Among Us

Introduction

Among Us is a multiplayer video game for four to ten players, with each player assigned to one of two private roles: “Crewmate” or “Impostor”. The game can be played online or on a local Wi-Fi network with friends. Each round, up to three players are picked at random to be the Impostor(s). A round can be played on one of four maps: The Skeld starship, the MIRA HQ headquarters building, the Polus planet base, or The Airship.

Generally, games go like this:

Before the game begins, all players will spawn in the lobby, speak, roam around, and personalize their character’s appearance. When there are enough players and the host pushes the start button, the game will begin with a 5-second countdown. You’ll be told whether you’re an Impostor or a Crewmate right away. To avoid getting voted out, don’t tell anyone what your role is. On The Skeld, MIRA HQ and Polus, everyone will spawn at the Cafeteria, Dropship, or Launchpad, respectively. If you’re playing on The Airship, you’ll have to choose between three rooms within 10 seconds to spawn in.

The Crewmates will roam around the map fulfilling their assigned jobs, while The Impostor will try to blend in, make up duties, and steal kills. To shield themselves from the Impostor, some Crewmates may form groups of two, three, or more. Bodies will be reported as the game proceeds, and emergency meetings will be summoned. The players will discuss who they believe is The Impostor during emergency meetings and attempt to vote them out. When a player is voted out, they are effectively killed, and their true identity as Crewmate or Impostor is revealed (if the Confirm Ejects option is toggled to on, which is the case most times). This cycle of completing tasks, holding emergency meetings at the appropriate moments, and avoiding The Impostor will continue until either The Impostor has killed enough Crew members or the Crew has discovered and voted out The Impostor(s).

While this is the general structure of Among Us games, it is possible for the rule to be altered slightly with the use of mods -and there are some pretty cool ones out there.

Beginner’s Guide

Things to note as a Crewmate

Crewmates are responsible with doing chores distributed across the space station or ship, which is the most common duty you’ll be assigned. These tasks can be accomplished in any sequence and are listed in the top left corner of your screen. If you’re on a PC, I strongly advise switching to mouse and keyboard controls rather than simply the mouse before you start playing. Trust me, if you solely use the mouse, you’ll be much easier to kill – especially if you’re new. Tasks are little mini-games that all Crewmates are assigned that range from scanning your ID card to trash removal to asteroids exploding. However, I recommend deferring certain chores, such as medical scanning at the MedBay, because other players will be able to watch you complete them visually. Because Impostors are unable to execute these tasks, demonstrating that you have completed one is conclusive proof that you are a crew member.

When playing as a Crewmate, you should also keep in mind that the Impostors have a 10-60 second cooldown before they can kill another player at the start of the round, so you’re safe during that period. It all relies on the server settings that the players select. That safety expires with the cooldown period, so it’s wise to be around other players to feel a little safer and possibly have an alibi for what you’ve been doing. If you do need to accomplish a task in an area where no one else is present, be aware of your surroundings. Impostors have the ability to jump out of any vent, providing them easy access to practically every room in any map. In contrast, if you’re in a group, strive to maintain some separation from your teammates. If everyone is piled on top of each other, the Impostor may be able to kill someone and make it impossible to figure out who it was. The killer would have to physically move near to you if you spaced out when moving with others. Keeping an eye out for suspicious behaviours by other players is also quite important. If you see something out of place (like an Impostor venting, for example), you can call for an Emergency Meeting by hitting the button at the spawn point. It’s important to also complete your tasks as soon as possible as complete task completion by the Crewmates is the most logical way to win. Keep in mind that you could be one of the persons slain by an Impostor in a game, in which case you’ll be able to walk the map as a ghost until the game finishes or you leave.

If you stumble upon the body of another player, it’s preferable to press the report button and summon the other players for a meeting as soon as you see it. If you don’t report the body and someone spots you leaving the room where it was, or even worse, sees you in the room with the body, you’re the top suspect and have a slim chance of avoiding ejection. Remember that the Impostor can also report the body and claim that he was not the one who killed the other player. Every time the meeting finishes, the cooldown is refreshed.

Things to note as an Impostor

As an Impostor, you might act as though you are performing tasks. Simply approach the object/device and stand beside it for a time. Fake Task appear in the top left corner, and when you view the map, you’ll notice exclamation marks indicating the locations of the tasks you can fake. This is particularly helpful to avoid aimlessly moving around and gaining suspicion.

You should be aware that certain jobs can show whether you are genuinely executing them or only pretending to. The Empty Garbage task in The Skeld’s Storage is a wonderful example of tasks you can’t fake. If the Crewmate is performing their job, the airlock should open and the waste should come out after around 5 seconds. The airlock will not open if it is an Impostor claiming to fulfil his job. There are more tasks like these unique to each map, so it’s best to know what tasks can’t be faked on each map before starting a game on that map.

You can sabotage some rooms as an Impostor. To do so, you must first open the map, which requires you to pause for a few moments. If someone spots you standing and a red alarm sounds, indicating a sabotage, they may believe you’re the Impostor and vote you off at the next meeting.

