One of the most successful mobile games ever, Among Us rose to popularity in 2020. In fact, it was one of Steam’sbest-selling games of the year, and, according to a report into its play data, it’s the most popular game ever in terms of monthly players. But why? What was the appeal of playing Among Us?

While rumbling the killer on a spaceship understandably appeals to large sections of the gaming community, not everyone enjoyed the product on offer. The game, which was available for download on both iOS and Android devices, faced stiff competition from other popular mobile titles, such as Pokémon Go and its augmented reality offering, and online slot games that are also in high demand in 2022. Despite the mobile gaming landscape becoming fairly saturated in recent times, a relatively basic product in Among Us managed to thrive. According to Sensor Tower data, for example, the InnerSloth-made game was downloaded 42 million times between August 1 and September 14, 2020, which accounts for around 70 percent of its entire downloads.

What exactly is Among Us?

To understand the success of Among Us, it’s worth grasping exactly how the game works. Essentially a video game version of The Thing, up to nine players are tasked with rumbling the killer on a spaceship. With one imposter killing off members of crew on the ship, the rest of the team works together to find out exactly who they think the guilty party is. After each round, players vote on who their main suspect is. Guess right, and you win. All players have the opportunity to play the role of the imposter, too.

A game for everyone

Although the prospect of solving a murder on a spaceship sounds rather distressing, the asymmetrical multiplayer product provides a great deal of fun and entertainment during a typical gaming session of it. Extremely popular with groups of friends and among family members, the game requires a unit of players to enjoy it to its maximum potential. In turn, that has resulted in more and more people jumping on board with the overall product. When the game was released, word of mouth helped generate a great deal of success for it on the whole, largely because so many different groups of people were playing it away from the stereotypical gamers people think of. From young groups of friends to parents playing with close family members, the game’s overall package appeals to most audiences. That, alongside the obvious fun and entertainment it provides, has certainly contributed to its success.

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Communication features are impressive

As players work together to uncover the guilty party, members of the crew can call an emergency meeting to discuss the various theories they have on who they think the murderer is. With the option of sending texts, alongside the ability to vote, players are immediately engulfed in an unusual but highly gripping mystery that is unfolding right in front of their eyes. The fact that they can discuss their thoughts and theories in an in-play chat adds another highly effective feature to what is already an excellent title. Not many mobile games enable players to communicate before making a decisive, game-defining decision.

A free-to-play title

Perhaps the main reason behind the undoubted success of Among Us is due to the game being entirely free to play. Like most successful mobile games, the fact that it doesn’t cost a thing to sample opens the game up to a larger audience as a result. Twitch streamers also helped get the game out there, with many well-known streamers showcasing the game on the streaming platform.