Among Us
Image source – play.google.com
What is Among Us? The Core Premise
The game’s premise is straightforward: a group of players (4-15) are designated as either Crewmates or Impostors.
- Crewmates: The vast majority of players. Their goal is to complete a series of simple tasks scattered around the map (like fixing wires, swiping cards, or emptying garbage) and identify the Impostors. If all tasks are completed or all Impostors are ejected, Crewmates win.
- Impostors: A smaller number of players (usually 1-3). Their objective is to covertly kill enough Crewmates until the Impostors outnumber the remaining Crewmates, or to sabotage critical systems (like oxygen or the reactor) and prevent them from being fixed in time. Impostors win by deception and cunning.
The core gameplay loop revolves around a tense cycle of:
- Task Completion & Sabotage: Crewmates go about their tasks, while Impostors pretend to do tasks, look for opportunities to kill Crewmates, and sabotage systems to create chaos or lure Crewmates to isolated areas.
- Reporting Bodies & Emergency Meetings: When a player discovers a dead body, they can report it, triggering a meeting. Players can also call an Emergency Meeting at any time (with a cooldown) to discuss suspicious behavior.
- Discussion and Voting: During meetings, players discuss who they suspect. This is where the social deduction truly shines:
- Crewmates share information about who they saw, what tasks they completed, and who they suspect.
- Impostors lie, accuse innocent Crewmates, create alibis, and try to blend in.
- Players vote to eject a suspect from the ship. If the ejected player was an Impostor, the Crewmates are one step closer to victory. If they were an innocent Crewmate, the Impostors gain an advantage.
- Loop Continues: The game continues until one side achieves their win condition.