For quite a while earlier this year, Fall Guys was the reigning champion of Twitch streams. Streamers and viewers flocked to the streaming service to experience its brightly colored battle royale-style mini-games. But all good things must come to an end, as Among Us has now replaced Fall Guys as the most-streamed party game on Twitch.
The success of Among Us on Twitch is especially impressive, considering the game is already two years old. Among Us, which is a sci-fi spin on social manipulation and deduction games like Town of Salem, has dominated streams on Twitch recently. Its explosive popularity was shocking, even to its developers, since the game released in 2018. So, how did a game like Among Us manage to dethrone the immensely popular (and much newer) Fall Guys?
There are a few factors to consider here. Most recently, the hype surrounding Among Us has reached a fever pitch, with the game hitting 3 million concurrent players by the end of September. That's a whole lot of people playing the same game, and Among Us has only become more popular as more Twitch streamers begin playing it and showing it off to their audiences. Even though the game released in 2018, it stayed relatively unknown until this summer, when various YouTubers and streamers started playing Among Us for their fans. Through word-of-mouth and online views alone, the game went viral.
How Among Us Got So Popular
Among Us first began to grow in popularity during the summer of 2020, almost exactly two years after its initial release. This was prior to Fall Guys officially releasing in early August, although the game had a record-setting beta before then. Because of this, Among Us has had a slow-burn in popularity over the past few months, which has finally exploded. It's a classic tortoise-and-the-hare situation, but it remains unclear if Among Us can stay in the lead for long.
Then there's the question as to why people started playing Among Us in the first place. The most likely answer is that it's a fun game with social interactions at a time when real-life social distancing is encouraged. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, social games like Animal Crossing are more popular than ever. Social games are a way to safely stay home while still having fun online with friends and interacting with other human beings. Among Us enticed players with its social deduction concepts, and because it ended up being so much fun, the game rose in popularity on Twitch and other streaming services.
Accessibility is another factor to consider. Fall Guys is currently available on PS4 and PC, while Among Us is on PC and mobile. By being on mobile, Among Us has opened itself up to a much larger audience. It means people can play Among Us while waiting in a doctor's office, riding on the subway, or standing in line at their favorite coffee shop. It's also free on mobile devices and only $4.99 on PC, which is a very low barrier to entry for nearly everyone.
It remains unclear how long Among Us will stay the reigning champion on Twitch. However, for now, it's dethroned Fall Guys as the most-streamed party game, and its popularity doesn't seem to be diminishing anytime soon.