Among Us is taking the world by storm. With the widespread implementation of social distancing and people being stuck at home, all sorts of games are starting to come out of obscurity and into a wider gaming audience. Among them is Among Us, a game of betrayal and loyalty between coworkers.
If you’re interested in playing the game, here’s a comprehensive guide on how to play Among Us and whether it’s worth playing with friends.
What Is Among Us?
Among Us is an online sci-fi murder-mystery game created by Innersloth, who also created the Henry Stickmin Series. It was released back on June 15, 2018, on iOS and Android, with in-app purchases, and then on Steam on August 18, 2018.
The game is set in three maps, which house a group of Crewmates. Amongst them is an impostor or a few impostors that want to sabotage the crew’s operation and kill everyone. The goal of the game is to do the tasks and jobs as quickly as possible, avoid getting killed, and find out who the impostor is—at least, for the Crewmates. On the other hand, impostors aim to kill the Crewmates.
The game’s main map is known as The Skeld and is set in a spaceship that the little colored blobs can go around in. In 2019, two new maps were introduced to the game. These maps are Mira HQ, a floating airbase, and Polus, which is a distant planet. Starting in 2020, the game was considered to be complete by Innersloth, and the two new maps were released for free both on mobile and PC for players to host and create games in. The sequel to the game, Among Us 2, is said to be available next year.
If you’re wondering what other games are as enjoyable as Among Us, here are our lists of the best adult games, best mobile games to play when bored, and multiplayer games.
Among Us Game Features
Among Us has several features in the Android and iOS versions, here are some of them.
Customization Options
Players can pick the color and the hat of their Crewmate. If they have costumes, they can pick those as well.
Multiple Game Options Available
Game hosts can add in more impostors (for a maximum of three people in the lobby), more tasks and jobs, increase Crewmate walking speed, impostor sight range, and a lot more.
Joining Games
It’s easy to join game lobbies online. And if you’re looking for a specific lobby, a four capital letter code can be inputted to immediately join provided you’re on the correct game server.
In-Game Text Chat
You can conveniently communicate with your team members throughout the game. Currently, voice chat is not available on Among Us, but you can utilize other voice chat apps like Discord.
Multi-Platform Availability
The capability to have cross-platform play is possible with Among Us. Whether you are a gamer on PC, iPhone, or Android phone, the game is available for you.
Among Us is available on both the Google Play and Apple App Stores for free.
How to Play Among Us Game?
The game is simple enough to play, Crewmates need to finish tasks and make sure that they survive. Impostors have to kill off enough Crewmates. However, it’s a bit more nuanced than that, and we’ll get into more detail about it below.
Objectives
There are four objectives in the game; two each for the Crewmates and for the impostors.
Crewmates
For Crewmates, your objective is to complete a pre-given set of tasks that the game gives you, all while surviving the game by evading the impostors. The number of tasks is determined before the game starts, and there are three types of tasks that you can get.
Common Tasks: These are tasks that can be done in just a few seconds. And as the name suggests, these are common for people to get. An example of this type of task is reconnecting wires, card-swiping in the Admin Rooms of maps, and inserting the keys the user has on the spaceship.
Short Tasks: Tasks that take a minimum amount of time. However, they are different from the Common Tasks in that they are not shared between players.
Long Tasks: These are the tasks that take some time to finish, either by the virtue of having a lot of steps, or there is a mechanic that’s a bit hard to do. Examples of this task include shooting asteroids, Med Bay Scanning, and fixing the base Wi-Fi.
If you’re killed by an impostor, don’t fret! Just finish your tasks and wait until the rest of your team finishes.
Aside from completing the tasks, another way Crewmates can win is by voting off the impostors. However, the Crewmates need to have an informed and logical decision when they vote. Or else, it’ll make a Crewmate Win a very unlikely scenario.
Impostors
Now the impostors’ job is said many times throughout this article, but it’s always a good idea to have a reminder:
Kill off the Crewmates.
You need to eliminate them, remain unsuspected while doing so, and sabotage various areas of the game map by locking off doors and generally sowing discord over the whole lobby. We’ll get into more details on those things below.
