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Line 1: − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − '''Chess''' is an intellectually challenging, [[conservative]] [[board game|game]] of [[chivalry]] between two players. Based purely on skill and merit without any element of chance, chess has long been one of the most popular games in the world, and today chess is played by upwards of 800 million people worldwide. Chess sharpens the mind, improves decision-making skills, helps overcome [[addiction]] and procrastination, drives out [[anxiety]], and builds character. Promoters of chess include [[Benjamin Franklin]]<ref>https://phillybowtietours.wordpress.com/2017/02/08/benjamin-franklin-and-chess/</ref> and [[Thomas Jefferson]].+ − Chess can be helpful in overcoming addictions exploiting images, patterns, or numbers, including [[pornography]], [[gambling]], [[video games]], [[Unplug the NFL|televised football]], and the [[stock market]]. Chess fills the mind with a healthy activity while reinforcing the devastating consequences ("checkmate") of bad decisions.<ref>https://chessimprover.com/chess-and-addiction/</ref> Temerity is punished in chess, as is timorousness.+ − Many women play and benefit from chess, charmingly elevating it as an art form in popular streaming commentaries on such as twitch.tv/chess.<ref>https://www.twitch.tv/chess</ref> While virtually all the top tournament chess players are male, and only about 1% of the 1500 grandmasters are female, many of the top chess streaming shows are hosted by women.+ + + + − Chess emphasizes individualistic pieces, in contrast to more collectivist strategy game called "go". Chess is more hierarchical, more militaristic, and more clear-cut when someone wins. "Go", which is ancient Chinese incrementalist-type of board game, has far fewer decisive moves than in chess. "Go" tournaments feature almost entirely Asian players, while the top chess players are typically from the West or from [[India]].+ − Chess is nearly unique among games in having no element of chance and requiring a high degree of foresight and anticipation of an adversary's strategy. In competitive chess, a timer is used such that quick processing of information is advantageous, particularly at high skill levels.+ − One of the greatest chess players ever, [[Paul Morphy]] of [[New Orleans]], played in the mid-1800s and refused to wager on his games even though [[gambling]] on chess was common then, and even though he often won stunning victories unexpected at his young age.+ − Modern international chess has a powerful, sweeping [[queen]] who was not a piece provided in the original game. The long reach of bishops today was also lacking at first. Maneuvers such as castling or capturing ''en passant'' have been developed within the past few hundred years.+ − Today, chess is one of the most popular board games in the world. International competitions, including world [[champion]]ship events, are organized by an organization called FIDE and American competition organized by the USCF (United States Chess Federation). The only American world champion was [[Bobby Fischer]], although [[Paul Morphy]] of [[Louisiana]] was likely the strongest player in the world in the 1850s, before a formal world champion was determined. The current World Chess Champion is [[Norway|Norwegian]] [[Magnus Carlsen]]. Prior to that, the world champion was [[India]]n Viswanathan "Vishy" Anand.+ − Chess presents interesting intellectual challenges. It is said that {{Cquote|Chess has an advantage over most school subjects: it combines both [[theory and practice]]. Ideas are honed and tested in the crucible of competitive play. Poor formulation or poor execution of ideas loses games. Careless, faulty thinking is ruthlessly refuted on the chessboard.<ref>[http://users.eniinternet.com/bradleym/NoAlt.html]</ref>}}+ − Some countries, particularly nations like [[Uzbekistan]] from the former [[Soviet Union]], promote chess as a fundamental aspect of learning and mental development.+ + + − + − *[https://www.chess.com/play/computer Play a computer with easy-to-set levels of skill, which is helpful for achieving measurable improvement] − *[https://www.chess24.com Chess24 enables playing opponents online from around the world] − + − [[File:Alma Tadema Egyptian Chess Players 1865.jpg|thumb|[[Sir Lawrence Alma Tadema]], Egyptian Chess Players, 1865.]] − Modern chess is based on the [[Holy Roman Empire]], originating in the A.D. 1300s with bishops and knights as pieces and advanced moves like castling and pawn conversion available today. Perhaps to deny its [[Christian]]-affiliated roots, chess is attributed by some to [[India]], where a game called Shaturanga was played. The earliest extant description of the game is contained in the [[Bhavishya Purana]], which dates from A.D. 300 to A.D. 600. Shaturanga used [[dice]], but [[Hinduism]] bans gambling. As a result, a game of chess developed free from any dice or chance. The exact rules of Shaturanga are not known, but the game developed further in Persia into something similar to its modern form. The Persian game Shatranj - which remains popular in the middle east today - is nearly identical to modern chess. By A.D. 1200 the game reached southern Europe, and in the late fifteenth century the Europeans adopted a number of changes: the queen, which had formerly been a very weak piece, became the strongest piece on the board, and allowing pawns to move two squares on the first move became standard. These changes had the effect of speeding up play, and they brought the game into the form we know today. − In the 1500s [[castling]] was introduced into the game, which made attacks on the king far more difficult. Some [[grandmaster]]s lament that change.+ − There has been some speculation that chess has roots in [[China]]. It's clear that chess is in some way related to XiangQi (Chinese Chess) and Shogi (Japanese Chess which is played on a 9x9 rather than 8x8 board), but scholars disagree about whether either of these variants predates Shaturanga.+ − + − The chess board is a square, divided into 64 smaller squares arranged in eight rows of eight. The squares are alternating light and dark, with a light square in the bottom right hand corner. + + + − + − + − + − Each player has a total of 16 pieces; 8 pawns, 2 knights, 2 bishops, 2 rooks, 1 queen, and 1 king.<br>+ + + + − + − There are several different ideas about the relative value of the pieces. It is important to note that the "points" used to assign a value to each piece are hypothetical and do not constitute a score; they are merely an attempt to quantify the relative power that each piece can hypothetically exert upon the board. − The method most often used is:+ − *[[Image:chesspawn.jpg|20px]] Pawn—1 + − *[[Image:chessknight.jpg|20px]] Knight—3 (some say 2.5, as Knights are generally regarded as slightly inferior to Bishops in many middlegame and endgame situations)+ − + − + − − − − + − The most popular style of pieces are known as Staunton style pieces, the tournament standard for chess pieces, although other types exist. Often, popular themed chess sets will appear with characters from [[popular culture]] or [[fiction]] taking the places of the more common Staunton style pieces. These novelty pieces are not tournament sanctioned however, and can sometimes cause confusion during game play as to which piece is which. − Although chess pieces can come in a variety of materials, [[marble]] and [[glass]] tend to be very popular, but for most chess tournaments, simple [[plastic]] pieces are usually favored. Also, while many home chess sets use heavy boards made out of [[wood]] or [[stone]] or some [[polymer]] material, tournament boards are actually roll-able mats with the board printed on it.+ + − + − + − *The player with the White pieces always moves first.