The hot new trend is playing a video game where your success hinges on the question: How good are you at lying? Your ability to lie, along with your lie-detecting, is put to the test in “Among Us,” a game about social deduction. As of late, it has become very popular, so let’s explore why that is.

What is “Among Us”? Among Us is a multiplayer game released back in June of 2018. It is free on mobile and costs $5 on PC. The basic premise of the game is that you are an astronaut in a spaceship, and at the beginning of each round, you are either assigned the role of Crewmate or Impostor. The crewmates run around the spaceship completing tasks and keeping an eye out for any suspicious persons. The Impostors’ goal is simply to kill the crewmates without getting caught. When meetings are called, the players can talk to each other and put their detective skills to the test in an attempt to sniff out the Impostors. If the tasks are completed or the crewmates vote off the Impostors during meetings, then the crewmates win. If the Impostors kill enough players, they win.

Why is it so popular?  As of this writing, “Among Us” is heading on the downtrend, but it still has an immense following and significance to pop culture. “Among Us” became popular through the streaming platform Twitch, and the community there developed a deep interest in the game. Its comes from the social aspect. You can play in public lobbies, but it is far more interesting if you play with friends because your success comes from how well you know your friends and how well you can lie to them. The simple game design appeals to a large audience, and draws in people who don’t usually play video games. According to Lianna Homrich ‘22, “It’s relatively easy to learn, so it’s super inclusive.” The creators of the game had intended to make a sequel, but after the late but enormous spike in popularity the game experienced, they decided to instead work on improving the current version that so many people love.

What does it mean to people?  In a world where it seems harder than ever to connect with others, this game has allowed its players to have fun together even over large distances. It’s a common ground where players can lose themselves in the excitement of the game while hanging out with friends. Katy Castle ‘22 says, “It gives me a chance to talk to a large group of friends over the phone that I don’t normally get to see, especially with some people being in the other cohort.” 

While “Among Us,” features simple graphics and gameplay, it has inspired many to create outside of the game. People have drawn fanart and comics, made animations, and have even dressed up as the “Among Us” astronauts. The game has retained its audience on Twitch, and many videos of the gameplay have also been posted to YouTube. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention a meme that has come from the game. During in-game discussion time, if someone thinks another player is an impostor, they will say that person is “sus”, which is basically slang for “suspicious.” You’ve probably heard “sus” outside of “Among Us,” which shows just how pervasive this little astronaut game is in our everyday culture.

“In a world where it seems harder than ever to connect with others, this game has allowed its players to have fun together even over large distances.”