Despite its 2018 release, the online social deduction game Among Us has recently become popular amongst students during quarantine.

The game allows players to be on 2 sides: crewmates or imposters. The goal of the crewmates is to finish all their tasks, while the imposters want to eliminate every crewmate without getting caught.

Crewmates complete tasks while proving their innocence, report dead bodies, or call meetings to discuss who the imposters are. While imposters have the ability to kill, they can also sabotage other players by turning off the lights or botching the ship’s only oxygen tank.

Freshman Niko Fischer said, ”The new popular game Among Us can really help teens to socialize online, and allows teens to feel they are not alone.”

In this period of increased social isolation, this virtual connection is the main reason why Among Us has grown in popularity. The game allows users to socialize while at home preventing COVID-19’s spread.

Sophomore Lara Heber agreed, “[Among Us] is a really fun game to play with friends. It’s also really fun to play and interact through the game since it requires you to chat with other people to find out who is the imposter.”

“It’s a great alternative to meeting in person since it’s fun, you can talk with others and pass time. It’s quickly become one of my favorite activities, and I find myself having to put my phone away to do my homework,” Heber added.

In spite of the game’s fun nature, “games can get really competitive, but for the most part, we are all pretty laid back and mature and understand that whatever argument we get into mid-game ends as soon as we are done with a round/game,” said senior Jack Pieper.

According to Heber, “Overall, it’s really helped me connect with my friends while social distancing. I’d recommend it.”