The COVID-19 pandemic has left economies around the world reeling from the impacts of mandatory stay-at-home orders. However, one industry has been able to take an army of bored teenagers lounging on their couches and transform them into a 23 percent rise in sales. You guessed it: video games. However, none have capitalized on the gaming spike better than Among Us, a social deduction game developed by Innersloth.

In Among Us, players take control of a crew of astronauts that must complete tasks to win the game. However, a small number of players are selected as imposters. Their job is to keep the other players from finishing their tasks by sabotaging or killing them. They must also try to appear innocent and place suspicion upon other players because players can be voted off the ship during emergency meetings. “[Among Us] is like the card game Mafia, and I feel that people who played that before would enjoy doing it with their friends socially-distant,” says Cameron Stevens ‘23. With short, addictive games that change every time, Among Us has become a quarantine favorite of people across the globe.

When Among Us was originally released in 2018, it didn’t garner much attention from the gaming community. Innersloth, the developer, is a four-person operation and obviously did not have the manpower or financial resources to push the game farther into the limelight. “I doubt I would have found it without the pandemic,” admits Stevens.

However, the two-year stint of relative obscurity did not stop Among Us from becoming one of the top games of 2020. With people stuck inside and starving for any kind of social interaction, Among Us was perfectly poised to provide an experience that connected players and encouraged lively conversation and debate. “People want to stay in touch with friends and hang out, but we can’t do that now due to quarantine,” says Jacob Walker ‘22, “this game allows us to stay in touch while we’re all at home.”  

By September, 42 million players had bought Among Us on STEAM, and over 150 million more had downloaded it on the App Store and Google Play. 

One of the largest reasons for its popularity is a video game streaming platform, Twitch, where Among Us has obtained a huge following. In addition to the top Twitch streamers, Among Us has been played live by many other famous personalities, such as politicians Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar, who played the game as part of a campaign to encourage voting. All of these factors have contributed to its success.

In a time of isolation and loneliness, Among Us provides a vital connection to friends and family that not many other video games have. “It’s more interactive than other games, and is great to play and keep up with friends,” said Walker. So, if you find yourself feeling lonely and far away from your loved ones, download Among Us for free and get a group together on Discord or FaceTime. While it’s not quite the same as hanging out in the quad at school, it’s sure to bring some joy to your quarantined holiday season!