“Among Us” Review

Story posted October 31, 2020 in CommRadio, Arts & Entertainment by Caelan Chevrier

Averaging only three players two years ago to over 175,000 in the last 30 days, "Among Us" has proved to be an unlikely success story in the gaming industry. Developed and published by game studio InnerSloth in June of 2018, the game was released and was considered a flop.

However, the game's popularity rose in the past few months thanks to popular YouTubers and Twitch streamers playing the game. This can be accredited to Ninja, the #1 Twitch channel, and Pewdiepie, the #2 Youtube channel. Thousands of memes and even songs have come from the game too.

COVID-19 and social distancing helped the game become more popular, as people could still have fun experiences with their friends while staying safe.

The game takes place in outer space where there are two roles that players are randomly assigned, crewmate or imposter. The goal of the crewmates is to complete tasks and discover who the imposters among the group are, while the imposter's goals are to kill all crewmates and do so before they complete their tasks.

Whenever a body is found, or an emergency meeting is called, players can discuss who they think the imposters are. Usually, there are two imposters and eight crewmates.

There are three maps that players can play on, The Skeld, Polus, and MIRA HQ, with their popularity being in that order.

The Skeld, set in a spaceship, is by far the most enjoyable map with the most interesting tasks to complete and requires the least amount of skill to play. Polus is set outdoors, with snow covering most of the map, here you will find your most advanced tasks. Lastly, MIRA HQ is a very linear and awkward map, with many of the tasks being clunky and unenjoyable.

As of now, the game is playable on three platforms, IOS, Android, and PC. The game is most fun on PC, where players have access to voice chat and are not limited to their phones keyboard. The game is slightly more challenging to play on mobile, but it does not take away from the fun.

Additionally, playing with friends is more of an enjoyable experience as compared to randoms.

A few criticisms of the game are that there is no party system. As of now, players can only join lobbies by typing in a code, and the lobbies fill up fast, so players will often find themselves shut out while their other friends are playing without them. Many people will also immediately quit the game if they are not the imposter, leaving many games to be lopsided.

Temporary bans should be given to players who do so, increasing the engagement rate. Lastly, a few new maps would help, considering there are currently only two enjoyable ones to play on now.

Ultimately, "Among Us" deserves the popularity it has received due to its sheer amount of creativity and replayability. Every game is its own unique experience, and people of all backgrounds and ages can enjoy it. Judging by the games player count, "Among Us" will not be disappearing any time soon, and if changes are implemented, it will be here for a long time. Due to a canceled sequel, the developers have all the time in the world to perfect their almost-perfect masterpiece.

"Among Us" is a unique multiplayer game that has captivated thousands. Although the goal of the game is to alienate others, it has actually brought people closer together.

Caelan Chevrier is a freshman majoring in journalism. To contact him email cjc6789@psu.edu.

About the Contributors

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Caelan Chevrier

Third Year / Marketing & Journalism

Caelan Chevrier is a third-year student in the Smeal College of Business at Penn State University studying marketing and broadcast journalism with the goal of graduating with a bachelor’s degree in four years. His career goal is to spread informative, meaningful, and entertaining content across various platforms and to be a positive impact on the community. He has also spent time working at WWE in the communications department and writing for The Westport Local Press in his hometown of Westport, CT. If you’d like to contact him, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).