+ − *The players alternate moving until the game has ended. − + − The pieces are put on the board in each player's side as follows: − *In the first row from left to right (with the leftmost square being black): '''rook''', '''knight''', '''bishop''', '''queen''', '''king''', '''bishop''', '''knight''' and '''rook'''. − *The second row is filled with '''pawns'''. − + − The pieces move as follows.+ − *The '''pawn''' moves one square forward, except when moving from its opening position, when it can optionally move two. The pawn is the only piece that captures in a way different from the way it moves. It captures opposing pieces by capturing one square diagonally forward. When another piece is on the square directly in front of a pawn it cannot move unless it is making a capture. − *The '''knight''', which is the only piece that can jump over other pieces, moves one square in one straight direction and two in the other (essentially, in an "L" shape). − *The '''bishop''' can move as many squares as desired diagonally. − *The '''rook''' can move as many squares as desired in a straight direction. − *The '''queen''' is the most powerful piece in the board. It can move as many squares as desired (without jumping over another piece), either straight or diagonally. − *The '''king''', which is the most important piece on the board, moves one square, either straight or diagonally. − + − All pieces except for the pawn capture along their lines of motion. A capture is made by moving a piece to a square occupied by one of the opponent's pieces, and removing the opponent's piece from the board. If a piece can move to occupy the location of an opponent's piece, it can capture that piece. The '''pawn''', can only capture by moving diagonally forward one square. A piece is said to be undefended if it has no piece "supporting" its position - i.e., preventing an opponent from capturing it by threat of losing his attacking piece.+ − + − *'''Castling'''- When a player has no pieces between a rook and his king, and he has not moved either piece, he can move the king two squares in the direction of the rook, and then place the rook on the square that the king passed over. A player cannot castle if the King is currently in check, would be in check after castling, or would move through a square which is under attack.+ − *'''en passant'''- French for "In passing." In chess, if a player pushes his pawn far down to the end of the board, and his opponent pushes a starting pawn 2 spaces ahead, to put the pawn on the same row to avoid confrontation, the player may choose to invoke the "en passant" move, which treats the enemy pawn as though it had only moved one space. The player may capture diagonally on the square '''behind''' the enemy pawn, and remove the enemy pawn. The principle is that the two space rule for a pawn's first move cannot be used to avoid confrontation between two pawns. However, the player may only invoke "en passant" on the first turn after the opponent pushes his pawn. He cannot make it after that turn. − ===The end of the game===+ − − *'''Checkmate''': The winning player checkmates his opponent's King (see below). − *'''Resignation''': The losing player, facing an inevitable future checkmate, ''resigns'' rather than play out an extended series of hopeless moves. A player may indicate resignation by toppling his king on its side. − *'''Loss on Time''': In games with a time limit, a player may lose by failing to make a time control, causing his clock to run out. − *'''Draw''': The game may end in a draw, in which case neither player wins. − + − Checkmate is achieved when the following conditions are met. − * The King is ''in check''; that is, it is directly attacked by an opponent's piece. − * Every square that the King can move to is also attacked by an opponent's piece. − * The Piece that is attacking the King cannot be captured. − * Another Piece cannot be interposed between the attacking piece and the King to block the check. − When a King is checkmated, the game is over, and the player initiating the checkmate is the winner. − ====Draw====+ − There are several ways that the game can end in a draw. − *'''Stalemate''': A player is said to be ''stalemated'' when he cannot make a legal move, and is not in check. − *'''Draw by agreement''': The players mutually agree to a draw. In competitive chess, a player may make a draw offer after he has made his move, but before he has started his opponent's clock. − *'''Draw by repetition''': Either player may claim a draw if the same position has appeared on the board three times. The three occasions need not be consecutive. − *'''50 move rule''': Either player may claim a draw if fifty moves have transpired without a capture or a pawn move. − + − Chess notation is used to record the moves of a chess game. This has several uses. Notation can be used to record games for review at a later time. There are two major methods of chess notation, Algebraic and Descriptive.+ + + + + + + + + − ====For all forms of Notation====+ − The notation for a chess game is taken like this. At the top of the page are the players — white listed first — with their names under their colors. Numbers go down the left side of the page to indicate the move number. (see below) <BR> − White, Black<BR> − Name Name − 1.<BR> − 2.<BR> − 3.<BR> − 4.<BR> − 5.<BR> − Moves are recorded in columns, separated by commas.+ − Space is usually allotted on the top of tournament scoresheets to record the date and location of the game, and sometimes to record the time limit and opening name.+ − + − Each piece is designated by its corresponding letter as follows:<br> − K = King<BR> − Q = Queen<BR> − R = Rook<BR> − B = Bishop<BR> − N = Knight (notice 'K' is reserved for the King)<BR> − P = Pawn − (In strict chess parlance, the pawns are not considered pieces; officially, a standard chess set consists of sixteen pieces ''and'' sixteen pawns.)+ − + − - Moves to+ − x Captures − + Check − ++ Checkmate − 0-0 Castles king-side − 0-0-0 Castles queen-side − e.p. en passant − / to indicate which square a piece moved from (only when needed to clarify) − /Q Pawn promotion. (use /Q for queen, /R for rook, etc.) − ! A good move − !! A very good move − !? An interesting move − ?! A dubious move − ? A questionable move − ?? A blunder − + − Algebraic is the most commonly used method of notation. [[Image:Chessboardanote1.jpg|right]]+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + − + − In algebraic notation, each file is assigned a letter, and each rank is assigned a number. Each square is designated by the letter and number from its rank and file. a1 is the square in the bottom left corner for the white player.+ − + − Moves are recorded by indicating the piece to be moved and the square it is to be moved to, sometimes using a hyphen (-). For example, if white wants to move his Kingside Knight towards the center of the board to start the game, the notation would be: + − White Black − 1. Nf3, .... − or+ − + − White Black + − 1. N-f3, ....+ − + − In algebraic notation, a P is not used to indicate the pawn. A pawn move is implied when no piece is indicated. So if white wants to advance his king pawn 2 squares, and black responds by advancing his king pawn 2 squares, the notation would be:+ − White Black + − 1. e4, e5,+ − 2. ....+ − + − Occasionally, two pieces of the same type can move to the same square. To eliminate ambiguity, the unique rank or file of the moving piece is identified after the piece symbol. For example, suppose both of Black's Rooks are on the 8th rank (on the squares f8 and a8), and there are no pieces in between them. Black moves the f8 Rook to d8. In other circumstances, the move would be annotated+ − 17. .... Rd8+ − but because either Rook could have moved to d8, the identifying file for the f8 Rook must be included, as in+ − 17. .... Rfd8+ − + − + − Captures by a piece or pawn are indicated by first transcribing the symbol for the piece performing the capture, followed by an 'x', followed by the square the capturing piece or pawn moved to. For example, if White uses his Queen to capture a piece on the square h7 on move 23, the correct notation is + − 23. Qxh7, ....