Game Review | AMONG US

It’s rare to see a 2 year old game smash on to the scene and dominate but 2020 has been a strange year in general and that includes gaming. During this year we had sure hits like Final Fantasy VII Remake along with dark horses like Fall Guys but no one and I mean no one saw Among Us breaking onto the scene and taking over. This is a game that was released in 2018 for crying out loud.

Oh and get this. It’s so good that I would actually install this on mobile and play it, not that I have because mans not bout that mobile life but I would if necessary.

So Among Us. What is it about and why should you even care? Among Us is an isometric, asymmetric cross-platform multiplayer game for the PC and Mobile. In it a team of 4 to 10 players attempt to hold a spaceship of landing base together by performing multiple mini game tasks. These tasks are relatively simple varied point and click style undertakings. One moment you may be organizing some space debris only to be carefully swiping a card the next. So far a simple equation, yea? Well here’s where the complication rears its head.

You see among the crew are imposters. Usually between 1 and 2 randomly selected individuals who are tasked with sabotaging and eliminating the rest of the crew. The only defence the crew has against them is to vote them off the ship. The game is commonly played in silence until someone finds a body or calls for an emergency meeting. At such times it’s possible for each crewmate to vote for the removal of another. Everyone gets a vote – including the imposters. During this intermission is also when players communicate via voice or text to ascertain who the imposters are, while they intern attempt to pass doubt on their fellow crewmates.

Friendship Over!

Quite frankly Among Us can be as friendship breaking as monopoly and UNO but unlike those it traditionally ends in smiles by all involved. Possibly because rounds can go by fairly quickly when you’ve got a solid squad of players who know what they’re doing or the fact that roles switch after every round. Winning comes down to either completing all tasks or voting off all imposters. The reverse of that being the destruction of the location or elimination of every survivor.

Among Us may seem like a simple game but the more you play the more you’ll come to appreciate it’s hidden complexities. Moments like the last minute task completion while an imposter waits for their kill timer to count down are exhilarating. Similarly there’s an overwhelming feeling of jubilation whenever one convinces the crew to vote off the wrong person. What makes it ever better is playing with different people. Everyone having their own quarks and personality makes for a very random yet entertaining sort of escapade.

Include the charming minimalist design, abundance of customizability as well as smooth connection and you have the perfect multiplayer formula. In Among Us team work is key whether you’re playing as an imposter or member of the crew. Even if wacked you’re still responsible for completing your tasks as a ghost if you’re hoping to seem your side win. Oh and that’s a very important distinction. Some people may decide to leave the crew to their demise for wrongfully voting them out. Others may chalk it up to good play by the imposters and attempt to get their revenge with a solid clutch win. For imposters it’s imperative to cover for each other as best as possible without drawing too much attention. This could mean laying low and pretending to do tasks while your companion does the dirty work or passing doubt on others to throw everyone off. If one plays the low profile route and the other is sussed out then they’re likely to be among the least doubtable individuals and that’s when you strike.

Final Verdict

A game of lies, laughs and jubilation. Among Us is easily game of the year to 2020 despite not being initially released this year. This is the year it truly broke into the mainstream and boy did it break in. There are stories of people playing it with co-workers at work, parents against their kids, friends wacking friends and random strangers. It’s easy to pick up, fun to play and in spite of pitting you against your mates, it’ll unexpectedly bring you closer together. At an MSRP of $4.99 on the PC or free for mobile, it’s a steal. It’s such a good game that it’s surprising the publisher doesn’t have a 4-10 pack bundle similar to 100% orange juice. We’d certainly grab a few extra copies.

Qudduws Campbell

That messy hair bloke: Romantic, Food lover, Gamer, Sports Fan, Manga Reader, Tech Head, Podcaster... Pretty much do a bit of everything.