Among Us here, Among Us there. In 2020, the thriller/co-op game became one of the biggest multiplayer titles since the rise of Fortnite in 2018. With over millions of players daily, unusual gameplay, and a unique art style that feels simple yet eerie, Among Us has provided more than enough fun for people. Thus, we are here to discover the reasons why the game is so popular.
A Refreshing Online Experience
Most people have already seen it all: shooters with customizable loadouts, fighting games with certain characters that are better than others due to lower frames and better damage, racing games, and MOBA games with various metas. However, around July to September 2020, two games found their way into mainstream success thanks to the word of mouth by players on social media and live stream websites. These games were Fall Guys and Among Us. These two games were unexpectedly the biggest blockbusters of 2020 and are continuing their success in 2021.
Fall Guys is a battle royale game. It takes heavy inspiration from crazy Japanese game shows like Takeshi’s Castle, where players get eliminated per show until only one person remains to take the crown. It was the it-game for streamers on Twitch and Facebook Gaming, until a new game immediately took place that wowed the streamers and mainstream gaming community. Among Us immediately became the most played online game in August and September 2020. It even went on to win the Best Multiplayer Game award from various gaming media.
Among Us is a thriller cooperative game. In this game, one team must complete certain tasks to escape the map while another small group or individual portrays as the murderer or “Impostor,” as the game refers to.
The big twist here is that the game also includes a skill of trust and belief. Every time an innocent crew member finds a murdered companion, he can then call the other players and try to investigate who’s the killer among them. If they pick the wrong person, they’ll have to continue with the mission while trying not to get killed. If they managed to evict the impostor/s, then the game is over and the crew wins. It’s that simple.
The simplicity of the game has won the hearts of millions of people worldwide because of its unpredictable gameplay, easy access, and plenty of funny—and sometimes excruciatingly annoying—moments.
Accessibility
Right now, you can play Among Us on either mobile or PC. The mobile version is free to play, but you will have to swallow the continuous ads every time you finish a match. Meanwhile, the PC version is paid. But, you can play it for free when you play Among Us through Games.lol.
In December 2020, Among Us also got its release on the Nintendo Switch. This allows more people to have more options to play the game on a different console. Above all, the game features crossplay, which lets you play with different people who use any of the three platforms. Are there any unfair advantages over the other consoles? None at all, although PC players will have an easier time writing during the meetings.
Crazy Discord Sessions
Among Us is also one of the heavy favorites in the Discord servers. Many people will agree that playing the game with friends over Discord is significantly much better than just playing it solo without the chat server. This is because the game puts you in a silent mode whenever you are doing tasks or hunting down the crew. When it is meeting time, then everybody can talk at the same time (except for the murdered members, of course).
Live Stream Bonanza
Even if you do not find the game anywhere fun, at least the live streams are very enjoyable to watch. Among Us became more prominently popular in the Twitch and Youtube Gaming streams thanks to some of the biggest streamers like xQcOW, Summit1G, Tyler1, the girls from Hololive, and the members of Nijisanji.
Continuous Success
Right now, it seems like Among Us is still going strong, especially now that the game will receive some major gameplay improvements and additional content for 2021. If you want to play the game right now on PC, consider downloading it here.