+ − + − Because pawns are not designated with a symbol, the system is slightly different for pawn captures. The file originally occupied by the pawn is used to identify the pawn performing the capture. If a black pawn on e5 captures a white piece or pawn on d4 on move 5, the notation is+ − 5. ...., exd4+ − + − + − In the more archaic descriptive notation, squares are described according to the starting piece positions. The square originally occupied by the Rook on the Queenside is referred to as "Queen's Rook One" (QR1), while "Queen's Rook Four" is the square directly in front of the Queen's Rook on the fourth rank. Thus, a typical opening move is described as "Pawn to King Four", and is written as + − 1. P-K4, ....+ − + − Note that in descriptive notation, pawns have the designation 'P'. The notation's disadvantages become apparent over the course of a complex game, especially because the same square has different names depending on the perspective of the White and Black pieces. King's Bishop Three (KB3) for White is King's Bishop Six (KB6) for Black.+ − + − Captures in descriptive notation operate similar to algebraic notation; for example, + − + − 45. .... R-xQN7+ + + + + + + + − means that on his 45th move, Black captured a piece or pawn on his Queen's Knight Seven square (the b2 square in algebraic notation). + − + − Although this method of recording is seldom used, it is advisable for new players to be familiar with it because many older text books use it.+ − + − − Chess players often refer to shorter, forcing sequences of moves that lead to clear advantages as ''tactics'', while moves designed to create or nurture long-term advantages are called ''strategic.'' − − For more information on specific tactics, see [[chess tactics]]. For more information on specific strategic themes, see [[chess strategies]]. − − − While chess is extremely popular strategic and tactical game in the [[Western World]], [[Go (game)|go]] is more popular in the Eastern World. − − David Lai wrote on the difference between chess and go: − {{cquote|The philosophy behind chess is to win decisively. For the winner, victory is absolute, as is defeat for the loser. In chess, both players have the same clear and overriding objective―capturing the opposing king―and accomplish this objective by decimating whatever opposing forces are standing in the way. In go, total victory usually happens between two mismatched players. That kind of victory, as [[Sun Tzu]] puts it, is not the pinnacle of excellence. In a go game between two well-matched players, the margin between win and lose is usually very small, often decided by only a few points. The philosophy behind go therefore is to compete for relative gain rather than seeking complete annihilation of the opponent’s forces. It is dangerous to play go with the chess mindset. One can become overly aggressive so that he will stretch his force thin and expose his vulnerable parts in the battlefields. − − In chess, the focus is on the king. All the moves are geared toward checking the king. In designs to capture the king, chess players always try to eliminate the powerful pieces such as the queen, knight, castle, and bishop. Chess players typically focus on these powerful military units as the ‘center of gravity’ and ‘decisive point’ (in [[Carl von Clausewitz|Clausewitz]] and [[Antoine-Henri Jomini|Jomini]]’s terms). Naturally, chess players are single-minded. In go, it is a war with multiple campaigns and battlefields. There is no one single focus on the board. A go player must always keep the whole situation in mind. Attacking the opponent’s strategy therefore is much more appropriate in go. As a prolonged and complex game, go players focus on building or creating rather than chess players’ emphases on removal and destruction.” <ref>David Lai, “''Learning From The Stones: A Go Approach To Mastering China’s Strategic Concept, Shi'', pp. 28-29</ref>}} − − Another major difference between chess and go is that in go matches there is always a winner and a loser without any draws. − − − There are a number of games based on chess with rule variations, and these are referred to as ''chess variants''. One of the most popular of these is ''Bughouse'', a partner-based game in which a player who captures his opponent's piece can give it to a partner on another board to drop on a square of his choosing. Another is ''Kriegspiel'', a game in which a player can see his pieces but not that of his opponent.<ref>http://www.chessvariants.com/incinf.dir/kriegspiel.html</ref> A simpler variant is ''Antichess'', which is also called ''Suicide chess'', in which a player must make a capturing move if any legal captures exist on the board, and in which the goal is to run out of pieces first. − − In 1996, [[Bobby Fischer]] introduced a variant called FischerRandom Chess, which involves scrambling the positions of the pieces on the first and eighth ranks before starting play. A number of rules govern the precise manner in which the pieces can be arranged; for example, the king must be somewhere between the two rooks, so that castling to either side is still possible, and the black and white positions must mirror one another. The rules provide for 960 possible starting positions, and for this reason the game is sometimes called Chess960. Fischer hoped his variant would encourage creative thinking and avoid the memorization associated with opening play in modern chess. − − − Deep Blue, a computer developed by IBM, was the first computer engine to beat a human world champion in 1997, when it defeated [[Garry Kasparov]] in a six-game series. This series was a rematch of 1996 series which Kasparov won, although Deep Blue had been upgraded since the first series. It should be noted that during this second match, Deep Blue was also upgraded between games to avoid falling into the same type of trap more than once. − − Chess engines have increased in strength in recent years to the point where humans are falling behind. In 2005, Michael Adams, one of the top fifteen players in the world, played a six-game match against the engine Hydra, and lost five games with only one draw. Chess writer Eric Schiller, who uses computer assistance in writing his books, admits that "computers have taken some of the fun out of (chess)." Despite this, chess remains far from being a [[solved game]]. − − − − *check (noun, origin in 1400s) − *checkmate (origin in the 1300s) − *endgame (origin in 1884) − − *jeopardy (origin in the 1300s) − *stalemate (origin in 1765) − − − − The four basic levels of high skill in chess are, in this order of ranking: − *Grandmaster ("GM") − *International Master ("IM") as recognized by FIDE (the International Chess Federation, known by the acronym for its French name, the Federation Internationale des Echecs) − *FIDE Master ("CM") − *Candidate Master ("CM") − + − *[http://www.uschess.org USCF] - United States Chess Federation+ − *[http://www.iccf.com/ ICCF] - International Correspondence Chess Federation − *[http://www.chess-players.org/eng/index.html ACP] - Association of Chess Professionals − *[http://www.freechess.org FICS] - Free Internet Chess Server − Online chess:+ − *[http://www.chess.com/ Chess.com]+ − *[https://lichess.org/ Lichess.org]+ − *[https://chess24.com/ Chess24.com]+ − + − ==References==+ − {{reflist|2}}+ − + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Made the chess sussy
[[Image:Staunton chess set.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A typical chess set and tournament clock.]]
