Among Us! Review

Among Us! – A Fun Mafia-Style Game That Teaches You Not to Trust Anyone But Yourself

A few years back, as the world’s biggest and most influential game development companies were busy arguing who had more exclusives and grander royal battles, a little-known budget indie studio, InnerSloth, appeared out of thin air and took away the millions of players around the globe with its hit social deception hit Among Us! The success did not happen overnight, and it took the game a good two years and a global pandemic outbreak to become such a massive social gaming phenomenon that it is now.

The “Lie to Me” Game Concept That Never Gets Old

Everyone hates being lied to and feeling like a fool for that, and all of us love it when we are smart enough to uncover the deception. This simple but effective premise has been doing miracles for Mafia, Town of Salem, and Hello Neighbor, so no wonder it has worked for Among Us! as well.

The game is a tense marathon full of bluffing and tricks, and there is just one person you can trust – yourself. To win, you need to be careful, adaptable, resourceful, and able to make intelligent decisions on the fly. A simple concept, dozens of subtleties, and plenty of space for psychological manipulation won the game worldwide recognition and warm reception from the gaming community.

An Intruder in Our Midst

The plot and rules are simple. A small group of 4–10 astronauts gets into trouble: the ship has broken down. To survive, the poor fellows must fix the starship and clean it up properly. Yet, an enigmatic saboteur has infiltrated their ranks with the intent to wreak further havoc and eliminate as many of the crew members as possible.

The crew’s job is to complete a series of tasks randomly assigned by the computer and stay alive while also trying to expose the villain. Unlike astronauts, the traitor does not need to run back and forth with screwdrivers – their mission is to prevent the ship from being functional through sabotage and cold-blooded murders.

As soon as a dead body is discovered, the action turns into a court drama: the survivors find themselves in the canteen and start interrogating and accusing each other of the crime. The players only have a couple of minutes to identify the perpetrator, who is then thrown out to outer space. Alternatively, the jury might skip the vote if the evidence is insufficient to prove anyone’s guilt.

Deception Starts With Visual Style

Do not expect the game to sweep you off your feet with its stunning graphics, as that is not what Among Us! is about. The isometric design in a hilariously cartoonish style with awkwardly shaped astronauts wearing colorful space suits – it is like everything aims to make you relax and stop taking it seriously. However, the moment you let your guard drop and forget there is a murderer at large, you are likely to become the next target.

The game is excellent: it is addictive, bright, well-devised, and fun, even if you play it with a group of strangers. Do not take anyone’s word for it, though – the mobile version of Among Us! is available to download for free, and you can test it yourself at any time!