Among Us is a true phenomenon. The video game implementation of the well-known mafia or werewolf or killer game has been out there forever – since 2018 to be precise – and nobody was interested. Until this late summer, a few streamers suddenly stumbled over it and started an avalanche of popularity that only seemed to grow. On Steam, the game is consistently among the top four most played titles and that might not even be the most popular platform for Among Us. The title is free on Android and iOS devices.
But how do you actually play Among Us? The manual provides the game, like all its texts, unfortunately only in German. And there are some people who don’t know the parlor game template yet. So here are our tips and tricks for a smooth start in Among Us, for tuning, help with controlling, how to reach your goals and much more.
What is Among Us?
Among Us is a multiplayer game for currently ten players, which deals with “teamwork and betrayal”, according to the developers. How do the two go together? Well, there’s always a spotless majority of crew members – “Crewmates” – playing against one to three secret impostors – “Impostor” – who only pretend to be part of the crew. In reality, their goal is their death. Accordingly, the two sides of this exciting cat-and-mouse game play fundamentally different games, even if communication is the primary objective. And literally, because a good part of the game consists of a text chat in which you determine the guilt or innocence of other players.
Download Among Us
First of all, you need the game: On iOS and Android it’s very easy, in the App Store or Google Play Store you can get the title for free. All you have to do is sit out a commercial after a game. That’s ok. On Steam, the title still costs a small 3.99 euros, but there are no ads for it. On consoles Among Us is unfortunately not available.
This is how you control Among Us
But the basic controls are the same for everyone: On the PC you use either WASD for movement or the arrow keys and the mouse for interaction. By clicking on the interactive element you use it directly or you click on the Use button in the bottom right corner when you are close enough. The Space button also activates the interactive element you are standing next to. If you want to make it even easier, just use the mouse. This is similar to a touch control. Click and hold the mouse where you want to go. For interacting you still have all the same possibilities: Click on the device, click on “Use” and even the space key still works (and remains our favorite method).
On iOS and Android devices you can choose between an emulated joypad – on the left side a control panel is displayed, on the right side the same keys as on the PC, which you only have to click directly. On mobile devices you also have the option to go there by just tapping on the desired location. Unfortunately Bluetooth controllers on iOS and Android are not supported by Among Us.
Most of the time, the importers have the “Sabotage” button where the crewmates get “Use” displayed. With this button they can paralyze various ship systems and lock doors, as long as the function is not currently subject to a cool-down. If you are standing close to a floor grid, Sabotage is replaced by “Vent”, which makes the assassin disappear into the floor to reappear somewhere else. And of course there is also the “Kill” button, which can be used to kill a nearby Crewmate.
The goal of the Crewmates in Among Us
The crewmates can win in two ways: Either by completing all their tasks, thus filling the task bar in the upper left corner. The other way to win: Crewmates find out who the Impostor(s) are and eliminate them in a vote by a simple majority. Each player can call a certain number of these emergency sessions by pressing a red button in the star area. However, anyone can also call up a session at any time by reporting a found corpse (button “Report” near the victim.
During the voting process, text chat is used to discuss (unless you are playing Among Us locally, then of course you are allowed to talk), to present suspicions, circumstantial evidence and evidence. Only one player can be eliminated in each vote. Innocent people who have made themselves suspicious should therefore find good reasons for their teammates not to throw them out the airlock.
By the way, dead crewmates can continue working on their tasks and thus help the crew to win! So before you leave a game just because you got a knife in your back from the green crewmate you would have trusted with your life, you better work off your tasks – maybe you’ll help to finish the Impostors.
Among Us: The goal of the Impostors
Also the Impostor has two possibilities to win the game: One is by killing the crew members. However, an Impostor does not have to kill all crew members. Since they are defenseless, an Impostor automatically wins his round Among Us if there are only as many innocent crew members left alive as there are Impostors. After all, if an election to eliminate an impostor were to be held, there would no longer be a majority for him.
The other way to victory is through successful sabotage: Every map in Among Us has one or two sabotage targets that will mean game over for the crew if they don’t defuse the situation in time: These are the reactor and the oxygen supply. On the Skeld and Mira HQ maps there is both, on Polus there is only one reactor. In case of sabotage, an alarm sounds and at least two crewmates (or the saboteur, if he wants to make himself unsuspicious to the crew) have to complete a short task (the red arrow shows the way). If they do not manage to do this before the time limit expires, the importer wins.
But the real goal of the Impostor is even more despicable: looking like a crew member, playing innocent and sowing discontent and mistrust among the innocent. The best Impostor doesn’t get his own fingers dirty, he makes sure that others do it for him (in the votes for example). The best thing to do is to read our tips and tricks for becoming an Impostor in Among Us to learn more.
Among Us Multiplayer
Of course, you don’t play this game alone: throw yourself into a game for four to ten players at any time that someone else has opened up, or connect directly with people near you in a local session. If you want to play online with friends, you host a lobby and then send the lobby code that is displayed. You can read more about multiplayer and crossplay from Among Us by clicking on the link.
Among Us Options
With regard to its rules, Among Us is incredibly flexible: If you host a game, you determine how many emergency meetings there are, how many importers, how long the voting and meeting takes. You even set the speed of movement and whether there are visible tasks. It’s also cool that the visibility of crewmates and importers can be set separately. Play around with it a bit and make your game the way you like it.
Whether friend or foe: The map is your most important tool
By pressing or clicking on the map button in the upper left corner (or tab if you play with mouse and keyboard) an overview map of the facility you are in opens. On this map the crewmates will be shown their “tasks” and you can move on while the map is open, which is very helpful to plan your actions without standing still. A few tips and strategies for the 3 maps Skeld, Mira HQ and Polus have also been summarized for you. Be sure to familiarize yourself with the structure and use the map to let your fellow players know where things have happened in case of emergency.
“Visible Tasks” are your friend in Among Us
“Visual Tasks are extremely important elements of Among Us. These are certain tasks, where a small animation is played or something changes on the ship. These are the second half of the tasks “Empty Garbage” and “Empty Chute”, as well as the tasks “Clear Asteroids”, “Prime Shields” and “Submit Scan”. Since the Impostors cannot perform any tasks but can only pretend to do them, visual tasks are of course an important means of checking the identity of a suspicious crew member.
Crewmates should always complete their visual tasks when someone else is standing near them and could see the animation. They can then confirm that you are “clean” in the next discussion round. As an Impostor you have to avoid these Visual Tasks like the plague. But there’s nothing to be said against using them to give other crewmates an alibi and thus make yourself popular with them.
Vote correctly in Among Us or: one abstention is also a vote!
Whenever a player reports a dead body or someone in the cafeteria or office (on the Polus card) hammers on the “Emergency” button, a discussion starts. This opens a text window (if you are not all sitting in the same room) where you can write your reasons for your vote or ask questions. If you have concrete evidence (an importer caught in a murder, faking a task or disappearing in a ventilation shaft) don’t hold back and do everything to get other players to vote with you.
On the other hand: Even if some players put pressure on you: If the evidence for the guilt of a crew member does not seem to be conclusive to you, it is a good idea to skip the vote (“Skip Vote”), you will find the function in the lower left corner. This doesn’t mean that someone won’t get a majority and be blown out into space innocently, but at least you can say that you weren’t one of those who had “one of the good guys” on your conscience. You cannot take back a vote once it has been cast, so you should never vote lightly. Also note that you can chat during the entire voting process. So don’t be afraid to ask for proof and reasons – and try to remember who voted for whom, even if it is difficult. Impostors often tip the scales when it comes to choosing a crewmate to shoot through the airlock into space. So watch out!