{{Short description|2018 multiplayer video game}}
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{{Infobox video game
| image = File:Among Us cover art.jpg
| alt = Cartoon astronauts in colored spacesuits floating through space. A bright light and many stars are visible behind them. In front of them is the words "Among Us", with the "A" replaced by an astronaut.
| developer = Innersloth{{efn|Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 versions ported by PlayEveryWare.}}
| publisher = Innersloth
| released = {{Ubl|'''Android, iOS'''|June 15, 2018|'''Microsoft Windows'''| November 16, 2018|'''Nintendo Switch'''|December 15, 2020|'''Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5'''|2021}}
| platforms = {{Ubl|[[Android (operating system)|Android]]|[[iOS]]|[[Microsoft Windows]]|[[Nintendo Switch]]|[[Xbox One]]|[[Xbox Series X/S]]|[[PlayStation 4]]|[[PlayStation 5]]}}
| modes = [[Multiplayer video game|Multiplayer]]
| genre = [[Party video game|Party]], [[Social deduction game|social deduction]]
| programmer = Forest Willard{{Efn|name=fortebass|Better known as "ForteBass".<ref name=":7" />}}
| designer = Marcus Bromander{{Efn|name=puffballs|Better known as "PuffballsUnited".<ref name=":3" />}}
| artist = {{ubl|Marcus Bromander{{Efn|name=puffballs}}|Amy Liu}}
| engine = [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]]
| title = Among Us
| composer = Forest Willard{{Efn|name=fortebass}}
}}
<!-- This article uses "Impostor", spelled with 2 'o's, rather than "Imposter", as the former is what is used within the game. The Evelyn Lau quote uses the latter as this is what she wrote verbatim. -->
'''''Among Us'''''{{Efn|Stylized as '''''Among Us!''''' on the [[App Store (iOS)|iOS App Store]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Among Us!|url=https://apps.apple.com/us/app/among-us/id1351168404|access-date=September 13, 2020|website=[[App Store (iOS)|iOS App Store]]|language=en-us|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123216/https://apps.apple.com/us/app/among-us/id1351168404|url-status=live}}</ref> When discussing its planned sequel, the game was given the [[retronym]] of '''''Among Us 1''''' by the game's developers as well as several news outlets.<ref name="sequelannouncement"/><ref name="gamerantsequel"/><ref name="techraptorsequel"/><ref name="sequelsomag"/>|name=|group=}} is a 2018 online multiplayer [[social deduction game]] developed and published by American game studio Innersloth. It was released on [[iOS]] and [[Android (operating system)|Android]] devices in June 2018 and on [[Microsoft Windows|Windows]] in November 2018, featuring [[cross-platform play]] between these platforms. The game was also ported for the [[Nintendo Switch]] in December 2020, and has planned releases for the [[Xbox One]], [[Xbox Series X and Series S]], [[PlayStation 4]] and [[PlayStation 5]] in 2021. The game was inspired by the party game ''[[Mafia (party game)|Mafia]]'' and the science fiction horror film ''[[The Thing (1982 film)|The Thing]]'', and since the release of its first map, The Skeld, 3 other maps including MIRA HQ and Polus. Lastly the fourth map, "The Airship" based on [https://simple.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Henry_Stickmin_Collection Henry Stickmin]’s Infiltrating the Airship was released in March 2021.
The game takes place in a [[Science fiction|space-themed]] setting, in which players each take on one of two roles, most being Crewmates, and a predetermined number being Impostors.{{Efn|The game uses the spelling "Impostor" rather than "Imposter" (though both are correct).<ref>{{cite web |last1=King |first1=Austin |title=Among Us Impostor vs. Imposter: Why InnerSloth Spells It Different |url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-impostor-imposter-innersloth-spelling-different-why/ |website=ScreenRant |access-date=April 9, 2021 |date=January 18, 2021}}</ref>}} The goal of the Crewmates is to identify the Impostors, eliminate them, and complete tasks around the map; the Impostors' goal is to covertly sabotage and kill the Crewmates before they complete all of their tasks. Players suspected to be Impostors may be eliminated via a [[plurality vote]], which any player may initiate by calling an emergency meeting (except during a crisis) or reporting a dead body. Crewmates win if all Impostors are ejected or all tasks are completed, whereas Impostors win if there is an equal number of Impostors and Crewmates, or if a critical sabotage goes unresolved.
While the game was initially released in 2018 to little mainstream attention, it received a massive influx of popularity in 2020 due to many well-known [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] [[Online streamer|streamers]] and [[YouTuber]]s playing it. The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] has also been credited to the growth of the game. The game received positive reviews from critics, being praised for its gameplay and setting, although it was criticized for its technical issues. In response to the game's popularity, ''Among Us 2'' was announced in August 2020. However, the planned sequel was canceled a month later, and the team shifted its focus to improving the original game. Merchandise based on the game, such as toys, shirts, etc., were announced and released. ''Among Us'' has also inspired [[internet meme]]s and achieved a very large following online.
