In a year like 2020, full of social distancing and health precautions, everyone is looking for a way to enjoy their time in isolation. With the help of popular gaming YouTubers and streamers, the 2018 game, Among Us, has become a smash hit in 2020.
Among Us, created by indie video game company InnerSloth, is a 2018 online multiplayer “social deduction” game that has sky-rocketed in popularity in 2020.
The games’ rise in popularity has been accredited to the increase of gameplay from big names both within and outside of the gaming community. These names include but are not limited to YouTubers Markiplier, Pewdiepie and Jacksepticeye, as well as Congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar.
The game has risen in popularity due to the user-friendly platform as well as the widely understandable gameplay. The game is comparable to party games such as Mafia, where a number of players are attempting to get away with murdering the rest of the group.
In Among Us, a group ranging from four to 10 players are dropped into a spaceship and then designated as either a “crewmate” or an “impostor” at the beginning of each game.
Crewmates have the job of going around the ship and completing designated tasks while attempting to figure out who the impostor is among the group.
Impostors have the mission to kill regular crewmates without getting caught. They have to navigate the map by running after crewmates and venting to different rooms, all while faking tasks to blend in.
As online meetings and distant interactions become the new norms, this real-time multiplayer game has become a game-changer. Although Among Us seems just like a digital version of party games Mafia and Werewolf, it has opened a new world for multiplayer online games.
The game full of small space people has garnered such a dedicated fanbase over the course of the last few months. With endless hours of content from the game, fans have created content inspired by the online game.
The success of the video game has been strongly influenced by the continuous stream of Among Us related content. Twitter accounts such as Among Us Struggle Tweets and No Context Among Us, fans of the game can enjoy Among Us outside of the game itself.
Although Among Us may not remain among us (see what I did there) forever, it has made an impact in gaming and the idea of having fun while still accommodating for safety precautions such as social distancing.