Recently a video game called “Among Us” has risen to popularity, especially among Edmond Memorial students. Even though the game was released in mid-2018 it only gained its popularity in the summer of 2020.

The game has four to ten players that try to rebuild a spaceship while an imposter attempts to kill them off one by one. The crew takes turns voting on people they think may be the imposter. 

Many people started playing the game because they found that it was a fun way to communicate with friends. 

“My brother told me to download it and play with him and I found out that a lot of my friends knew about it too,” senior Nathaniel Chen said.

Different platforms started advertising it including YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, which helped it grow a vast fanbase and rise in popularity.

“I think it grew in popularity because mainstream YouTubers started to play it, as well as everyone is on their phone more due to COVID-19 so more people have time to play it,” junior Tyce Morton said.

One of the other things that helped it rise in popularity was the months of quarantine that had many people looking for a way to connect with their loved ones. 

“Gaming platforms such as Steam probably started advertising it as soon as people began to play it,” Chen said. “I think the past few months of people being in quarantine probably allowed it to be found and become popular.”

One of the many upsides about the game is that one is able to play with friends while not being directly with them.

“It’s just another way to get through this crazy pandemic and play with friends,” senior Abby Neumeister said.

Another reason the game is so popular is the way it was designed. It is different from other multiplayer games.

“I think that any game you can play online is fun, however, I think just the style and the way it’s played is a lot different than most other mobile games,” Morton said.

While the game has many upsides that have helped gain its fanbase, there are also a few downsides to the game. However, the creators are working on new updates to smooth out the kinks. 

“There were some connection issues as well as you cannot host a game and exit out of the app,” Morton said.

“Among Us” has been able to bring people together through the pandemic, and will most likely continue to rise in popularity throughout the year. 

Contact Adeline Gruen at [email protected]