==Gameplay==
<!-- In this image, white does not have a red name because the screenshot is from the Among Us trailer, made before Impostors had red names. -->
[[File:AmongUsWhiteKillBlue.png|thumb|right|An Impostor (white) has killed a Crewmate (blue), with another player (pink) having witnessed their death. Because of the game's vision mechanic, the pink player is partially obscured.|alt=A white-suited astronaut named "Buddy" (the player) stands in front of an unnamed blue-suited corpse. The room they are in is labeled "Admin". In the hallway, slightly obscured by the sight line mechanic, is a pink-suited astronaut named "Chum". In the upper-left corner of the player's screen, there is a fake list of tasks as well as the player's goal: to kill all Crewmates. The player also has the option to Use, Report, Sabotage, and Kill. As the player has just killed, the button is on cooldown and faded.|282x282px]]
''Among Us'' is a [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer game]] for four to ten players. Up to three players are randomly<ref>{{cite web |author=Izaak |date=September 29, 2020 |title=Is there a surefire way to become an imposter in Among Us? |url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/news-how-become-impostor-among-us |website=[[Sportskeeda]] |access-date=December 30, 2020}}</ref> chosen to be the impostor(s) each round. A round can take place on one of four [[Level (video games)|maps]]: a spaceship called "The Skeld"; a headquarters building called "MIRA HQ"; a planet base called "Polus";<ref name=":6"/> or "The [[Airship]]", which is based on InnerSloth's ''Henry Stickmin'' series.<ref name=":31">{{cite web | url = https://www.pcgamer.com/among-us-map-the-airship-live/ | title = The newest Among Us map, The Airship, is now live | first = Andy | last =Chalk | date = March 31, 2021 | access-date = March 31, 2021 | work = [[PC Gamer]] }}</ref><ref name=":32">{{Cite web|last=Innersloth|date=March 31, 2021|title=LET'S GO AIRSHIP 🎉 New update out now! – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/237019/lets-go-airship-new-update-out-now|url-status=live|access-date=April 4, 2021|website=[[Itch.io]]}}</ref>
At the start of the game, Crewmates are assigned "tasks" to complete around the map in the form of [[minigame]]s, consisting of maintenance work on vital systems such as fixing wires and downloading data.<ref name=":1" /> Impostors are given a fake list of tasks to blend in with Crewmates. However, they cannot legitimately perform tasks. Impostors can sabotage vital systems (such as the ship's oxygen supply), covertly travel through vents, and work with other Impostors to kill Crewmates. If a player dies, they become a ghost. Ghosts can pass through walls, spectate other players, and chat with other ghosts.<ref name=":2" /> Living players have a [[Fog of war#In video games|limited cone of vision]],<ref name=":5" /> but ghosts do not have this limitation.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Paez|first=Danny|title=3 'Among Us' ghost tips to help your team win from beyond the grave|url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/among-us-ghost-tips-how-to-win-crewmate-imposter-ejection|access-date=September 16, 2020|website=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]]|language=en|archive-date=September 21, 2020|date=September 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123215/https://www.inverse.com/gaming/among-us-ghost-tips-how-to-win-crewmate-imposter-ejection|url-status=live}}</ref>
Ghosts help their living teammates by completing their tasks (as a Crewmate) or performing sabotages (as an Impostor).<ref name=":6" /> The Impostors win when they kill enough Crewmates to be equal in number, or when the Crewmates fail to resolve a major sabotage.<ref name=":2" /> The Crewmates win by completing all tasks, or by identifying and ejecting all Impostors.<ref name=":6" /> Games can also end by players quitting the match if doing so fulfills any win condition (if a crewmate quits the game, their tasks are automatically considered completed).<ref>{{Cite web|last=Duckworth|first=Joshua|date=October 8, 2020|title=Among Us: 5 Quality of Life Improvements The Game Needs|url=https://gamerant.com/among-us-5-imposter-ghosts-penalties-cheating-quality-life-improvements/|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=Game Rant|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Mc|first=Chris|date=October 2, 2020|title=How to Find the Impostor in Among Us|url=https://www.gamespew.com/2020/10/eighteen-tips-for-beating-the-impostor-in-among-us/|access-date=October 18, 2020|website=GameSpew|language=en-GB}}</ref>
To help the Crewmates identify Impostors, there are various surveillance systems on each map, such as security cameras system on The Skeld,<ref name=":20" /> a doorlog in MIRA HQ,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stella|first=Marloes|date=September 25, 2020|title=Among Us Guide: tips to winning as Crewmates|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/among-us/guide-tips|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927151252/https://www.pcgamesn.com/among-us/guide-tips|archive-date=September 27, 2020|access-date=September 26, 2020|website=[[PCGamesN]]|language=en-GB}}</ref> and a vitals indicator in Polus.<ref name=":6" /> Crewmates may also confirm their identity through visual tasks, which cannot be faked by Impostors.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Meluso|first=Maria|date=October 20, 2020|title=Every Visible Task in Among Us (& How They Work)|url=https://screenrant.com/every-visible-task-among-us-how-to-complete/|access-date=November 8, 2020|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref> Any living player may call a group meeting by reporting a dead body, or by pressing the Emergency Meeting button at any time (except during major sabotages, when Emergency Meetings cannot be called, but dead bodies can still be reported).<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=September 18, 2020|title=New Among Us players keep accidentally outing themselves as aliens|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/18/21445675/among-us-community-memes-new-players-accidental-guilt|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123249/https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/18/21445675/among-us-community-memes-new-players-accidental-guilt|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en}}</ref>
During a meeting, players discuss who they believe is an Impostor based on the available evidence. A plurality vote is held, and the chosen player is ejected from the map and they become a ghost.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Players can communicate in a [[Online chat|text chat]],<ref name=":1" /> but only during meetings, and only if they are alive (though ghosts can speak with one another at any time).<ref name=":6" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":5" /> While the game does not have a built-in [[Voice chat in online gaming|voice chat]] system, it is common for players to use external programs such as [[Discord (software)|Discord]].<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9" /><ref name=":10" />
