2D indie social deduction game Among Us has made its place as a juggernaut in the multiplayer world over the past few months, and one leading mind within the most high-tech sector of the gaming industry has given developer InnerSloth the ultimate blueprint for what the game should look like if it's ever updated to become 3D. Apart from its millions of daily players, boosted studio support, and promises of fresh content, the social sleuthing game also boasts a dedicated and highly creative fanbase paying internet homage to the surprise hit title.
Among Us snuck onto the scene in 2018, but didn't start making waves until earlier this year. With the pandemic forcing the world at large indoors, people were desperate to find a way to connect and have fun with their friends beyond cursory FaceTime chats. Among Us gained popularity when it was streamed by a few prominent gamers on Twitch, curious players picked up the title for themselves, and the rest, as they say, is history. Now the game's fanbase has peaked at 3.8 million active players and attracted popular figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, which only spurred its popularity further and cemented its pop culture status.
Fans of the game have made some pretty creative homages over the past few months, ranging from fan art to music to memes, including more unconventional mediums like Animal Crossing recreations and even tributes sculpted out of delicious cake. But a few other gaming studio artists are showing off their own fan creations as well. Blur Studio's lead character artist Alessandro Baldasseroni paid tribute by recreating the game and Crewmates performing tasks in shiny 3D, which he posted to Instagram and ArtStation:
It's definitely a much cuter take on the game than the majorly impressive horror film adaptation that came out last week, and while it isn't nearly as detailed, it's a much more realistic evolution of Among Us's graphics in relation to the game's overall style. The game's signature cartoonish style made it lighthearted and fun despite being a game that involves players actually killing each other in pretty gruesome ways, so while Among Us could arguably toe the line between social sleuthing game and outright horror, its style makes it far more approachable to a wider audience.
Baldasseroni maintains that balance in his recreation, where even an image of a Crewmate discovering the remains of a victim manages to stay more humor and less horror, and demonstrates that a full 3D makeover wouldn't impact the feel of the game. InnerSloth is a small, 4-person development team, so reimagining the game in entirely 3D is probably currently out of the question. But with its level of popularity now, who knows? Baldasseroni may be a professional, but the pandemic has shown that there's no shortage of equally creative fans out there willing to put the work in who'd be happy to join the ranks.