Corvid's Corner - Among Us 🎮
Among Us:
Welcome to Corvid’s Corner! This is a place for me to geek out about whatever video game I’m playing or music I’m listening to, and write about it in a longer form than a staff pick. If you try this game on for size, please let me know! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Among Us is a multiplayer online game that I have spent a lot of time with. I play it on mobile and the Nintendo Switch, but it’s available for loan through the library on Switch, Xbox One, Playstation 4, and Playstation 5. To play, you must have an internet connection, or a group of local friends to play with. One of my favorite features of the game is the cross-platform compatibility. In short, that means you can play on your computer while your friends play on their phone and Xbox, and everything connects seamlessly. This is pretty rare in multiplayer games, so it’s a very welcome feature!
Among Us is set in space, and every player is a colorful little spaceperson. Each game can be played with 4-15 players, and 1-3 imposters, who are randomly and secretly chosen at the beginning of each game. There are five maps to play, each with different features. The Skeld is the basic map, a small spaceship with big engines. The crewmates are tasked with keeping the ship running by reconnecting severed wires, taking out the trash, and clearing asteroids from impact. Imposters are running around trying to kill the crewmates without being caught. To win as an imposter, fake tasks, hide in empty rooms, and kill unsuspecting spacemen in the process. After each kill, the crewmates get to chat and vote out who they think is suspicious. The imposter must lie their way through these meetings to stay in the game. Crewmates can win by completing the task list or voting out and ejecting all imposters. Imposters can win by killing or ejecting all crewmates, or sabotaging a critical system like the reactor, which is a timed problem that requires players to fix.
Any living character can report the dead body of a crewmate killed by the imposter, and that launches all players into a discussion and voting session. Everyone talks about what they did during the round, and what they saw. If a player saw something suspicious, like a character venting into the ducts, they let the others know. If they took out the trash and someone else saw the trash floating out of the ship, they could be cleared as crew. Imposters need to lie to hide their identity, but must be careful–if they claim to be in electrical, and someone else says they didn’t see them there, that can get them voted out. After discussion, it’s time to vote, and see the outcome of everyone’s decisions.
Something I love in particular about the online format is the community of people I have met in the game. I am a member of a Discord server with people I met while playing, and we play multiple nights a week. (Discord is an online instant messaging platform with voice chat.) As with any online game, there can be issues with inappropriate chat content, but I’ve found a great group of people that I love playing with. Sometimes it takes time to find a lobby that you vibe with, but it’s very worth it when you do.
For a fun game of space-themed deduction and conniving, give Among Us a try!
