When you talk about the most popular games you can play right now, it’s impossible not to mention Among Us. It is a game that many people are playing, including well-known streamers and even celebrities. Moreover, there are many other contents that derive from the game as well. Several animations, live-action skits, comic strips, and more are being created based on the gameplay of Among Us. Ultimately, the game has become a cultural sensation among the masses. That is how immensely popular the game has become.
What’s surprising about this game’s popularity is that it’s not a new game. It was developed and published by Innersloth LLC and launched in June 2018. However, no one really paid too much attention to it when it first came out. Although it had a solid player base that’s why the developers did not give up on it. Then, in less than 2 years, the game became one of the most popular games on multiple platforms. And this is surprising, considering the gameplay is very simple. You just either play as a Crewmate or Impostor.
As part of the Crewmate, you just need to complete tasks and successfully identify and eject the Impostors. As the Impostor, your goal is to just kill all Crewmates while avoiding catching attention from the crewmates. Aside from that, you can sabotage the ship and win. So why is it a popular game anyway? And how did this game achieve this status? To understand the popularity of Among Us, it’s important to first understand its gameplay. Doing this will give you an idea how to play the game, and it will be easier to explain its popularity.
A Simple Gameplay That’s Challenging & Fun
In this game, a minimum of 4 players and a maximum of 10 can play. There will be 1-3 Impostors and the rest will be Crewmates each game. For Impostors to win, their goal is to kill all the Crewmates or sabotage the ship. They must do it before they’re all identified and ejected or before Crewmates can complete all of their tasks.
On the other hand, Crewmates can win the game if they complete all their tasks or identify and eject the Impostors. It’s a game of deception as the Impostors would need to do their best to blend in. All while carrying out their goals without being identified. Although, this is not a new game since there have been numerous similar games before. One of the well-known and popular games is Mafia. Despite being simple, the game is not easy to play, regardless if you’re an Impostor or Crewmate. And this is what adds to how fun the game is.
Aside from completing tasks or trying to kill Crewmates, there’s also a discussion in the game. Whenever there’s a dead body, the player who finds it can call for a discussion. This can be done by reporting right at the scene or pressing the emergency meeting button. Here, players will be discussing the suspected impostor. They can either discuss via in-game chat, or in a call through a third-party app.
This aspect of the game is where the fun usually occurs since many people will have varying opinions. Impostors will also try their best to lie and deceive others, so the suspicion won’t fall on them. Sometimes, the impostors will even try to frame innocent crewmates just to avoid being ejected from the ship.
Players will enjoy trying to decipher whether someone is lying or not based on their statements. Last location, tasks made, and the last player they were with are factors of someone’s innocence or guilt. This is why great wit, observation, and convincing skills are very important whether you’re an impostor or a crewmate.
Every Game is Different
Another reason why Among Us is a popular game is that every game you play will be random. Doing a private game with the same people and knowing the overall gameplay will not make the game predictable. And there are several reasons for this. One of the main ones is that Crewmates and Impostors are chosen at random. And the roles will be revealed just moments directly to the players individually before the game starts.
So, when you play, there’s really no way for you to know ahead of time what role you will be playing. Even if you’re playing with friends and people you know, things are still chosen at random. This means that there’s no way for you to strategize with others on how you will go about playing the game. Also, only impostors can see the other impostors once the game starts. But still, it doesn’t give room for them to properly strategize. Ultimately, you can never really know how it will turn out since things will be different each game. This is more when you play in Public rooms since you will be playing with random people.
This is why people love playing this game since they can always expect something new every time they play. Its randomness, as well as how people will play it, provides for a unique, fun, frustrating, and challenging gaming experience. It’s also fun to see some Impostors make mistakes. Just like killing another player without realizing that someone else was in there. On the other hand, the adrenaline rush from killing a crewmate is so much fun as well.
It’s a Competitive Game
Competitive games are always fun and popular to play, and Among Us is a competitive game. But what’s unique about the game’s competitiveness is that it’s usually seen during meetings and discussions. When someone dies, a player’s competitive nature would kick in once they start pointing fingers.
Most meetings usually turn to debates or like a courtroom. Here, accused players would try to lay out the evidence as to why they’re not the Impostor. They will also explain why they think another player is the Impostor. This is even more fun if you’re playing with people you know and the mic is turned on. It makes the meeting become more heated and colorful.
This moment is even more fun for Impostors. Especially if they are successful in manipulating the other players into thinking someone else is the Impostor. It makes their job easier since another innocent Crewmate will be killed when voted out.
How Among Us Achieved Its Popularity
Now that you have an idea why this game is popular, it’s now time to discuss how it achieved its popularity. It’s clearly surprising how Among Us became popular almost 2 years after it came out. And there are actually several reasons for that.
Video Game Content Creators
One of the main reasons for Among Us popularity is content creators. Though the game was published in 2018, it wasn’t until 2019 when the game was discovered by game content creators. It was discovered by streamers from South Korea, Brazil, and Mexico, which began the game’s ascent to popularity.
Once streamers started playing the game on their channels, it wasn’t long before players and other streamers picked up on it. English-speaking streamers started to play and show the game on their channels in early 2020. Consequently, it paved the way for Among Us’ meteoric rise.
The Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic was a devastating situation for the entire world. But it was the perfect storm for Among Us. When the pandemic struck, many people from all over the world became stuck in their respective homes. This is because of the community lockdown which aims to try and prevent the spread of the virus.
This resulted in many people having to find different ways to entertain themselves at home. It would include trying to find different and new games to play. And fortunately for the developers of Among Us, the game was becoming easy to search because of the streamers. When people saw streamers playing, they also tried it themselves.
Aside from that, there is also something about the game’s elements that made people hooked with it. It gives the people a level of social interaction in this game. Specifically, not just an interaction by merely talking like the other games. Instead, their social interaction in the game involves their real human nature. This is also where they can pour out the frustrations brought by the pandemic. And from there, the game just took off as it became an instant hit for people.
The Game is Really Fun to Play
Among Us is just a really fun game to play. And this is evident in the game’s continuing popularity even to this day. With many more games already coming out, this action game still ranks as one of the popular games available, which means people are still playing it.
We’ve been giving you many reasons why this is the case. But if you want more convincing, well, the game is just fun to play. It’s great if you can try it out yourself and see how fun, entertaining, and exciting this game is.
