Among Us Game Keeps Players Connected

A popular American made game taking the media by storm in 2020, making socializing online more fun in a world of quarantine and social distancing.

Mia Michele Aviles, Assistant Editor

Released by American game studio Innersloth on June 15th, 2018, Among Us is a game that has created a following.

In September 2020 alone, the game received more than 100 million downloads, and the player count increased to 1.5 million players. The game is a popular source of memes and content on social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok.

“I really like how Among Us is a good way to connect with friends through a fun game, and I like how even if I’m not close friends with someone I’m playing with, it brings us closer together,” junior Olivia Borroto said.

Although initially released in 2018, Among Us received a tremendous influx of popularity in 2020 due to famous gaming streamers and Youtubers playing it. COVID-19 is often said to be responsible for the rise in popularity as it allows for socialization with friends or random players while quarantining or social distancing.

It takes place in an outer space setting where up to 10 players in a rainbow of colors are randomly selected to play as either Crewmates or Imposters. In each game, you can change the settings of your match, and you can have 1-3 imposters to make the game more intense. In Among Us, most players have the role of Crewmate; their goal being to identify and eliminate the Imposters, and complete tasks around the map. As an Imposter, players must covertly sabotage and kill the Crewmates before they complete all their tasks.

Through a vote, the player with the most votes from the others is eliminated and launched out of the ship. If all Imposters are voted out or all tasks are complete, the Crewmates win. On the other hand, if there is an equal number of Imposters and Crewmates, or if a critical sabotage goes unresolved, the Imposters win.

Among Us is popular in a wide array of ages and students at the school are no exception as the game is rated 9+ for mild cartoon violence.