Created by designers at InnerSloth, Among Us appeals to anyone thrilled by murder-mystery games and playful interactions between friends or strangers. This game is widely available across platforms such as mobile, console or PC and has a low-skill entry level so even the most casual of fans can enjoy. Although Among Us (listed on the AppStore) is intended to be played by ages 9+, both children and adults can immerse themselves within its world.
Among Us skillfully traverses social deduction through its Mafia-esque mechanics, cultivating an immersive gameplay experience that heavily depends on observation, strategy (as both a crewmate and imposter), communication and deception. The interplay between formal elements such as player interactions, environmental manipulation, and opposing roles creates an exciting experience revolving around social dynamics and psychological deception making each player feel equally involved.
This game is simplistic in nature, where players are divided into opposing sides as either crewmates or imposters. As a crewmate, the primary objective is to survive; complete your tasks (either short or long) like clean a vent, fix wiring, empty garbage, download data and keep the ship operating all while avoiding being murdered. Imposters rely on deception and stealth to kill crewmates while pretending to be innocent. The underlying game is played through conversation or chat, where players plead their case for innocence while deducing who the imposters are amongst them and eliminating one player each round.
While designers have expanded upon the world of Among Us with multiple maps, the game can feel a little old after many iterations. New tasks and environments from expansions like MIRA HQ, Polus, The Airship and The Fungle aid with progressing the narrative in a way that feels more like a story as opposed to an isolated one. However, being a crewmate tends to be more stale so introducing new crewmate tools could make players feel more engaged and level the playing field with imposters who often have more advantageous abilities.
Among Us differentiates itself from other similar games like Town of Salem, Werewolf/Mafia, and Secret Hitler by relying on social and environmental interactions as opposed to complex game mechanics. This makes it possible to implement clever design decisions based on the environment to encourage specific player interactions or encounters such as having a task being close to a vent where an imposter can pop out of. In this way, strategy can be developed as a result of this environmental navigation, which is not found in the other games that operate on a per-round basis. The mechanics of Among Us emphasize social deduction as the main component of the game where players always have to be vigilant to behaviors of others to succeed cultivating fellowship and deception.
From the framework of MDA, we see that Among Us integrates the elements of mechanics, dynamics and aesthetics perfectly. While mechanics are simple, they carefully cultivate an environment that encourages social interaction (by observation of suspicious behavior, completing tasks, or strategies by the imposter) which lead to dynamic player interactions. These interactions are playful and full of complex strategies as players derive who to kick off for a round all while continuing to observe one another. In the end this creates the aesthetic of a murder-mystery thriller through carefully orchestrated tension, surprises and deceit, whether players were able to correctly guess the imposter or not.
Moreover, through the lens of Larazzo’s 4 Keys to Fun, Among Us contains “Hard Fun” through completing tasks to keep the spaceship running and the killing of crewmates by the imposters. The game also contains “Easy Fun” which allows players to immerse themselves in their roles and be engaged by the gameplay, always being observant to their surroundings and other players. Most notably, there’s the component of “People Fun”, which is centered around social dynamics, observation and deliberation of deceiving others into believing you’re not an imposter. According to Lazzaro, Among Us would be considered to be “fun” having satisfied at least three of the four keys defined to be fun.
In my experience with Among Us, I found it to be the most engaging when playing with a headset as talking was way more effective than typing. Through this, we were able to have more meaningful conversations and even crazier accusations, which spiced the game up even more. Everyone focused on their tasks, either as the crewmate or imposter, and we all came back to discuss what happened when a body was found. In the spirit of the game, we were at a crossroads when conflicting stories arose and it was fun trying to decipher who was lying. Some of the most exciting moments while playing were betrayals and obvious construted accusations, which ended each game with laughter or amusement.
