In recent years, the “killing game” genre has gained traction. It is not just becoming more prevalent in video games, but also film, television, and literature. From novels likeBattle Royaleto hitTV shows likeSquid Game, audiences appear to enjoy the thrill that comes with playing a game in which survival is unlikely. The most successful of these takes on the genre in video gaming is probablyAmong Us.
While originally released in 2018,Among Usexploded in popularity following the COVID-19 pandemic. It quickly became gaming’s most recognizable example of a killing game, or “social deduction” game as they are also called.Among Us’ popularity is the product of iconic sayings, countless gameplay videos, and the appeal of the group experience during a time when many were stuck at home. As one of the most recent examples of a gaming phenomenon,Among Usended up influencing its genre as well as pop culture as a whole. Regardless of its impact, other social deduction games should try to be less likeAmong Usin order to stand out on their own.
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Among Us Set the Bar for Similar Games
Among Usis not a typically flashy game. The premise, presentation, and overall mechanics are simplistic, even for a game that has to be played online. However, it used that to its advantage. The tasks are straightforward, and after a few updates, were even more accessible to most people. The concept thatpits “crewmates” and “impostors”against each other was memorable. As time went on, more features were added, and the community created its own in-game terminology.
Due to these circumstances,Among Usis the current exampleto follow when making a social deduction game. Nowadays, people expect games in the genre to involve a quirky ensemble with no visually suspicious person in sight. People expect these games to be about tasks instead of simply performing roles, like the originalWerewolf. To people outside its dedicated fanbase,Among Usis a collection of memes, but its contributions might go beyond Internet culture.
So far, not a lot ofAmong Usimitators have emerged in the market, or at the very least there have not been many well-known games clearlyinfluenced byAmong Us. As the decade goes on, this might become more of a trend if its popularity does not die down.Town of Salem, another social deduction game released four years beforeAmong Us, recently got a spin-off calledTraitors in Salem. The premise, presentation, and characters are the same as inTown, but this time players have to walk around town performing tasks, finding bodies, and figuring out who the bad guys are.
The comparisons toAmong Uswere obvious.Town of Salemis not the most popular gameout there, but it still has a dedicated playerbase.Traitorsfeels like an attempt to take advantage ofAmong Us’ popularity.Town of Salemis not huge enough by itself to start a trend, but more developers might hop on the social deduction train to follow. The potential presence ofAmong Usclones with different aesthetics dominating the genre is a genuine, worrisome concern.
Aspiring developers of social deduction games should study the genre and people’s relationships with it. This will allow these future games to develop their own identity and possibly catch people off-guard. SimplycopyingAmong Uswill get stale inevitably, and social deduction games will not survive if they only have one game spearheading their offerings.
Among Usis available now for Mobile, PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.Among Us VRreleases in holiday 2022 for PC and PSVR.
