Rachael Shugars, AAP Columnist

AmongUs started off, for me, as these weird jellybean-like characters I saw in memes, on t shirts, being talked about amongst kids of all ages. I didn’t pay much attention at first because I wasn’t sure it was something I’d be into. My son asked me to please consider buying him the game and after looking for it on his primary gaming platform I thought, “$5 bucks isn’t bad at all.” Considering I was expecting something like the $30 price tag I shelled out for Crash Bandicoot recently. Let’s be honest with Crash though, his games are legendary for anyone familiar with the trilogy or the racing game, but I’ll save that crazy bandicoot for another time.

I bought the game, installed it and did another quick run through on my own to make sure it wasn’t going to traumatize me 6-year-old. I discovered that this game is actually kind of addicting. It’s basically the game CLUE but sped up. It’s a crime solving game with a 15-minute lifespan, and I love it. You start the game in a holding area with up to 15 other “crewmates”. While in this holding area, you can customize your little jellybean character with hats, outfits, masks, pets, and more. There is an active chat throughout game plan, and it seems tame and safe in my experience. The game doesn’t allow profanity and aside from trying to solve the crimes I don’t see a lot of casual banter while you’re playing.

Controls are very simply and directional and the map layout and game play itself will echo a familiar style for people my age that resemble a modern Gauntlet Legends or Pokémon type mapping from older Nintendo systems. Once the game begins you are assigned your position on the crew. There are Crewmates or Imposters (aliens) and only you know your position as the game begins. You job as a crewmate if to complete tasks throughout the map. You job and in imposter is to cut down the crew without being caught. There are votes that occur throughout the game that allow crewmates to vote on who they think the Imposter is. The poor soul that gets voted off has the fate of being shot into space, thrown into lava, or chucked off an air ship. Only after they are removed do you find out if you sent the imposter away or not.

Being the Imposter is AWESOME! Yes, crewmates are vital and getting the tasks done are important as well for leveling up and keeping the lights on because if those go off it makes the Imposters job easier. As the Imposter you get special abilities which I will leave for you to discover but the trick is to never get caught or voted off. You have to use deception to trick the crew into thinking it’s someone else all while attempting to assassinate the crew in some creatively gruesome way. There isn’t a ton of gore and the presence of weapons in the game is limited to the moment an Imposter offs a crewmate. Another fun feature that adds to the chaos is added Imposters. You can have up to 3 Imposters at once in a game.

All-in-all this game is a fun little rush of who-done-it madness. I found myself enjoying the game just as much as my 6-year-old. It’s super affordable, games don’t take an hour to complete, it’s available on multiple platforms, and can be played with your friends in private games of up to 15 people. I recommend this game 100% and hope that if you give it a try you enjoy your Game Adventures. For more gaming content add me on Instagram at AAPGameAdventures.