It’s the perfect app to download if you’re looking for an exciting escape, and honestly, it’s a good game for Halloween time as well (given all the murder and mayhem of course). 

Among Us is free to download on the App Store and Google Play. 

Email Emma and [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @emma_sammuli.