What Among Us Is
Among Us is a party game for 4 to 15 players, set aboard a spaceship that needs to be prepared for departure. Most of the group plays as Crewmates, working together to finish tasks around the ship. But one or more random players are secretly Impostors, and their goal is to kill everyone without being caught. Crewmates can also win by voting all the Impostors off the ship through ejections.
The game was originally made as a party game, so it works best when people can talk to each other while playing. Voice chat makes it much easier to call out suspicious behavior and coordinate tasks. It supports play online or over local WiFi, and you can play across PC, console, Android, and iOS together.
There are four maps to choose from: The Skeld, MIRA HQ, Polus, and the Airship. Each one has its own layout of rooms, hallways, vents, and tasks, so learning the maps matters. The game also includes Steam Achievements and Steam Trading Cards.
Playing With Your Group
A group of friends can jump into a game together from the host list, which makes it quick to find a match online. The host controls many of the game's options, including how many Impostors there are, how many tasks are assigned, and which roles are in play. That means you can tune the game to suit your group before you start.
Crewmates win by completing tasks and preparing the ship, or by ejecting every Impostor. Impostors win by killing Crewmates and avoiding detection. Crewmates have tools to watch for trouble: the Admin map and Security cameras let you keep tabs on who is moving where. Dead bodies should be reported right away, which opens a discussion about who the suspected Impostor is. Emergency meetings let the group talk over suspicious behavior, and then everyone votes on who to eject.
Impostors have their own set of tricks. They can sneak through vents to move around the ship quickly, sabotage systems to create chaos and split up the crew, and close doors to trap victims and kill away from witnesses. They can also pretend to run tasks to blend in with the Crewmates and frame bystanders when trouble starts. The tension comes from reading people and reacting fast.
There are two main modes to choose from: Classic and Hide n Seek. The host can also add custom roles and game options to change how a round plays out, so no two sessions need to feel the same.
Before You Start
Make sure your group has a way to talk during the game. The store text specifically recommends voice chat for online play and LAN parties, since discussion and voting are where a lot of the game happens. In-game text chat is available, but it can't replace a real conversation when you're trying to sort out who the Impostor is.
Customization lets you pick your color, hat, visor, skin, and pet before you play. The game supports full controller play and Remote Play on phone and tablet, so there are different ways to get everyone into a match. Family Sharing is also listed among its features.
The game has In-App Purchases, so some cosmetics or content may cost extra beyond the base game. Beyond that, the setup is simple: gather a group, pick a host, choose your map and settings, and start playing.