Among us: Tasks, Space, and Murder

A guide to cordial deception

**Feel like an evil mastermind while duping your friends.**
**Illustration: Aarti Durejas • The Sentry**

In general, lying is one of those things that is looked down upon by general society. Lying, so people say, is “bad.” It’s “immoral.” If someone does it in court or under penalty of law and the government finds out, it’s a “crime.” There is one place lying is perfectly allowed, even encouraged. It’s a glorious place, full of sci-fi, space, and sometimes hopping into vents unintentionally. This mythical place has a name: Among Us.

Among Us is a multiplayer video game that skyrocketed to popularity over the course of the pandemic. Most players play as normal little astronauts, going around a spaceship (or another sci-fi place) doing daily tasks. These tasks include watering plants, fixing wiring, emptying garbage, just general boring stuff.

If that was all the game had, no one would care, but luckily, it’s not. Every round of the game, secret to everyone else, someone is chosen to be an imposter. Their goal is to pretend to do boring tasks, while systematically murdering each and every one of their fellow crewmates.

It’s no wonder this game is popular in times of COVID. The games are fun, quick, and can be played remotely, with the players talking in voice chats like Discord or Zoom. After each body is discovered, everyone reconvenes to find out who is right, who is dead… and who seems suspicious.

As imposter, lying and strategy are crucial to success, something that becomes very obvious the first time one is put in the imposter’s shoes. How can a player successfully lie their way to a murderous victory? The options are broad, but there are a couple shoe-in ways to get farther.

The first strategy that can foster success is to choose another player and hang out with them, and yes, that means not killing them. Maybe this seems contradictory on it’s face; after all, killing is the point, but that’s where the craft comes in. Sticking with someone else while finding moments to run away and kill others gives the player more legitimacy than they’d otherwise have. Now, the imposter has someone vouching for them, and the longer they stay with this unwitting enabler, the more legitimacy they have. When pulled off well, this will lead to an airtight alibi, just don’t try it too much, or people can catch on.

Another strategy is the vent hopper. The imposter has the ability to travel through the vents of the location, much like a cheesy action movie from the 90s. The vent hopper’s idea is simple: hang out in the vents until your target comes, pop out, kill, and then go to another vent and run out of there. When the body gets found, by that time, the imposter will be at the other end of the map, and no one will be the wiser. Pitfalls here include hopping out of a vent accidentally when someone is in view, thus blowing cover.

There are other maps and game-types, so this isn’t an exhaustive description, but it’s a start. Among Us mastery includes practice, focus, and, yes, the ability to lie one’s pants off. Good luck, and happy deception.

This is a selection from the March 3 issue. To view the full issue, visit: https://online.flippingbook.com/view/605428379/