Rules
The rules are simple enough. Crewmates need to do their tasks, impostors have to kill Crewmates. However, there are a few things to keep in mind to have a legitimate game.
The game at its current state has no voice chat. And thanks to the devs no longer updating the game to focus on the sequel, there’s no way to do so. However, various methods do exist. Discord, for example, is a great way to have a voice chat in Among Us if you’re playing with people on the same server. Just make sure that you’re doing this on PC and not on mobile. The game tends to throw people out if they’re using voice chat on other apps in Android and iOS.
Make sure that your voice chat is muted when not in an Emergency Meeting because it gives the game away to the other players. This is especially true for the souls of those dead. They might give away the impostor when they’re shouting their hatred for the one that killed them in-game when they die.
How to Play With Friends?
Among Us makes it very easy to play with friends. There’s a really good way to do so. And that’s by hosting your own private game.
The moment you host your own game; you are presented with a few choices. From how many impostors there are, the number of people that can play in your game lobby, and what map you’re playing to—what’s important for our discussion—the ability to turn the lobby into either a private or public one. This, above all else, is an important factor if you want to just play with your friends only.
After you do this, you will be sent to the game lobby, where you can customize the game even more. What color your Crewmate is in, the other cosmetics you’re wearing, how many tasks will be given to all the Crewmates, the impostor view range, the Crewmate view range, you name it, and you can edit on the little laptop that’s on the table in the dropship the Crewmates are in.
Finally, all lobbies have a lobby code that anyone already inside can give to other people so that they can join the lobby. This way, you can invite your friends into the private lobby to play.
For them to use the lobby code, they simply need to go to Online. Below the “Host” and “Public” sections, there’s a section that says “Private” with a button labeled “Enter Code” below. Tap on that, and enter the lobby code of the private lobby you wish to join.
Among Us Gameplay Tips
Among Us is a team game. And both the Impostors and Crewmates need to work together to win. Thus, here are some things that you need to know to get a win in Among Us.
How to Succeed and Win?
Impostors and Crewmates have different win conditions as already stated, and it’s a good idea to keep in mind what role you’re in so that you can do your objectives effectively. Here are a few tips, tricks, and strategies to ensure a Crewmate or Impostor wins.
To help you on your way, here’s the layout for all three maps available.
- The Skeld
- Mira HQ
- Polus
For Crewmates
First off, make sure to do all of your Crewmate tasks—even when dead. Because those count on the tasks completed bar, and it’ll help your team win.
Ensure that you eject people with concrete and irrefutable evidence. Don’t accuse people at random. You’ll lose the trust of your teammates, and on the direst situations, vent an innocent teammate as well. This makes it easier for impostors to win.
Security Measures
Make use of the available security measures in each map. In order of maps available, these are:
- Security Cameras: The Skeld (right side of the map, opposite of Reactor) and Polus (left side of the map, beside Electrical)
- Vitals: Polus (above Admin, the right side of Office)
- Door Log: Mira HQ (communications above Medbay)
- Admin: All three maps
On maps with security cameras, it’s a good idea to keep an eye on all the people that come and go through the various areas. If, for example, two Crewmates go inside an area that’s inside the camera’s range, and then only one of them comes back out, or if none of them comes back, it’s a very possible scenario that either of the two people was killed, one was killed and the other one vented, or both of them vented in there.
In the case of vents, Crewmates can obtain further evidence that one of them used one if they can see the said vent opening in the fog of war shadow. Also take a closer look at the area to confirm suspicions, if it’s at all possible.
Crewmate Jobs
If you or any of your Crewmates have jobs like Clearing Asteroids (usually located in the Weapons room on the Skeld and Polus), Emptying the Garbage (Storage area on the Skeld only), Submit Scan (Medbay on all three maps), or Prime Shields (Medbay, only on the Skeld), always make it so that people can see you doing your tasks.
If you’re in the middle of an Emergency Meeting, offer other Crewmates to accompany you to their locations to prove your innocence as they’re the only tasks in the game with a visible animation.
