Among Us

Among Us^[c] is a 2018 online multiplayer social deduction game developed and published by American game studio Innersloth. The game was inspired by the party game Mafia and the science fiction horror film The Thing. It allows for cross-platform play, first being released on iOS and Android devices in June 2018 and on Windows later that year in November. The game was then ported to the Nintendo Switch in December 2020, and will release on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S in December 2021. While the game was initially released in 2018, to little mainstream attention, it received a massive influx of popularity in 2020 due to many well-known Twitch streamers and YouTubers playing it.

Among Us takes place in a space-themed setting where players look like colorful armless cartoon astronauts; however, since the release of "The Skeld" spaceship, three other maps have been added in later years: the floating "MIRA HQ", the "Polus" planetary station, and "The Airship" (based on Infiltrating the Airship from the Henry Stickmin series, also developed by Innersloth). Each player takes on one of two roles—most are Crewmates, but a small number play Impostors—which does not alter their appearance.^[d] Players suspected of being Impostors may be eliminated via a plurality vote of the remaining players, which any player may initiate by reporting a dead body or calling for an Emergency Meeting (except during a crisis). The goal of the Crewmates is to identify the Impostors, eliminate them, and complete tasks around the map; the goal of the Impostor(s) is to covertly sabotage the mission either by killing the Crewmates before they complete all their tasks or by triggering a disaster that cannot be resolved.

The game received positive reviews from critics, being praised for its gameplay and setting but criticized for technical issues. In response to the game's popularity, a planned sequel, Among Us 2, was hastily announced in August 2020. However, it was canceled a month later and the team shifted its focus to improving the original game, which has over time inspired the creation of multiple internet memes, mostly related to the slang term sus.

Gameplay

A white-suited astronaut named "Buddy" (the player) stands in front of an unnamed blue-suited corpse. The room they are in is labeled "Admin". In the hallway, slightly obscured by the sight line mechanic, is a pink-suited astronaut named "Chum". In the upper-left corner of the player's screen, there is a fake list of tasks as well as the player's goal: to kill all Crewmates. The player also has the option to Use, Report, Sabotage, and Kill. As the player has just killed, the button is on cooldown and faded.

In this gameplay screenshot of the original map, The Skeld, the white Impostor has just killed the blue Crewmate in the centrally located Admin room. Because of the vision mechanic for Among Us, the pink player is partially obscured in the white player's field of vision. Any player can the report the dead body and trigger a meeting.

Among Us is a multiplayer game for four to fifteen players, although recommended for at least five.^[11] Up to three players are randomly^[12] and secretly chosen to be the Impostor(s) each round. As of 2021, a round can take place on one of four maps: a spaceship called "The Skeld"; a headquarters building called "MIRA HQ"; a planet base called "Polus";^[13] or an airship based on Innersloth's Henry Stickmin series called "The Airship".^[14]^[15]

The Impostor(s) win(s) one of two ways: either by killing most of the crew (to the point that they're equal in number) or by sabotaging a critical system on the map (provided the Crewmates don't resolve it in time). The Crewmates likewise can win one of two ways: either by completing all tasks or by identifying and ejecting all Impostors.^[13] Games can also end by players quitting the match if doing so fulfills any win condition (if a Crewmate quits the game, their tasks are automatically considered completed).^[16]^[17]^[18]

At the start of the game, Crewmates are assigned "tasks" to complete around the map (in the form of minigames, minpuzzles, and simple toggles), mostly consisting of maintenance work on vital systems such as fixing wires and downloading data.^[19] Impostors are given a fake list of suggested tasks to blend in with Crewmates. However, they cannot legitimately perform tasks and can only pretend to be doing any of the tasks on the ship. Impostors, however, can sabotage vital systems (such as The Skeld's oxygen supply), close the doors to rooms, quickly and covertly travel through the ventilation system (commonly referred to as "venting"), and kill Crewmates when standing near them. To help the Crewmates identify Impostors, there are various surveillance systems on each map, such as security cameras and an admin system on The Skeld,^[20] a doorlog in MIRA HQ,^[21] and a vitals indicator in Polus.^[13] Crewmates may also confirm their identity through "visual tasks" (tasks that have animations that play only for Crewmates), which cannot be faked by Impostors.^[22]

If a Crewmate is killed or any player is voted out and ejected, they become a ghost. Ghosts can pass through walls, spectate other players' activities, and see and chat with other ghosts.^[18] Living players have a limited cone of vision;^[23] ghosts do not.^[24] Moreover, ghosts cannot communicate with living players or be seen by them. Ghosts help their living teammates by completing their tasks (as a Crewmate) or performing various acts of sabotage (as an Impostor).^[13]

Any living player may call a group meeting by reporting a dead body, or by pressing the Emergency Meeting button on the map at any time (except during major sabotages, when Emergency Meetings cannot be called, but dead bodies can still be reported).^[18]^[25]^[26] During a meeting, players discuss who they believe is an Impostor based on the available evidence. Impostors can be identified beyond all reasonable doubt if they are seen venting or killing. A player may be suspected for many other reasons though. However, all the players form a sort of jury and must weigh the veracity or value of each other's statements and questions during the meeting. A plurality vote is held, and if a plurality is obtained, the player whom the most crewmates voted is ejected from the map and they become a ghost, unless the majority of the crewmates choose to skip vote or there is a tie vote.^[19]^[18] Players can communicate in a built-in text chat (with some predefined phrases for phone users),^[19] but only during meetings, and only if they are alive (though ghosts can speak with one another at any time).^[13]^[18]^[23] While the game does not have a built-in voice chat system, it is common for players to use external programs such as Discord,^[27]^[28]^[29] or to converse regularly if they are in close physical proximity to one another. In case players can hear each other's voices, the game reminds them to not speak except during meetings.

In each game's lobby, various options can be adjusted to customize aspects of gameplay, such as player movement speed, the allowed number of emergency meetings, number of tasks, if there will be "visual tasks",^[30] or whether or not an Impostor is revealed after being voted off.^[31] There are also many cosmetic options, including spacesuit colors, skins, hats, and pets,^[32]^[33] some of which are paid downloadable content.^[e]^[5]^[7]^[23]