Critical Play: Social Deduction

Among Us is a multiplayer game targeting teens and young adults who enjoy cooperative and competitive gameplay involving mystery and strategy. Developed by Innersloth and designed by Marcus Bromander, this game is available on multiple platforms including PC, mobile devices (I played on iOS), and the Nintendo Switch, making it as accessible as possible to a wide range of players. This helped the game take off during the COVID isolation period of 2020, where users from far and wide were able to connect and play together online. In my opinion, part of why it was so successful – becoming a cultural phenomenon – is that it emphasizes social deduction through its mechanics in a way that makes it not just a game of strategy but also one of especial psychological insight and influence. This game leverages its particular formal elements – rules, procedures, and the roles of players – to create a compelling social experience that distinguishes it from traditional deduction games like Mafia by drawing deeper into the human psyche.

At its heart, the gameplay of Among Us drops players into the magic circle of a a spaceship. They must work together while secretly some are impostors trying to sabotage the mission. This setup creates a dynamic environment where players must use social cues as well as game mechanics to deduce others’ roles. A unique feature of Among Us is that a skillful impostor can successfully “fake” completing tasks (see this for examples https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqlauUNlJvg), and an unwitting crewmate can be completely ignorant to their machinations. A key component of the game procedure is the Emergency Meeting, which allows players to discuss their suspicions based on observed behaviors and actions. This specific mechanic is the interaction that incorporates psychological warfare and insight into what otherwise is like a spectator sport.

Compared to other games in the genre, (an early favorite of mine being Murder Mystery on old Roblox involving an anonymous murderer and sheriff) Among Us simplifies the deduction aspect by integrating it with physical tasks within the game environment, a clever decision that aligns physical player procedure and independent psychological gameplay. However, the game could improve by providing more varied communication tools to reduce reliance on external platforms like Discord for player discussion and greater camaraderie. While one of the game mechanics is a chat feature, you can’t access it while actively playing (only in meetings or as a ghost). Part of what I love about Mafia is that bluffing and players’ varied skill levels at bluffing add an entirely new dimension to the deduction aspect. Without hearing the voices of the other players, it takes away some of the psychological thrill of a successful bluff, or a successful challenge.

Using the MDA framework, Among Us succeeds in drawing in players by aligning its mechanics with both the complex dynamics of group interaction and the aesthetics of sensory appeal, challenge, and fellowship. Mechanics such as completing tasks and using sabotage create a multilayered environment of trust and deception. The aesthetics of simple yet colorful visual design and suspenseful audio cues enhance the immersive experience of being one of the little crewmates. Moreover, players’ excitement levels heighten as they get closer to deducing the impostor or, as the impostor, succeeding in fooling everyone. Finally, players can form hesitant alliances and team up to put together clues to finding out who really is the impostor.

What a pleasant color scheme!