I’ve been told more times than I can count that I’m not a great bluffer like genuinely people have told me I suck at lying, and honestly, playing Among Us really reaffirmed it for me. Basically, Among Us, the game I am going to review is developed by InnerSloth. It is a multiplayer social deduction game available on the PC, mobile, and console platforms so anyone who enjoys deceiving people with strategy and wit in a fast-paced environment is truly the target audience for this game. The game is truly intriguing. The game features a player interaction loop where the imposter eliminates a crew mate, escapes through a vent, and the remaining crew members have to figure out who the imposter is. But unlike other bluffing games like the one we played in class, Mafia, Among Us has players multitask deception with the objectives the crew mates have to accomplish. This additional feature makes it feel like the crew mates all have a role so in a sense the story has to line up. I knew I had some ability to lie but I don’t think lying comes naturally to me especially when playing a game where you go into a game roaring to lie or prove your innocence.
When I was playing with random people, the main way we communicated was through chat, which actually helped me a lot because I was hiding behind the screen which made it easier to avoid direct confrontation. I’ve watched too many body language reels to now be very conscious about my eyes diverting or worrying that my voice is inflecting weirdly like being too high pitched or quivering. But when I wasn’t the imposter, I found myself thinking more clearly and being able to provide logical explanations to defend myself. My go-to strategy was to stick with another player and make sure that they’d vouch for me when it came time to discuss. I’d specifically mention the color of the person I was following so it would sound like I had genuine evidence to back up my innocence. The only thing is, I realized that if I chose the imposter to follow, I would either get tricked or killed easily, especially as the game reached its final rounds.
But when I was the imposter, it was a completely different story. I tended to wander the map alone, which wasn’t the best strategy. When someone would accuse me and ask where I had been, I’d panic a little and give a rough directional answer, like “bottom right” or “middle left,” because I honestly couldn’t remember the specific room names. Surprisingly, despite my shaky text responses, the group didn’t kick me out maybe because they thought I was really clueless. Honestly, I think the chaos and fast pace of the game carried me more than any bluffing skills I had.
When it came to decision-making, I realized I was pretty hesitant, especially with the venting mechanic on the map. I just wasn’t familiar with which vents connected to each other, so after making a kill, I would just hide in the vent for the rest of the game because I was too nervous to pop out and risk getting caught since my view of the room was really narrow as well.
One game mechanic I really enjoyed using was the sabotage button. Basically, my totally genius tactic was to stick close to someone at the opposite end of the map from where I planned to sabotage. Then, when I pressed the sabotage button everyone would go to the location I sabotaged. I obviously used that as the perfect opportunity to attack any players who were lagging behind or alone on their way over. It felt like a small victory each time my plan worked, even if my bluffing wasn’t strong.
This experience definitely highlighted that I’m more of a logical thinker than a fast, deceptive one. I like planning out my moves but I do take a lot of time when I plan who to kill. When I’m innocent, I can rely on observation and reasoning, but as soon as I have to lie, I get flustered and overthink a lot. The structure of Among Us is very fast-paced for a first timer but it definitely touts social deduction and quick decision-making. It was very challenging to be convincing while multitasking objectives. Honestly, my memory isn’t the best, so I think the game misses an opportunity by not showing a map during discussions. It was both very frustrating and fun to see how my natural communication style plays out under pressure and my forgetfulness of where I was most recently. Even though I struggled so much with bluffing, I appreciated how Among Us makes players think on your feet and strategize beyond just telling convincing stories.
I’ve always felt that lying in real life is morally wrong because it involves deceiving someone who is trusting you to tell the truth. There are many exceptions to this rule, of course, and I do believe it is okay to say a white lie when we feel like it is necessary to protect someone’s feelings. But in the context of a game like Among Us, lying doesn’t feel like a moral failure. It’s literally built into the game’s objectives, and everyone goes into it expecting deception from anyone and everything and that’s what makes it so special. The game creates such a safe space where bluffing and trickery aren’t just allowed but they’re literally being encouraged to do so. Players know it’s all part of the fun, and rather than damaging relationships, it brings out a playful competitiveness and even a bit of acting from everyone that we don’t normally see in everyday life. In that sense, lying in games feels more like role-playing than actual dishonesty.
