I chose to play Among Us, a bluffing game created by InnerSloth LLC and available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation, Microsoft Windows, Xbox, and both iOS and Android mobile devices. I chose to play the iOS mobile version of Among Us.
My experience playing Among Us showed that the game’s mechanics fostered fantasy where players take on roles they don’t usually take in real life, fellowship between crewmates and imposters, and discovery of what secrets each player holds (Hunicke 2). These three aesthetics derived from mechanics and dynamics that enforced quick and short communication, blame-shifting and mob-mentality, and deception and whistle-blower responsibilities as a means for fellowship (Hunicke 3).
The game designers chose role-playing and individual task assignment as mechanics to test fellowship through fantasy and bring about deceptive behavior. By assigning responsibilities and special abilities to both the crewmates and the imposter, the sense of fellowship was not polarized towards the villain exclusively. To win as a crewmate, I was expected to fulfill my role through completing tasks, reporting suspicious behavior, and using any special abilities assigned to me. For example, crewmates may be given a special ability like the role of “scientist” where they are able to see who has been killed and who is still alive. This allowed me to report dead bodies even without running into the dead body itself. Since the tasks are quick and easy, I observed that many players finished their assigned tasks and stayed in the main lobby to observe others with their special abilities. This design decision was created in an attempt to keep players in the game even after finishing their tasks though I did observe at least 2-3 players leaving the game before completion.
The game designers also used mechanics that game visual feedback to help players determine who was truly a crewmember and who wasn’t. For example, players could track the task bar to see if it actually increased or if a certain player was faking tasks. There were also visual tasks like ejecting trash or Medbay scanning. Crewmates and imposters practiced deceptive behavior through utilizing these visual mechanics to unveil and discover information about others, prove their innocence, or fake their innocence.
The game designers used timed voting mechanics and a meeting and reporting system to expose and eject players. With the risks of losing the game, or being ejected from all the fun, I frequently observed myself and other players comfortably lying, shifting, blaming, sabotaging, or bluffing. For example, I reported a few deaths to mask my imposter role and prove my “innocence” earlier in the game. Additionally, imposters were given special abilities, like shapeshifter, which I used to make my player look like another color during the killing. People were quick to jump to mobbing behavior despite someone bringing up that it could be a self-report (Fig.4). This allowed me to get away with later kills and ultimately win the round.
The game’s timed-voting mechanic and risk of ejection from the game were high-enough stakes as players were quick to vote out players at the first sign of suspicion. Even without further justification or reasoning for shifting blame, players voted within seconds without in-depth discussion of defense. For example, only one person had to say “pink is sus” for most other players to showcase mob-mentality and pile their votes onto pink.
Among Us games would only last long enough for enjoyment and fun if players lied. This dynamic is required in order to successfully uphold the aesthetics of fellowship, fantasy, and discovery. Lying is generally morally wrong. However, through the fantasy aesthetics, players are given the privilege of being in the magic circle (where morals do not carry as much weight) and disconnecting from the real world – where morals would matter (Koster 16). According to the Theory of Fun, games are patterns that are wrapped in stories – stories that fuel power fantasies and fellowship but not necessarily the strongest determinants of how players interact in real life (Koster 19). In the case of Among Us, players come into the space already prepared and informed that others will most likely lie or practice mob-mentality due to the roles of the game. For these reasons, lying does not necessarily constitute a wrong – especially when the game-related lying does not persist beyond the scope of the game and into real life.
Hunicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc, and Robert Zubek. “MDA: A formal approach to game design and game research.” Proceedings of the AAAI Workshop on Challenges in Game AI. Vol. 4. No. 1. 2004.
Koster, Raph. “Chapter 2: What Games Are and Aren’t.” A Theory of Fun for Game Design. 2nd ed., O’Reilly Media, 2013.
