Why teens can’t stop playing this popular game – and why that isn’t a bad thing.
By Abby Smetana ’23
As someone with little to no online presence whatsoever, I was surprised to see what I originally dubbed “little chibi astronaut men” popping up on my feed to accuse one another of the heinous crime of being an impostor. I, still living under a rock, ignored the newest addition to online culture for the first few days in hopes that its popularity would dissipate so I wouldn’t be forced to search up who these chibi astronaut men were. It didn’t work. Once the astronaut men infiltrated my online crochet circles, I knew I had to get to the bottom of this mystery.
I learned that the little chibi astronaut men are the starring cast of InnerSloth’s new title Among Us and that the game itself is not new, however its large following is. Among Us is a video game inspired by the classic party game Mafia, embellished with colorful astronauts and a rocket ship. Players are divided into one of two categories: crewmate or impostor. The objective is simple: if you’re a crewmate, you must complete all tasks necessary to secure victory, and if you’re an impostor, you must kill all of the crewmates before they complete their missions. Meetings are held by players throughout the round, during which a suspect is chosen and voted off of the ship. At this point, the social maneuvering kicks into high gear as impostors attempt to cover their tracks, and crewmates search for the truth. If you haven’t had the opportunity to play Among Us, I highly suggest downloading it. The game is free on IOS and Android and costs $5 on the PC. I swear I wasn’t paid by InnerSloth to recommend the game – I wholeheartedly believe that it is buckets of fun!
Despite its newfound popularity, Among Us was released back in 2018 and while met with a positive reception, it did not attract much attention outside of certain indie gaming circles. Such was the case until late September of this year when the relatively obscure game experienced a meteoric rise in popularity and quickly wormed itself into pop culture. Suddenly, the game became widely streamed on Twitch, the in-game lingo of “impostor” and “sus” became commonplace in conversation, and Youtubers posted animations dedicated to the game. The question that always plagues me when it comes to sleeper hits such as Among Us is “why now?”
I am certain that our global health situation has a hand in the rise in the game’s popularity. Our everyday stressors have been amplified by the onset of the pandemic, and Among Us provides a cheap and easy way to distract oneself from these stressors. Ironically, I find it easier to cope with the tremendous hurdles we are all facing when I am in the macabre world of impostors and murder victims than when I focus on the news reports and facts. Among Us is escapism at its finest. The notion that you are an astronaut with invisible arms travelling on a ship hurtling hundreds of miles per hour is so absurd it is almost laughable, yet more bearable than our even more absurd current situation.
Not only is the hit game distracting, but it is also a social outlet for those who might otherwise be without much social interaction during the pandemic. The gameplay of Among Us relies on the players forming connections and talking to each other to reach the truth. The social factor makes the game feel like a breath of fresh air when compared to our new, overly formal conversations from six feet away. Even better – not only do players talk to each other, but players also collaborate to work towards a solution. It is empowering to feel that your words matter and your words contribute to making the situation at present a bit better.
Unfortunately, COVID has robbed us of many opportunities to work together with others, but video games can certainly provide a semblance of that feeling. It is still dangerous to participate in many normal social activities, as evident by the rising of case numbers in North Carolina, but those finding themselves feeling lost or alone during quarantine have other social options to turn to that will not put lives at risk. It is disheartening that our interactions have been boiled down to communicating with two-dimensional sprites on a screen, but safer routes such as gaming must be taken to limit the spread of the virus.