Social deduction games like Among Us have clear rules so the majority and minority groups both have a fair chance to reach their victory condition, but as with any multiplayer game, there are “unspoken” rules that make sure the playing field stays even as the game progresses. Originally released on mobile platforms and PC in 2018, Among Us quickly spiked in popularity starting in 2020, which was followed by a Nintendo Switch release in December of that year. Now, the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Xbox Game Pass have joined in on the space sleuthing and new players may be flocking to the game.
The recent release on PlayStation and Xbox consoles comes just in time for an Among Us major content update. This November update most notably added new roles for both Impostors and Crewmates, adding more ways for players to strategize in their games. But with this added depth comes more need than ever to play in a way that keeps the game fair even as it progresses into its later stages.
Some of Among Us’ unspoken rules are universal and revolve around good sportsmanship. No matter the role, it’s important for players to be respectful to each other. Another important thing specifically for lobby hosts to be considerate of is to not change the game settings at the last second. While lobby settings can be used for fan-created “modes” in Among Us, such as “hide and seek,” it’s important to give players the chance to know what kind of game they’ll be playing before it starts. In general, Among Us’ unspoken rules can be summed up with the “golden rule:” “Treat others the way you’d want to be treated.” Players shouldn’t do anything or behave in a way that would irritate themselves if they were the one on the receiving end of the action. With that in mind, there are some unspoken rules that are specific to Impostors and Crewmates due to their innate gameplay differences.
Unspoken Rules For Playing Impostor In Among Us
As an Impostor, players have very clear win conditions: to kill enough crewmates or critically sabotage the map. Impostors in Among Us shouldn’t intentionally give themselves away by entering a vent or killing a crewmate when they know another is close enough to see, although players can generally avoid doing these things if they’re taking the game seriously. Something that may happen is a caught Impostor naming off their remaining Impostors allies. This is not only unsportsmanlike behavior, but it removes the fun of the game for everyone. The remaining Impostors will want a chance to still win, while part of the fun of playing as a crewmate is figuring out who the Impostors are. Revealing the remaining Impostors is a mood killer for all players no matter the circumstances.
What Impostors should do, which isn’t always clear, is to continue to sabotage the map even as a ghost. Among Us’ ghost mechanic gives players something to do even after they’ve died in-game, and ghost Impostors still have a way to turn the game around by sabotaging the map. It might be tempting to leave a game room after dying, but Impostors are encouraged to stick around and try to assist their remaining allies. The fact that ghosts can help make a comeback is an additional reason why Impostors shouldn’t reveal their allies if they get caught.
Unspoken Rules For Playing Crewmate In Among Us
As a crewmate, Among Us players have less information than Impostors, but more generalized win conditions. Ejecting all the Impostors or completing all tasks earns crewmates a victory, but this isn’t always simple to pull off. One way players can assist gameplay is to not leave after dying or being wrongfully ejected - but to continue doing tasks. The newly added Guardian Angel Among Us role adds even more reason to remain in the game after death because the first crewmate to die becomes a Guardian Angel who can protect another crewmate from an Impostor kill.
Living crewmates should not only do their tasks but always try to fix sabotages, too. This may seem obvious because certain sabotages are critical, meaning Impostors will win the game if they aren’t fixed, such as oxygen depletion and reactor meltdowns, but it can sometimes be easy to forget about fixing sabotages, especially minor ones, when the act of fixing a sabotage itself isn’t a win condition, but rather a way to prevent Impostors from winning. Ghost Crewmates can perform tasks, but they can’t fix sabotages, so it’s important for living Among Us crewmates to remember to keep an eye out as sabotages occur.
The last unspoken rule of Among Us is to keep the chat and game discussion within the game itself. For crewmates who are playing in the same room, or are connected through a Discord server, it can be tempting to let the other person know information that normally couldn’t be shared. For example, a player who gets killed knows the color of the Impostor who got them. Much of the game’s fun is removed if the player can just tell another crewmate who the Impostor is because they’re speaking to each other outside of Among Us’ built-in chat.
For any players in a group, as long as there are other players in the lobby, it’s best to provide all discussion in the game itself. That way, the other players don’t feel excluded or confused as to why the chat is empty but the players seem to be voting as if the discussion had occurred. Players who aren’t a part of the group can still prove helpful during a game, especially when sticking to Among Us’ standard rules. If a group of players forms lobbies only with themselves, then, just like any other confined game, “homebrew” rules can be brought into effect. Revealing the identities of the remaining Among Us Impostors or not engaging with the game as a ghost may be acceptable depending on the group, but these sorts of “rules” would have to be determined beforehand and don’t have a place in lobbies with random players who are expecting standard Among Us gameplay.