When you see a red alert with a red message in the top left corner, it implies there is a fault that needs to be fixed right away. There will also be a countdown so you must move as quickly as possible to the direction indicated by the arrows in order to avoid losing the game. It’s worth mentioning that both Crewmates and Impostors are capable of carrying out fixing sabotages.

Meetings

When either a dead Crewmate is reported or an Emergency Meeting is called, players discuss who they think the Impostor(s) is(/are), so how you handle the discussion period is the most crucial component of being a Crewmate. This is a time slot set aside for everyone to speak. What happens next depends largely on what happened before the meeting and who you’re playing with. However, if you’re having trouble making an effect in meetings, there are a few easy methods to help you stay alive.

Don’t ramble. Rambling is very suspicious. Also, don’t trust anyone you haven’t hard-cleared as a Crewmate. Remember that Impostors will say anything to save themselves. When asked what you were doing, be specific. Your credibility will be questioned if you make vague claims. If you know someone is an Impostor, be confident and upfront when revealing their identity to the group. You might not get a chance to expose that person when the game restarts.

It’s fine to abstain from voting if you’re not sure who to believe.

Don’t try to maintain grudges across numerous games because you won’t win every debate. Remember that you’re reliant on other players, thus you could still perish as a result of their actions.

Advanced Guide

As an Impostor

Every player is given a set of objectives to do on each map. If you’re an Impostor, take use of this to figure out which duties you can safely fake without drawing suspicion. For example, the Fix Wiring and Swipe Card missions on The Skeld, the Fix Wiring and Enter ID Code missions on Mira HQ, and the Insert Keys and the Scan Boarding Pass can be faked without arousing suspicion. You can even use the tasks Crewmates find challenging, like Swipe Card as an avenue to execute sabotages without suspicion.

Being caught by a Crewmate after a kill is the quickest way to appear suspicious. They’ll very certainly report the body, convene a conference of all crew members, and accuse the Impostor of being an Impostor. Counter-accusing their accuser to cast doubt on their story is the most likely reaction that player will have. This isn’t a good strategy, even if it results in the accuser being kicked out of the airlock. This is because it paints a clear target on the back of the Impostor, as it will be obvious to the other crew members that one player was lying. Even if Confirm Ejects is disabled, the Crewmates will very certainly eject both accusers just to be safe. The Impostor’s best technique is to make up a story about why they were captured near the body. Good alibis could be that they were on their way to examine the crime site or that they were on their way to do a certain task. For this to work, Impostors will need to think quickly and lie successfully under duress. The Impostor must also be careful not to lay it on too thick, as the more forcefully someone defends themselves, the more guilty they appear.

If a player is rambling excessively, the Impostor can use this to shift blame to that Crewmate. Talking too much and rambling appears suspicious. New players have a tendency to talk a lot in order to prove their innocence, which the Impostor might take advantage of by accusing and casting doubt on that person.

Another option for Impostors to avoid being accused of crime is to have someone testify in their favor. Making a kill in a secluded spot, venting away, and locating regions with a large number of Crewmates who can witness the Impostor player performing phony activities and attest for their innocence once the body is located is one method this could happen.

If Impostors wish to make killing simpler while remaining undiscovered, they can utilize sabotages. While cutting the lights is a common option because it inhibits Crewmates’ eyesight and allows the Impostor to evade detection, it is a fairly clear maneuver that won’t necessarily affect Crewmates’ courses or drive them into alternative spots for easy kills. Impostors need not only pay attention to the lights, but they should also consider additional sabotage techniques that drive Crewmates to abandon their work and go solve the problem. This allows the Impostor to gain access to sequestered Crewmates when others are away from their posts, making it simpler to avoid detection.

Getting to know your Crewmates’ viewing distances is also advantageous. Since ordinarily Crewmates can only see a specific distance away and Impostors see farther away, understanding the Crewmate viewing range will afford you the luxury of killing players virtually in broad daylight. This can, like Impostor vision, be tweaked in the options, so don’t always rely on it.

If you’re an Impostor, appearing to be AFK can help you obtain a quick kill. Simply stay put when the game begins and wait for everyone to go. Wait for someone to come by and then stand totally still. Pretend to return during the conversation and make up a reason for your absence. You’ll be freed of suspicion if you tricked everyone. This approach doesn’t work with skilled players, and it doesn’t work more than once, but it’s a good one to employ.

You might also want to keep a list of camera locations in your head. Just when you think you’ve pulled off the perfect kill, a Crewmate from the opposite side of the map could summon an Emergency Meeting and claim to have seen you on cameras, so you must learn where the cameras are on each map so you can avoid appearing to be in secluded areas as an Impostor. This can also be used to back up your alleged alibi. You must also know the locations of vents. Vents can be used as a means of escape as well as a means of speedy movement, and every Impostor worth their salt knows where each vent is connected. If you know another player could have vented into a room after killing someone else, you can utilize this information as a Crewmate to strike down their alleged alibi.