Crewmate Room Assignment
If you, as a Crewmate, are in a room, there’s a very high chance that you’ll survive if you’re with a few of your Crewmates equal to how many impostors there are in the game plus an additional one Crewmate to prevent sync kills. In addition to this, remember to avoid gathering in one spot, because the impostor can kill someone with ease, remain undetected while doing so, and has a chance to completely throw off suspicion from him if he’s smart enough.
Visual Tasks
If you, a Crewmate, have a visual task done and finished and another Crewmate who also has a task similar to yours has seen it, make sure to stick with them as they begin to do the task. Both Crewmates will have a great possibility to trust each and follow each other throughout the whole game. If you can’t do this, do not group up with other fellow innocent players as this can lead to you being vented due to them accusing you of having suspicious behavior, or getting yourself shanked by an impostor.
Hightailing
Another good idea is hightailing it to the Admin room the moment the game has begun. However, don’t do any of the tasks there. Instead, keep a close eye on the game’s task completed bar while everyone is finishing any Admin task, but most notably the swipe ID task. A Crewmate will usually make sure to get as far away as possible after any of their tasks is finished. However, impostors might distance themselves from the task but it won’t be completed. This way, Crewmates can easily keep an eye out and find out who the impostor among them is.
Finishing the Tasks
However, don’t press the emergency button after this, as there’s a pretty likely chance that your fellow crewmates won’t believe this. To counteract this is also pretty easy. An impostor can counteract this strategy through the use of sabotaging Comms or immediately hightailing it after someone finished a task.
Related to the above, if a Crewmate finishes a task and goes away without the task completion bar increasing, it’s very much a possibility that they’re an impostor. However, as already mentioned, this can’t be confirmed if there’s a Comms sabotage, so do keep in mind to not make false accusations.
If you see a crewmate that doesn’t do a common task, it’s a likely prospect that they may be an impostor. This is because common tasks are, as the name suggests, common and shared with every Crewmate.
For Impostors
Making Use of Vents
Make use of the vents and always stay on the move. If you’re using vents, make sure that you’re not to be spotted by other Crewmates or there’s a likelihood you will get ejected. Make sure that you’re alone or with a fellow impostor only when ejecting. Also, the impostor kill cooldown is frozen not only when you’re in a vent but also if you’re doing tasks like resetting the Seismic Stabilizers on Polus or fixing an Oxygen leak.
This means that you have to manage your kill cooldown effectively, and if the said cooldown is still active, it ensures that you can’t remain in a vent for as long as you wish. However, if the said cooldown is finished, and you’re ready for a kill, you can pop out of any vent in the map (so long as the said vent is connected to where you are) easily and get a quick and easy kill.
Only make a kill when there are no other Crewmates or you’re with another impostor. You always have to have the upper hand when doing this. Also, if you’re with another impostor and there are two other Crewmates with you, it’s a very good idea to have sync kill alongside the other impostor. Also, an exit plan is a good thing to have.
Reporting Kills to Confuse Other Players
Make sure that you report dead bodies when other crewmates are nearby. It’s also a better situation for you if you’re just coming inside a room that already has a dead body in it (be it your kill or your partner’s) alongside another Crewmate. Then, during the deliberation for who to vent to the abyss, you can then say that the said crewmate that you saw was inside, absolving you of the crime.
Killing and Sabotaging
Sabotage as frequently as possible and remember to kill AFK players. The best systems that you can sabotage in the game are the Reactors on Skeld and Mira HQ, the Seismic Stabilizers on Polus, and the O2. These systems can make the Crewmate team lose if they don’t fix them. Comms and lights are also things that you can sabotage as an impostor. The lights are especially handy as it restricts Crewmate vision, allowing you and/or your partner to get easy kills.
Make sure to team up with the other impostors currently in the game. This is your way of protecting your identity for a common goal, making you both less suspicious. Also, you can work together with them to perform good sync kills.
On Voting Teammates Out
Do not vote out teammates unless there’s solid and irrefutable evidence to vent them out. If this happens and if you don’t vote for them anyway, it’s a very likely scenario that you will lose trust from the rest of the crew.
Finding Good Kill Spots
Skeld’s Electrical Room is a good place to make a kill especially if you find the space behind a wall in the room. Also, there’s a vent in there that can transfer you to the Security Room or the Medbay area, giving you a quick escape. Do make sure that you lock the door in Electrical, as well as ensuring there’s no one in the said rooms before you go out of the vent and escape.