In each game's lobby, various options can be adjusted to customize aspects of gameplay, such as player movement speed, the allowed number of emergency meetings, number of tasks, if there will be visual tasks,<ref name=":4" /> or whether or not an impostor is revealed after being voted off.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Garst|first=Aron|title=Playing "Among Us?" Here are some tips and alternate rules to up the ante.|language=en-US|work=[[The Washington Post]]|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/video-games/tips/among-us-tips-rules/|access-date=October 9, 2020|issn=0190-8286}}</ref> There are also many cosmetic options, including spacesuit colors, [[Skin (video gaming)|skins]], hats, and pets,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wilde|first=Tyler|date=September 24, 2020|title=How to customize your character in Among Us|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-customize-your-character-in-among-us/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927112805/https://www.pcgamer.com/how-to-customize-your-character-in-among-us/|archive-date=September 27, 2020|access-date=September 28, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":19" /> some of which are paid [[downloadable content]].{{Efn|Both the free mobile version of ''Among Us'' and the paid PC version have paid DLC. For the PC version, however, some of the mobile version's DLC is included in the standalone game.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Zackery|last=Cuevas|date=October 2, 2020|title=All the differences between the PC and mobile versions of Among Us|url=https://www.androidcentral.com/there-difference-between-pc-and-mobile-versions-among-us|access-date=October 2, 2020|website=[[Android Central]]|archive-date=October 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013043233/https://www.androidcentral.com/there-difference-between-pc-and-mobile-versions-among-us|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":7" />|name=|group=}}<ref name=":7" /><ref name="gamerantsequel" /><ref name=":5" />
==Development and release==
===Early development===
{{Video game timeline|title=''Among Us'' timeline|range1=2018|range2=2019|range3=2020|range4=2021|2018a=iOS/Android release|2018b=Windows 10 Release|2019a="MIRA HQ" release|2019b="Polus" release||2020a=macOS release|2020b=[[Nintendo Switch]] release|2021a=PC [[Xbox Game Pass]] release|2021b="The Airship" release|2021c=[[Xbox One]], [[Xbox Series X/S]], [[PlayStation 4]] and [[PlayStation 5]] release}}
''Among Us'' was inspired by the live party game [[Mafia (party game)|''Mafia'']],<ref name=":7" /><ref name=":16" /> and science fiction horror film [[The Thing (1982 film)|''The Thing'']].<ref name=":33">{{Cite web|last=Fischer|first=Tyler|date=January 9, 2021|title=Original Among Us Was a Much Different and More Stressful Game|url=https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/among-us-game-original/|url-status=live|access-date=February 1, 2021|website=Comicbook|language=en}}</ref> The idea for the concept was originally given by Marcus Bromander, co-founder of Innersloth, who had played ''Mafia'' since he was a kid. In the original game, function cards were dealt and players wandered around a house, aimlessly, while another person secretly killed the players, drawing a finger around their neck. Most of its mechanics were still present in ''Among Us'', but the team wanted to "alleviate the need to create an interesting home model and have someone wandering around in a boring environment". So, they decided that the game would be space themed and also added tasks, which, according to Forest Willard, programmer at Innersloth, "changed several times during development".<ref name=":33" /><ref name=":28">{{Cite web|date=January 9, 2021|title=Among Us dev recounts how the game took flight, including early game ideas|url=https://indieworld.nintendo.com/news/#among-us-dev-recounts-how-the-game-took-flight|url-status=live|access-date=February 9, 2021|website=Nintendo}}</ref>
== Online Chess==
Development began in November 2017.<ref name=":28" /> The game was initially intended to be a mobile-only [[local multiplayer]] game with a single map.<ref name="improb" /> Bromander paused development on Innersloth's other game, ''The Henry Stickmin Collection'', in order to build ''Among Us''<nowiki/>' first map, The Skeld.<ref name="newgroundspod" /> When they began developing the first map, they intended that the ship was always in crisis and that the Impostors could do tasks. However, they found this setup "stressful" and decided that it "[wouldn't leave] much time for detective work and informed meeting conversations".<ref name=":33" /><ref name=":28" /> Willard described [[Playtest|playtesting]] as painful and frustrating, as the game would break down during sessions forcing him to send playtesters new builds off of [[Google Play]]. The team tested the game with 8 of their friends and never tested the game with 9 or the maximum of 10 players.<ref name="newgroundspod" /> The game was developed using the [[Unity (game engine)|Unity]] engine.<ref name='itchpage'/>
==Origins==
The game was released in June 2018 to [[Android (operating system)|Android]] and [[iOS]] under the AppID of "spacemafia".<ref name=":7" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Among Us – Apps on Google Play|url=https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innersloth.spacemafia&hl=en_US|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123231/https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.innersloth.spacemafia&hl=en_US|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 13, 2020|website=[[Google Play]]|language=en}}</ref> Shortly after release, ''Among Us'' had an average player count of 30 to 50 concurrent players.<ref name=":4" /> Bromander blamed the game's poor release on Innersloth being "really bad at marketing".<ref name="improb" /> The team nearly abandoned the project multiple times, but continued work on it due to a "small but vocal player base",<ref name=":14" /> adding in online multiplayer, new tasks, and customization options.<ref name=":14" /> The game was released on [[Steam (service)|Steam]] on November 16, 2018.<ref name="improb" /><ref name="outofbeta" /> [[Cross-platform play]] was supported upon release of the Steam version.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Power|first=Tom|date=September 16, 2020|title=Is there crossplay in Among Us?|url=https://www.gamepur.com/guides/is-there-crossplay-in-among-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924153020/https://www.gamepur.com/guides/is-there-crossplay-in-among-us|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 21, 2020|website=Gamepur|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Matthews|first=Emma|date=September 10, 2020|title=How crossplay works in Among Us|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/among-us-crossplay-pc-and-mobile/|access-date=September 15, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123342/https://www.pcgamer.com/among-us-crossplay-pc-and-mobile/|url-status=live}}</ref> Originally, the game had no audio to avoid revealing hidden information in a local setting,{{Efn|For example, the sound of an Impostor killing a Crewmate could reveal to other Crewmates who the Impostor was.|name=|group=}} and Willard mixed sounds from numerous sound packs to compose the SFX during the game's Steam release.<ref name="newgroundspod">{{Cite web|title=#27 – Innersloth|url=https://www.newgrounds.com/audio/listen/972286|language=en|access-date=October 20, 2020}}</ref>
