A game of teamwork and deception
Among Us is a multiplayer video game that bands four to 10 players together against the Impostor(s), bent on killing the rest of the crew before they’re outed.
Among Us is free on iOS and Android and makes for a great party game. You can play with people online or via local Wi-Fi.
A murder mystery in space
Developed by InnerSloth, Among Us is more than just another public game for young people and kids to play. Entertaining for all ages and demographics, the game’s premise is time-tested and universally enjoyable: A group of friends are preparing a spaceship for departure, but beware; one crewmate has been replaced by a parasitic shapeshifter. Only, which of you was it?
The game begins with the crew making the rounds on the ship, repairing equipment and generally going about their normal routine. No one can talk during this phase. This helps maintain anonymity - up until someone dies. Then players can use the text chat and voice chat functions to call an emergency meeting and try to piece together who’s been lying.
The game has multiple win states: Two for the crewmates and one for the Impostor. Crewmates can win if they complete all tasks on the ship, or if they correctly guess the Impostor and vote him or her off the ship. The Impostors, on the other hand, will win if they manage to kill the rest of the crew before they can finish their tasks.
Playing as the crew boils down to a game of deduction and teamwork. You’ll have tools at your disposal like the Admin map and security cameras, both of which can be used to keep tabs on the rest of the crew and to keep track of what they’ve been up to. See anything suspicious and bring it up the next time someone calls for an emergency meeting.
The crew will also need to scramble to fix any of the impostor’s sabotages. Don’t forget that besides correctly guessing the Impostor the crew can win the game by completing all their tasks and making it to their objective. You'll have to report any dead bodies you see, don’t believe everything you’re told, and always second guess anything remotely suspicious.
Playing as the Impostor presents a new set of challenges. Where once communication and transparency were once your best tools, as the Impostor they are now your greatest hurdles on the path to victory. The harder of the two roles, the Impostor relies on smoke and mirrors, cleverly framing other players and diverting blame towards those he seeks to eliminate.
As the Impostor your job is twofold: You need to kill enemy players and you need to grind their task completion to a halt. You can blend in like a chameleon, running tasks like a good crewmate while secretly sabotaging the ship. Frame other players for broken machinery and faulty work, or take a more direct, proactive approach, but beware; it’s risky:
The Impostor can also close doors and seal in members of the crew one by one. Doing so will undoubtedly raise suspicions (and alarms), but if you can get away with it it’s the faster approach. Have a getaway planned, using the vents to move about the ship as a means of quickly escaping or advancing toward other players from unexpected angles.
