Intense. Thrilling. Exciting. These are some words that Townsend Harris High School students have used to describe the new hit game, Among Us. This Mafia-based mystery has got everyone obsessed as it continues to grow in popularity.

Among Us, which was originally published and released by American game studio InnerSloth in 2018, rose to popularity this year after Twitch streamers began to broadcast their games. Currently, the platform has over 100,000 people globally viewing Among Us related content, and overall, the game has gained even more widespread popularity. The three people responsible for the addicting game are designer and artist Marcus Bromander, programmer Forest Willard, and artist Amy Liu. 

Players can choose from one of three maps: The Skeld, MIRA HQ, and Polus. A crew of up to ten people try to complete basic tasks to keep their ship running. However, at least one of the ten onboard is an imposter, who must kill the crewmates before they complete their tasks. When bodies are reported, the crewmates must discuss to determine who to vote out, while the imposter(s) tries to throw suspicion off themself. The editors of The Classic have also put our imposter skills to the test in our most recent YouTube video.

Among Us has brought its users closer together during social distancing. Senior Ana Hernandez mentions that “the language barrier is no problem, [many can] easily get the hang of the game,” in reference to her family members who speak different languages. With the surge of COVID-19 cases in New York City, students are unable to experience the joys of meeting friends and playing games together in person, but Among Us is one way that still allows for a fun and stimulating experience. Freshman Simran Deonarine stated, “People could chat or even FaceTime or talk to each other while playing,” indicating how easy Among Us makes connecting virtually. 

Many Harrisites have expressed that they believe the game’s appeal comes from how accessible and interactive it is.

Sophomore Arietta Xylas said, “the game is so appealing because it’s simple and anyone can start playing easily and learn as they go…you can definitely create your own strategy for winning so there is something for everyone.”

Junior Zarif Rahman added, “It’s a way to have fun and interact with your friends in a virtual world which is so hard to do these days due to the pandemic…I got way closer [with friends] through this game and talked with my friends way more.”

Among Us has also made its way into another mainstream app, TikTok, where multiple trends continue to popularize it even further. One particular Among Us trend involves one person naming themselves “Ghost” in the game and taking screenshots of themselves in various rooms. This trend was inspired by the ghost photoshoot challenge, where people go out, take photos of themselves with a white blanket over their head, and post them on social media platforms. Playing hide and seek in Among Us is another trend, where the imposter sabotages lights and runs after crewmates, attempting to kill them. The Conga line trend was derived from the dance and song of the same name. Players stand in a line and use their joystick to move from left to right, while someone screen records for their TikTok. 

Arietta expressed that she enjoys the art that has been created based on Among Us. “I love the trend of depicting the sadness of the characters leaving their little crewmates behind and staying with them as ghosts,” she said. “Those comics and artworks are always fantastic.”

While the game has many features and possibilities, users hope to see more developments. Playing with friends is a key component in the game, and many players want it to be as easy as possible. Freshman Hasan Raza said, “The main change I want in the game is an add friend feature so playing with friends is much easier.” 

So, what updates should we look forward to, and what’s already come out? There’s recently been a Halloween-hats update, including a witch’s hat, pumpkin, and other various festive costumes to customize your Among Us character. Along with the hats, the maps are now Halloween-themed as well. As for upcoming updates, the creators have stated that there will be player accounts and an “adding friends” system. We can also look forward to seeing more colorblind friendly tasks, a larger variety of color choices, and a new Henry Stickmin themed map. Until then, enjoy the silly and spooky features this Halloween season (but we can all agree that the scariest thing you can be is an Imposter). 

Image from Kolpaper