On August 8, 2019, Innersloth released a second map, MIRA HQ,<ref name=":11"/><ref>{{Cite web|date=August 8, 2019|title=MIRA HQ Launched! – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/94023/mira-hq-launched|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123251/https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/94023/mira-hq-launched|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 16, 2020|last=InnerSloth|website=[[Itch.io]]|language=en}}</ref> a "tightly packed headquarters roughly the size of The Skeld." A third map, Polus, was added on November 12, 2019 and is set in a research station.<ref name=":11" /><ref>{{Cite web|date=November 12, 2019|title=Polus Map Launched! – Among Us by InnerSloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/109603/polus-map-launched|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123255/https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/109603/polus-map-launched|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 16, 2020|last=Innersloth|website=[[Itch.io]]|language=en}}</ref> The fourth map, the Airship, was released on March 31, 2021 and is based on a location in the ''Henry Stickmin'' universe.<ref name=":31" /><ref name=":32" /> MIRA HQ and Polus originally cost players {{Currency|4}} via in-app purchase. Their prices were reduced to {{Currency|2}} on January 6, 2020, then made free on June 11, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|date=January 6, 2020|title=Among Us and Innersloth in 2020 – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/118224/among-us-and-innersloth-in-2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924212833/https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/118224/among-us-and-innersloth-in-2020|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 27, 2020|last=Innersloth|website=[[Itch.io]]|language=en}}</ref> While the map packs are still available for purchase on all platforms, they now only provide the player the skins that were bundled with the maps.<ref>{{cite web|date=June 11, 2020|title=Among Us – All Maps Free and Among Us Merch! – Steam News|url=https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/945360/view/2406558942705547209|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926165007/https://store.steampowered.com/newshub/app/945360/view/2406558942705547209|archive-date=September 26, 2020|access-date=September 27, 2020|website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]]|language=en}}</ref>
According to programmer Forest Willard, the team "stuck with [the game] a lot longer than we probably should have from a pure business standpoint", putting out regular updates to the game as often as once per week. This led to a steady increase in players, causing the game's player base to [[Snowball effect|snowball]]. Bromander attributed this to the studio having enough savings to keep working on the game even while it was not selling particularly well.<ref name="improb" />
==The Board==
===Popularity===
====Initial spike in popularity====
[[File:Sodacrop.png|thumb|right|Twitch streamer [[Sodapoppin]], credited with popularizing ''Among Us'' on Twitch|alt=Sodapoppin in a purple Twitch hoodie]]
While ''Among Us'' released in 2018, it was not until mid-2020 that it saw a surge of popularity, initially driven by content creators online in South Korea and Brazil. Bromander stated that the game is more popular in Mexico, Brazil, and South Korea than the United States.<ref name="improb" /><ref name=":7" /> According to Willard, Twitch streamer [[Sodapoppin]] first popularized the game on Twitch in July 2020.<ref name="improb" /> Many other Twitch streamers and YouTubers followed suit, including prominent content creators [[xQc]], [[Pokimane]], [[Shroud (gamer)|Shroud]], [[Ninja (gamer)|Ninja]], and [[PewDiePie]].<ref name=":15" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zheng|first=Jenny|date=September 21, 2020|title=Among Us Is Even More Popular Than You Think Right Now|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/among-us-is-even-more-popular-than-you-think-right-now/1100-6482376/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923035935/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/among-us-is-even-more-popular-than-you-think-right-now/1100-6482376/|archive-date=September 23, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[GameSpot]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref name=":16" />
The horizontal rows of squares are referred to as "ranks" and the vertical rows are referred to as "files". The goal of the game is to place the opposing king into ''checkmate'', that is, a position in which the king is under attack but cannot escape.
The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] was frequently cited as a reason for the popularity of ''Among Us'', as it allowed for socializing despite [[Social distancing measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic|social distancing]].<ref name="improb" /><ref name=":2" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=What is 'Among Us', and How Did It Get So Popular? – Review Geek|url=https://www.reviewgeek.com/58061/what-is-among-us-and-how-did-it-get-so-popular/|access-date=April 7, 2021|website=www.reviewgeek.com|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Epstein|first=Adam|title=How an obscure 2018 computer game became a global phenomenon overnight|url=https://qz.com/1911718/how-among-us-became-a-global-video-game-phenomenon/|access-date=October 2, 2020|website=[[Quartz (publication)|Quartz]]|language=en|archive-date=October 2, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201002010031/https://qz.com/1911718/how-among-us-became-a-global-video-game-phenomenon/|url-status=live |ref=none}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Stuart|first=Keith|date=September 29, 2020|title=Among Us is the ultimate party game of the Covid era|url=http://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/sep/29/among-us-the-ultimate-party-game-of-the-covid-era|access-date=October 2, 2020|website=[[The Guardian]]|language=en |ref=none}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Sands|first=Sean|date=August 23, 2020|title='Among Us' Is Not Just the Game of 2020, It's '2020: The Game'|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/ep43yz/among-us-is-not-just-the-game-of-2020-its-2020-the-game|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001082837/https://www.vice.com/en/article/ep43yz/among-us-is-not-just-the-game-of-2020-its-2020-the-game|archive-date=October 1, 2020|access-date=October 2, 2020|website=[[Vice Media|Vice]]|language=en |ref=none}}</ref><ref name=":11" /> Emma Kent of ''[[Eurogamer]]'' believed that the release of Innersloth's ''The Henry Stickmin Collection'' also contributed to awareness of ''Among Us'',<ref name=":15" /> and ''[[PC Gamer]]''<nowiki/>'s Wes Fenlon credited Twitch streamer SR_Kaif for "prim[ing] ''Among Us'' for its big moment." Fenlon also praised ''Among Us'' for improvements over other popular tabletop games that had been inspired by Mafia, such as ''[[Secret Hitler]]''. He said other video game adaptation of Mafia such as ''[[Town of Salem]]'' and ''[[Werewolves Within]]'' were "just add[ing] an online interface for the basic Werewolf rules," whereas ''Among Us'' is as an entirely new take on the concept.<ref name=":16" /> Along with ''[[Fall Guys]]'' and the ''[[Jackbox Party Pack]]s'', ''Among Us'' provided a narrative-less experience that helped to avoid the "cultural trauma" of the pandemic, according to M.J. Lewis of ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.wired.com/story/among-us-narrative-free-games-pandemic-coronavirus/ | title = Among Us and a Resurgence of Narrative-Free Games | first = M.J.| last = Lewis |date = December 4, 2020 | access-date = December 4, 2020 | work = [[Wired (magazine)|Wired]] }}</ref>
==Pieces==
====Continued popularity====
[[Image:StauntonPieces.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Staunton Style chess pieces. From left to right: King, Queen, Bishop, Knight, Rook, and Pawn.]]