It’s a good idea to know how long a task generally takes to complete if you’re going to fake it. Bystanders will be suspicious if you try to fake the Clear Asteroids assignment but merely look nearby for three seconds. You can also use this to your advantage when looking for Impostors.

As a Crewmate

Impostors will always try to kill Crewmates out of sight, so unless you have a pressing need to get somewhere quickly, make it a practice to check each area for bodies as you walk by. You’d never know unless you stuck your head inside Security if someone had been slain while checking CCTV.

Watching the cameras and checking the logs is also a good idea as a Crewmate. This is a particularly good strategy to catching Impostors who are too busy trying to snag a kill to notice. The logs on Mira HQ are quite tricky to decipher, it’s an almost certain way to catch an Impostor who chooses to vent from one section of the map to another.

Crewmates may also stack on one another in an attempt to catch an Impostor red-handed. When two players confirm that they are Crewmates (usually by completing visual Tasks in front of the other player, they may stay stacked and unmoving to trick Impostors into thinking that they are a single player who is AFK. It’s a fun and effective way to get an Imposter voted off when it works.

Maintain consistency in your communication. If you’re going to talk a lot, make sure you do so throughout the game. You’d better do it every game if you’re going to stay silent and let everyone else debate. To avoid appearing suspicious, keep your communication consistent. Most players immediately suspect a quiet player of being an Impostor if they speak up more frequently than normal.

Don’t give someone a pass just because you’ve been following them. Staying close to someone to indicate you’re innocent is a popular strategy, but smart Impostors will take advantage of this. If you followed someone around and they didn’t kill you, don’t assume they’re safe.

Tips and Tricks

As Impostor:

• Be wary of the ‘popular’ kill zones in the maps, such as Electrical and Security in The Skeld map, which have grown renowned. If you’ve played a lot of, you’re well aware that these areas are crime hotspots.
• Due to a vent close to the task area, Electrical makes it very easy for the Impostor to vanish, while Security is not occupied. However, if you open the vent in Security and someone in the room isn’t looking at the camera, you’re out of luck
• Keep track of how long it takes for your kill to cool down. If you are preparing to pop someone off for more than 10-15 seconds, you must be especially cautious to ensure that no one else is there. The longer the cooldown, the slower you’ll be able to kill.
• As an Impostor, don’t lock doors indiscriminately; you might miss an opportunity to assassinate Crewmates.
• You will be caught and most likely evicted if you vent or kill near cameras.
• If you’re caught, don’t disconnect. This makes it more difficult for the other Impostor(s) to sabotage without your help.
• Don’t sabotage for the sake of sabotage. This could get in the way of you and other Impostors, or it could prevent better-planned sabotage by another Impostor.
• When there are more than four players left, don’t say stuff like “I saw [color] kill,” because Crewmates will know you’re lying once the witness’ role is disclosed if confirm ejects is enabled. “I saw [color] near that location,” for example, instead of “I saw [color] near that location.”
• Faking visual tasks isn’t a good idea. Submit Scan, Clear Asteroids, Empty Garbage, and Prime Shields are the four visual chores. If you impersonate someone, you risk exposing your true identity as The Impostor.
• Don’t be alarmed if you see someone killing or venting.
• Don’t claim that you’re safe since you solved a sabotage, because Impostors can also remedy sabotage.
• Do: imprison victims by shutting doors and murdering them, then flee by vents.
• Do: get out of the area so you don’t appear suspicious.
• Do: report the body and hold the player who noticed you responsible.
• Closing doors near the emergency meeting area and attempting to eliminate the witness are things to do.
• Sabotage the witness’s ability to convene an emergency meeting.

As Crewmate:

• Between tasks, take a break. If you’re too focused on the jobs, you’ll never catch the Impostor.
• The majority of jobs take up the entire screen, blinding you, and some take a long time to finish. If you’re around someone suspect, don’t do these.
• Consider executing the things that you know will take more time first, when you’ll have the most opportunities to interact with a large number of people.
• The majority of jobs aren’t visible to others, so they can’t tell if you’re doing them, but a handful are. For instance, scanning in the MedBay. If someone sees you, they will immediately recognize you as an Impostor.
• Keep an eye out for folks who finish crucial duties. For example, if you’re on your way to fix the lights or power, keep track of who came before you and whether or not they finished the job before you arrived. Is there anyone who showed up after you finished the task? Who didn’t show up, which is almost as important?
• Focus. Strange conduct does not necessarily indicate the presence of an Impostor, but it is worth noting.
• Standing near vents for no apparent reason is unusual behavior.
• Standing in the corners of a room, far away from the work at hand
• During a round, without being able to adequately define what tasks they were working on
• Making excuses for not completing tasks due to circumstances outside of the game
• Staying in simply one or two rooms with few responsibilities
• Standing near doors but without frequently entering rooms
• Some of these behaviors may be taken just due to a player’s inexperience. Nonetheless, exercise caution.
• If no one has persuaded you, don’t be scared to skip a vote.
• In the chat, be mindful of the allegations flying around. Keep in mind that Impostors are notorious for accusing people who aren’t guilty.
• Ask questions.