A Casual’s Guide to “Among Us”

graphic by jenny katz

If you’re anywhere on the internet you’ve no doubt heard about a simple game called, “Among Us.” As the game sweeps the nation, it’s inspired memes, fan art, philosophical discussion, and even some heated arguments.

For those out of the loop, “Among Us” is a social deduction game in which players (usually ten), must complete their tasks and expose the imposter among them, whose goal is to sabotage and kill the crew. Created in 2018 by Innersloth, the game exploded in popularity this fall due to the dedication of streamers on Twitch. The game looks cartoonish, but don’t let the cute astronauts fool you—there’s a killer in your ranks.

At the start of a game, everyone will be assigned a role: crewmate or impostor. If you’re a crewmate, you get to play a bunch of minigames (some more frustrating than others) and find the impostor. But, keep your eyes peeled, the impostor is sneaky and will try to kill you at any opportunity. 

The impostor could be any one of your fellow crewmates, and it’s your job to find out who it is. When the imposter kills someone, a dead body will be left behind, which you can report and then call a meeting to discuss who could’ve been so diabolical. When you’ve decided who you think the killer is, you can vote them off and shoot your suspect into space, saving you and your friends! But, beware, anyone can be voted off, even you, the innocent crewmate. 

On top of finding the impostor, you may have to convince your crewmates of your own innocence to stay alive. Should you die along the way,  you won’t be able to talk to your crew, and you’ll be forced to watch them fumble along as a ghost. But, if you can stay alive, figure out who the impostor is, convince your friends, and get them ejected, you and your friends will be victorious as the unstoppable sleuths that you all are!

If you’re the impostor, it’s your job to sabotage and kill the crewmates. While everyone else is busy completing their tasks, you can perform the perfect murder. But, those crewmates won’t go down easily as they’ll be trying their best to find out who you are. Fake your tasks to remain inconspicuous, and while those bozos think you’re one of them, you can kill anyone who’s foolish enough to be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. Slip into ventilation shafts to get around undetected and, if you’re bold enough, report your own kill to seem innocent. As an impostor, you can sabotage things around the base to isolate your victims and distract any would-be witnesses. Break the reactor, turn out the lights, leak the oxygen, ruin communications,  or close doors to set up the perfect crime. If you can kill, lie, and sabotage just right, you’ll stand alone as a champion of deceit!

During meetings with your crewmates, you may be accused of being the imposter, so you’ll have to lie and deny to remain alive. If possible, try accusing another person of being the impostor and get them ejected in your place. 

You’ll only be allowed to communicate during meetings, so, during normal gameplay, you can’t talk to anyone else but yourself. It may seem like a hindrance, but that’s actually a huge part of the game’s appeal. The sheer chaos generated from the misunderstandings and wrongful accusations is so entertaining, the next thing you know, you’ll be cheering for your best friend to get ejected into space. The experience is only made better by the personalities of the people playing it, and, depending on who you play with, betrayals, Sherlock Holmes style monologues, and big reveals are bound to happen. 

If “Among Us” sounds like the game for you, it can be downloaded for PCs off of Steam for $4.99 and on all mobile devices for free. Just remember— trust no one.