The game Among Us has been taking the internet by storm these past few weeks. Here is everything you need to know about this exciting new game.
- History
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Among Us was released in June 2018, but has recently blown up. This increase in popularity is a result of content creators streaming the game on platforms such as Twitch. Representative Alexandria Oscasio-Cortez (more commonly known as AOC) streamed the game last week and her stream peaked around 440,000 live viewers. Among Us has a free mobile version as well as a $5 PC version. The game has also been receiving a popularity boost as a result of memes on Twitter and Reddit and Tik Toks related to the game.
Fun fact: AOC’s stream of Among Us is the third highest viewed single stream in Twitch history.
- How to Play
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So, now you know the history of Among Us, but a very important question still remains. How do you play the game?
You play the game with four to 10 people. The goal is to perform tasks in order to fix a broken spaceship. However, while the crewmembers are trying to complete these tasks, there is one impostor among the group. This impostor is trying to murder everyone else before they can fix the ship.
If a player finds a dead crewmember’s body, they report it, which initiates a meeting among the living players. These players discuss who they think the impostor is and vote for who they want to eliminate. Things like “red sus” and “cyan was with me” are common things seen in the chat. Helpful information distinguishes the impostor from who is safe, thus narrowing the potential options.
If the crewmembers vote to eliminate the impostor, they win. However, if they do not pick the correct impostor, the game continues to the next round. Crewmembers can also call an emergency meeting if they believe they have identified the impostor, which prompts another voting round. The cycle continues until either the impostor is caught, all crew members are killed or the crewmembers finish repairing the spaceship.
Fun fact: Between Sept. 1 and 14, Among Us was downloaded 42 million times.
- Who is the impostor?
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At the start of each game, one person is assigned to be the impostor. The thrill of Among Us is trying to determine who the impostor is while avoiding being killed. There are a few key ways you can figure out who the killer is. First, only the impostor can travel through the vents on the map. If you see someone travel through the vents, you should immediately call an emergency meeting and try to convince everyone to vote them out.
Also, you can go to security and watch part of the map on cameras. If at any point you see someone kill another crewmate, you have identified the impostor. Report the dead body or press the emergency meeting button as soon as possible, while being sure to avoid the impostor. You are no help to anyone if you are killed before you can report because only living crewmembers can talk in the chat.
There is one key thing to be wary of when trying to determine the impostor. Since you can play Among Us with friends, groups of people could be teaming up in the game and putting false information in the chat to lead you astray. Keep that in the back of your mind as you play.
Fun fact: The creators originally wanted to call the game Space Mafia but decided Among Us would be more attractive to the audience.
Now you know some of the history and rules of Among Us. You are now ready to grab your phone or hop on your computer and have some fun in this game of teamwork and betrayal!