“Among Us” is an international anomaly, becoming a bestseller in under three months with the help of the social media app, TikTok. Made by an independent game development team, Innersloth, “Among Us” was released on June 15th, 2018, more than two years before its rise in popularity last August. Since then, “Among Us” has topped the charts, gaining over 100 million downloads and an average of 3.8 million (concurrent) players as of last September.

The game itself is simple: there are four to ten players per game, with one to three playing as “Imposters” and the rest playing as “Crewmates”. Crewmates are tasked with completing tasks around the map while Imposters are tasked with the opposite: killing and sabotaging all of the Crewmates. However, the simplicity of the game is at the center of its appeal; it’s fun, it’s consumable, and it’s easy to play. And, most of all, the game is free.

“Among Us” is available for free on mobile and for $4.99 on Steam, with a console edition currently in development by Innersloth. With in-game languages including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, and Russian and servers including North America, Asia, and Europe, “Among Us” is a game accessible to all who want to play it. YouTubers and Twitch streamers have also made the game accessible to all who want to watch it, contributing their fans to the game’s ever-growing fanbase.

“I love the connections you can gain from ‘Among Us’,” senior Althea Bibat said. “Even if you don’t know [the other players], you can make friends with them. I mean, you’re playing a game, so you can act like your true self.”

“The way time ceases to exist while playing the game is amazing,” senior Alyssa Jean-Pierre said when asked about how addicting the game truly is.

However, as popular as it is, “Among Us” has its flaws. Players report issues with server connectivity, with some disconnecting or lagging out of games. Hacking and glitching are also on the rise across “Among Us” servers. But, as with any game, the developers of “Among Us” are now working to fix these problems.

“To me, it’s simply the perfect platform for gaming and creating new connections,” senior Aaron Razack said.

Overall, I would rate “Among Us” a nine out of ten. “Among Us” became a source of entertainment for everyone, including myself, during this time. As Bibat said, it’s a game where everyone— both players and watchers— can just act like themselves.