If you haven’t yet heard of this game which has consumed mobile culture this past year or tried it out, your first step is to grab your phone and go download the free game “Among us” (Apple, Google Play). This concept is quite simple: You are either a crewmate: running around the spaceship completing tasks and verifying the identify of your other crewmates, or an imposter: sneaking around people, venting, and trying to kill off your crewmates without being cause. However, no matter what tasks you have, do not be “sus” or your crewmates will vote you out!
Throughout the game and waiting sequences, players have the opportunity to chat with each other in text format. Many players are utilizing this game to make new connections during a pandemic and find new friends of similar interests. Having played the game a number of times and in examining the conversations that took place, I noticed that a good portion of the players were younger school children, as early as 6 years of age, desperately seeking connections through mobile culture during the Pandemic. There are also many schools and universities that have utilized this platform and the capacity of creating private games to develop closer relationships between the students during a socially distant time.
Despite the theme of going around murdering fellow players, this game can help develop personal skills in debate, critical thinking, and observation. There are many strategies that can be utilized to convince other people of your innocence or to frame another player. Additionally, there are useful tactile skills that can be experimented with. This game is now being utilized in digital media arts classes, law studies, and social studies courses. Will the crewmates survive their missions?
This game was released in 2018, but has become one of the most popular online multiplayer games in 2020. Among us videos can be found viral on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and other streaming applications, featuring prominent animation artists and musicians, or comical scenarios.
Looking for a fun twist on Among Us? The game is now available through VR Chat where you can play in immersive VR! Now that’s a whole other level of skill… Look out for the imposter and whatever you do, don’t be “sus”.
Elixa,
This game has overtaken my house and so has the word ‘sus’! It is something everyone can play over a range of ages and is hilarious to hear my kids and husband try to argue their way through emergency meetings. I am terrible at it and I am sure that is why my boys insist I play because they can quickly catch me when I get to be the imposter.
If you are looking for a version you could use in your class and include course content, Gimlit created a game called “Trust No One”. I have a colleague that has a lot of fun playing it with his middle school students – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykNpHS1z7f0.
I love this style of game! Although I have never played it myself, I have played “Push the Button” a Jackbox Tv version of this game.
I had no idea it was coming out as VR but that sounds amazing, like something out of science fiction, similar to Ready Player One!
Thank you for sharing Elixa!