Among Us has reemerged as one of Fall 2020's most popular games, despite seeing its full release on Steam almost two years ago. Within the 2D murder-mystery game, indie developer Innersloth cooks up a unique atmosphere filled with space stations, intergalactic chores, and lies.

I may be late to the party here, but Among Us has quickly proven itself worthy of a late review. Its explosive growth on Twitch as one of the platform's most popular fads warranted a full investigation – and I'm glad I went down the rabbit hole.

Among Us Doesn't Reinvent The Wheel

Among Us Imposter Kill
Among Us Imposter Kill

Don't get me wrong, Among Us isn't changing the game. In fact, its overall premise is incredibly bare-bones. Players are pushed together in seclusion, pressed for time to deduce who the murderous imposters are before it's too late. Deceit, Town of Salem, Werewolf Online, even Clue – plenty of games have already explored these concepts. Nevertheless, Among Us somehow nails the classic formula in a way that makes it perfect for a quarantined society.

The whodunnit showdown supports 4-10 players, pitting everyone together in one of three different futuristic environments. Everyone has to complete tasks while keeping an eye out for the treacherous imposters. If a majority decision can be reached, players can be voted off for their suspicious behavior. If nothing is witnessed and the imposters aren't ejected, then the only other path to victory is by completing every task. However, the imposters only need to kill enough players in secret to win. No talking is allowed during the task phases, player vision is limited, and emergency meetings can be called to discuss any findings.

All of these elements culminate in ridiculous fun, and Twitch is really starting to notice (long after its initial release). Like Fall Guys, the humble indie game happened to catch the eyes of popular streamers – and it spread across the platform like wildfire.

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Worth It For The Price

Among Us Halloween Event Update

Among Us is only $5. With a price this low, the insinuation is that you'll get a short or underwhelming experience. However, developer Innersloth has plenty to be proud of. The game is fun, runs smoothly, features wacky cosmetics, and has tons of customization options. It may not seem like a big deal, but altering movement speed, limiting crewmate vision, and removing the ability to confirm imposters after voting can completely change the player experience.

Additionally, the small team has pushed out some great updates. At launch, The Skeld was the only map available for play. Since, they've added two more – MIRA HQ and Polus – and have consistently delivered performance updates and holiday events. Really, the main issue I have with Among Us is its overworked servers. Very frequently, the servers can't handle the number of players trying to create lobbies. More often than not, my group had to continually spam our attempts to join a lobby. We always got in eventually, but the hold-ups easily dampened our spirits.

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It's Who You Play With

At the end of the day, who you play with dictates how fun the game is. Among Us is a fantastic medium for spending quality time with friends (and strangers), as the entire experience defined by its players' interactions. Being a social game, there's no better way to enjoy it than to dive into the chaos of human communication.

That said, you will lose all of your friends playing this game. Learning how to become a compelling liar is necessary to winning as the imposter, and sometimes that means showing a side of yourself that others haven't seen before. If you're too good at it, they'll never trust you again... but in Among Us, that's all part of the plan.

A PC copy of Among Us was purchased by TheGamer for this review. Among Us is available now for PC, iOS, and Android devices.

among us poster
Among Us

Among Us is a hit online multiplayer in which a team of crewmates must identify the Imposter before it's too late. A take on the classic game Mafia, you must complete tasks aboard a spaceship, then vote out who you think is 'sus'. 

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