Two weeks ago I had never heard of the game Among Us. I went to bed one evening and woke up the next day to my Instagram Explore page filled with Among Us memes, which are pretty funny now that I’m also obsessed with the game. Soon, many of the YouTubers I watch were playing the game together, providing the world with crossovers they never knew they needed. Case in point: James Charles playing with Swedish YouTube gamer PewDiePie and other big names in the gaming community. The YouTubers I mainly watch are from the video gaming side of the platform, but I’m sure there are other non-gaming YouTubers that upload clips from the Among Us matches. I originally downloaded the mobile app to play Among Us because it was free and I wanted to test it out. I really loved the game from the first few rounds I played, and the YouTubers made it look really fun, so I bought the game. Fortunately, the game is only a handful of cents over $5, making it a budget-friendly purchase.
Since my purchase, I have played the game several hours more than I probably should, but the Among Us is addictive and a great way to distress — even though I stress a lot during the rounds. I typically play with strangers in public lobbies since I do not have nine other friends to play with, making it hard to play using just the in-game chat function since you have to deliberate with the other players during the meetings. Oftentimes, you don’t get to say your full piece and are usually voted off because that’s just how the lobbies work.
Based on the huge following on the gaming side of YouTube and the connective feature of the game, most people assume public lobbies are full of middle schoolers. I won’t lie and say that isn’t the main demographic, but I’ve found that there are players who are older than 16, once even meeting someone who was in their 30s. This made me feel better since I am 21 and can see how playing in random lobbies can be considered weird. Since there are so many other people that are adults, it makes me feel comfortable to be playing and enhances my gameplay. Now, I don’t go into the lobbies and immediately ask people’s ages. However, usually other players do, and that’s when I find out that the lobby has a vast age range, though it tends to be heavier on the younger side. Regardless, I have fun playing with strangers. If you stick with a group of people for several games, you can make friends with them as I have, following the ones that are near my age on social media so we could play together again.
No matter how old you are, Among Us is a great game to play. Video games, in general, shouldn’t have an age cap. Adults can find solace and joy in things that are for children and should be able to play without fear of judgment. If this sounds like you, then you might love Among Us!