Among Us, a multiplayer social deduction game developed by InnerSloth, captivates a wide-ranging audience leveraging a blend of teamwork and betrayal mechanics. Available across various platforms (PC, mobile, and consoles), this game invites players into a cooperative yet deceit-filled adventure in space.
In the spaceship-themed setting, players are assigned to one of two roles: Crewmates or Imposters. There are typically eight crewmates for every two imposters. The crew members must try to complete all tasks on the spaceship to keep it running before the imposters discreetly take out everyone on the ship. The game is similar to Mafia in that technically it is team versus team, but it is unclear who is on which team, making the game a multilateral competition, or possibly even a player versus game interaction.
The game differs from Mafia mainly due to the landscape of tasks that players can complete in an attempt to learn more clues about who the imposter is (or to hide clues about who the imposter is if they are the ones completing the task). If a crew member is in the right place at the right time, they might observe a player doing something suspicious, or eliminating another player, giving them strong reason to believe the observed player is in fact the imposter. However, if they are in the wrong place at the wrong time, they may get quietly eliminated by the imposter.
Once again, reminiscent of Mafia, there are game meetings throughout the game where the players discuss who is the imposter based on what they observe throughout the prior rounds and often accuse each other, supplying evidence from the gameplay to support their accusations.
Among Us emphasizes social deduction through its mechanics by configuring the formal elements of game design—players, objectives, outcomes, rules, and boundaries—to create an environment ripe for deception, strategy, drama, and critical thinking. This blend makes Among Us stand out in the social deduction genre, offering a compelling case study on the effectiveness of its design choices.
In Among Us, the objectives are clear; Crewmates must complete tasks and identify Imposters, while Imposters must sabotage these efforts and eliminate Crewmates covertly. This dichotomy of goals creates immediate tension and strategic depth, distinguishing Among Us from traditional player-versus-player setups. Unlike many games where roles are fixed and apparent, Among Us’s ambiguity in player roles (multilateral competition) enhances the social deduction aspect, as players must deduce not just strategies but identities.
The design of Among Us cleverly uses its rules and boundaries to foster a ‘magic circle’, a space where normal rules of conduct do not apply, and players are encouraged to deceive and manipulate. This is made most clear in the game meetings, where players discuss and accuse each other based on observed behaviors and tasks. These discussions are crucial for social deduction, as they allow players to apply logic, persuasion, and even deceit to sway others’ opinions, demonstrating the game’s reliance on communication and psychology over physical skill or luck. As a side note, this magic circle aspect is likely much of the reason why the game became one of the most popular choices for Twitch streamers since it makes for such an entertaining social experience, even just to watch!
One may argue that outcomes in Among Us are not strictly zero-sum; while there are clear winners and losers at the end of each game, the shared experience of deduction, betrayal, and surprise contributes to a rich group dynamic that remains enjoyable regardless of individual victory or defeat. This nuanced approach to outcomes fosters a competitive yet communal atmosphere, encouraging repeated play and deepening the social experience.
Among Us exemplifies the excellent balance within the MDA framework (Mechanics, Dynamics, Aesthetics). The mechanics are relatively simple but flexible and extensive enough to lead to seemingly endless dynamics and strategies, making each game a new journey. The aesthetics of the game, including the music, costumes, space-ship environment, and sound effects are top-tier and stand out amongst the existing ecosystem of games. One suggestion I might make though is to allow players to choose between a greater variety of maps and tasks, possibly increasing the game’s replayability.
Comparing Among Us to other social deduction games like Mafia or Werewolf, it’s clear that Among Us’s real-time gameplay, combined with the visual and interactive task completion mechanics, offers an incredibly rich landscape for discussion, with plenty of data points for accusation.