Killing Without Being Noticed
If you wish to stalk and kill a lone Crewmate, make sure to shank them as quickly as possible, as well as ensuring that there are no other people nearby. Stalking someone for an extended period can make other players suspicious of you. Be careful or the other players might call an emergency meeting.
Make sure not to do a kill in full view of any Security Cameras. This can easily be used to prove you’re guilty and thus give you the venting treatment. For an impostor, a red flash of light is a good indicator that someone is staring through the cameras.
Be unassuming and lowkey as possible after killing someone else. Ironically, this is also true for Crewmates, as this is grounds for people voting to vent you.
Attempting a Kill in Stealth
Try doing kills while sabotaging the lights and when there’s no one’s near, then go to the map’s Electrical room ASAP instead of slipping away so that you don’t turn into a suspect in the eyes of other Crewmates. Also, try going for a kill in crowds, and don’t run away or even make a slight move while this is happening because they might just accuse you of killing the Crewmate. It’s a good idea to do this if there’s a Common Task that everyone is doing like the Key Turning Task or the Wiring Fix task.
If you’re making a kill in an area where a lot of Crewmates have gone by, make sure to do so as carefully as possible.
Not Faking Tasks
Don’t ever try to fake visual tasks. It’s just not possible. Unless of course there’s a ghost doing it. But its astronomically hard to do this.
Make a move only after the task completion bar’s gone. Make sure that you pretend to be doing tasks as realistically as you possibly can. Also, make sure you don’t fake the garbage disposal task in Skeld as the one there has a visual cue on the Storage Trash vent.
Don’t act suspicious if you manage to lock yourself in. This can be on purpose or by accident, or when the other impostor (if there is one) has locked you in there.
Being Mindful of Groups
If the Crewmates decided to stick together when doing their tasks, an impostor’s only chance to make a kill is when all of them are close enough so that you’re not found out easily. Also, make sure that you sabotage Lights and O2 or Seismic Stabilizers (only in Polus) because you can easily sneak around in the former and that some might go their separate ways to fix the sabotage in the latter.
Don’t fake sabotage repair unless there’s no other Crewmate in the area. This is because it’ll just make the others lose trust or even suspect you for not attempting to fix said sabotage.
Being on the Move
Ensure that you’re always on the move before doing sabotage because there’s a very likely chance that you’re going to be suspected of doing it if you don’t. This is easily done by simply keeping a hand on movement while the other is doing the sabotage. If this isn’t possible, fake a common task before you do sabotage.
If you, as an impostor is faking a task and there’s a Crewmate looking at you while you do so, make sure that you only leave a few seconds after you see the taskbar go up. However, there’s a chance that it may look suspicious if you’re attempting to complete short or long tasks.
Avoiding Going Back to Kill Areas
Always make sure that you’re not seen going to an area where you just made a fresh kill if at all possible. If you’re spotted, go to another area for a bit. It’s because doing otherwise may land you on the suspicious list of other Crewmates.
If the number of Crewmates still alive is nearly equal to how many impostors are left plus one or two others (the second one is only possible if there are two impostors left alive), attempt sabotage like the Seismic Stabilizer/Reactor sabotage to ensure that all the crewmembers spread out. Then make a kill on anyone in your sights when the said kill cooldown is over.
Because it’s just IMPOSTORS+1/+2, once you and your teammate make a kill at the same time, the game will immediately end in an Impostor Victory and no one will be able to make a report about the body, even if they see it.
Pros and Cons of Among Us Game
For the pros, the game is incredibly fun to play and allows players to have a fun time doing tasks and betraying other people. The game’s somewhat like UNO or Monopoly in that way—if both games allow people to shank each other or throwing them overboard a ship or a lava pit.
As for the things we don’t like, the game doesn’t have an in-built voice chat. And if you go out of the game and have a third-party app like Discord for Voice Chat, you will be booted out of the Lobby. Luckily, there’s a good chance that Innersloth is taking this into account when making the sequel. So we might get to have a fully functional voice chat in Among Us 2.
