Some video games quickly rise in popularity, storming the world and showing everyone how something can come out of the blue and immediately become great. Some games are pushed heavily by marketing, a large budget and a huge publisher, but others simply arrive and are already fun.
Among Us was released in 2018 but it wasn’t really popular until 2020. How did it become so popular and why is it such a lovely game that many of us enjoy?
Among Us – What is This Game?
Among Us is a social deduction game, where multiple people play together, with hopes of deducing who the impostors are. The game is set in space, aboard a space station, where crewmates have to perform their daily tasks. Little do they know that they have been infiltrated by impostors who want to covertly sabotage the station and kill crewmates.
Once somebody notices a dead body or catches someone in the act, they can call for an Emergency Meeting (a famous internet meme by today) and vote to kick someone off the station (into space). Crewmates can also be kicked out, meaning that the impostors are either great liars or very stealthy.
The Rise in Popularity – July of 2020
No video game became popular overnight but Among Us gained its popularity almost two years after release. In July of 2020, Sodapoppin, a Twitch streamer, played Among Us. His following is absolutely huge and other streamers quickly picked up on the game. When streamers like Shroud, Pokimane and xQc pick up a game, everybody will jump on that bandwagon.
By October 2020, the game had over 4 billion views on YouTube and even more on TikTok, around 13 billion. It became a go-to game for many streamers when they tire from their traditional games (Apex, League, Warzone).
Why Did it Blow Up?
Some games blow up because they are fun. Among Us is definitely fun, but it cannot be simply entertainment that brought people to the game. True enough, with a global pandemic and everybody being locked in their homes for most of the year, Among Us served as a great opportunity to socialize.
Socialization during a pandemic means social distancing and online chats and video calls. Why not play a fun game which might help you get to know some of your friends (like who might be a decent liar or cover operative).
The Future of Among Us?
Among Us had a planned sequel called Among Us 2, but it was canceled in 2020 and the developers, Innersloth, decided to focus on improving the already released game. Built in Unity, the game is simple enough to maintain, but critical gameplay improvements have been added. Innersloth wants to make the game better in terms of playability and with regards to possible cheaters and hackers.
Among Us is a very lovely game for those who need socialization and want to take a break from the regular action. Gather your friends and find the imposters, or kill the entire crew, depending on what you get.