The game's popularity continued into the following months. [[YouTube]] reported that videos about ''Among Us'' were viewed 4 billion times in September 2020,<ref name="youtube">{{citation|title="Among Us" Surged in September – "Among Us" videos topped 4 billion views in September|date=October 14, 2020|url=https://www.youtube.com/trends/articles/among-us-september/|work=[[YouTube|YouTube Culture and Trends]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015160744/https://www.youtube.com/trends/articles/among-us-september/|quote=Among Us is an online multiplayer social deduction game developed by an American indie game studio, Innersloth. Among Us is a space-themed game in which a crew of astronauts must complete tasks while trying to figure out who among them is an imposter, who is sabotaging their work and killing the other players. The game has been available for about two years, but viewership of videos related to the game soared last month. There were over 4 billion views of videos related to Among Us in September.|access-date=October 14, 2020|archive-date=October 15, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> and [[TikTok]] videos related to ''Among Us'' had over 13 billion views in October 2020.<ref name="newyorktimes">{{citation|last=Lorenz|first=Taylor|title=With Nowhere to Go, Teens Flock to Among Us – YouTubers, influencers and streamers popularized the multiplayer game. Then their fans started playing too.|date=October 14, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/style/among-us.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201014204604/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/style/among-us.html|quote=When an indie game company created Among Us in 2018, it was greeted with little fanfare. The multiplayer game remained under the radar as many games do — until the summer of the pandemic. Eager to keep viewers entertained during quarantine, Chance Morris, known online as Sodapoppin, began streaming the game, created by InnerSloth, to his 2.8 million followers on Twitch in July. By mid-September, Among Us caught on like wildfire. Suddenly major YouTube stars, TikTok influencers, and streamers were playing it. PewDiePie, James Charles, and Dr. Lupo have all played the game for millions.|access-date=October 14, 2020|archive-date=October 14, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> YouTuber CG5 wrote a song based on the game in September 2020, titled "Show Yourself", and gained over 60 million views in 4 months.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Gravelle|first=Cody|date=November 6, 2020|title=Among Us Music Video Goes Viral After Game Dominates Sales and Streaming|work=[[ScreenRant]]|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-show-yourself-music-video/|url-status=live|access-date=February 7, 2021}}</ref> In September 2020, the game exceeded 100 million downloads<ref name=":16" /> and its player count rose to 1.5 million concurrent players<ref name=":3" /><ref>
*{{Cite web|last=Macgregor|first=Jody|date=September 9, 2020|title=Multiplayer space mystery Among Us hits 1.5 million simultaneous players|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/multiplayer-space-mystery-among-us-hits-15-million-simultaneous-players/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123259/https://www.pcgamer.com/multiplayer-space-mystery-among-us-hits-15-million-simultaneous-players/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 12, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US |ref=none}}
*{{Cite web|last=O'Connor|first=Alice|date=September 8, 2020|title=Among Us had 1.5 million people playing at the same time this weekend|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/08/among-us-had-1-5-million-people-playing-at-the-same-time-this-weekend/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025017/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/08/among-us-had-1-5-million-people-playing-at-the-same-time-this-weekend/|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 12, 2020|website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|language=en-US |ref=none}}
*{{Cite web|last=Bailey|first=Dustin|date=September 7, 2020|title=Among Us reaches 1.5 million concurrent players|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/among-us/player-count|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025026/https://www.pcgamesn.com/among-us/player-count|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=[[PCGamesN]]|language=en-GB |ref=none}}
*{{Cite web|last=Zheng|first=Jenny|date=September 18, 2020|title=Among Us Is Really, Really Popular Right Now|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/among-us-is-really-really-popular-right-now/1100-6482376/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123301/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/among-us-is-really-really-popular-right-now/1100-6482376/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2020|website=[[GameSpot]]|language=en-US |ref=none}}</ref> (nearly 400 thousand of which were on Steam),<ref name=":11" /> then peaked at 3.8 million in late September.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lugris|first=Mark|date=September 29, 2020|title=Among Us Had 3.8 Million Concurrent Players Last Weekend|url=https://www.thegamer.com/among-us-3-8-million-concurrent-players-last-weekend/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201001152149/https://www.thegamer.com/among-us-3-8-million-concurrent-players-last-weekend/|archive-date=October 1, 2020|access-date=October 1, 2020|website=TheGamer|language=en-US}}</ref> The sudden increase in players overloaded the game's server, which according to Willard was "a totally free [[Amazon (company)|Amazon]] server, and it was terrible." This forced him to work quickly, under [[Crunch time (video gaming)|crunch time]], to resolve these issues.<ref name=":14" />
===Relative Value of Pieces===
In August, Innersloth opened an online store for ''Among Us'' themed merchandise.<ref name="gamerantsequel" /><ref name=":4" /> The game's popularity inspired many original songs, [[Fan art|fanarts]] and [[internet meme]]s,<ref name=":20" /><ref name=":0" /><ref name=":14" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=Among Us se bucură de un succes neașteptat de mare|url=https://zonait.ro/among-us-se-bucura-de-un-succes-neasteptat-de-mare/|website=Zona IT|language=ro}}</ref> Willard expressed that fan-created content "really is the best part" of making ''Among Us'', and Bromander called it "my favorite thing to see".<ref name=":14" /> The game popularized the slang word "sus" (meaning "suspicious or suspect"),<ref name="cnbc">{{citation|last=Rodriguez|first=Salvador|title=How Amazon's Twitch turned an obscure game called Among Us into a pandemic mega-hit|date=October 14, 2020|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/14/how-among-us-became-a-mega-hit-thanks-to-amazon-twitch.html|work=[[CNBC]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015160729/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/14/how-among-us-became-a-mega-hit-thanks-to-amazon-twitch.html|quote=Developed by InnerSloth, a small studio in Redmond, Washington, Among Us was download nearly 42 million times on Steam in the first half of September, according to Safebettingsites.com, and it was downloaded nearly 84 million times on iOS and Android that month, according to SensorTower. The game hasn’t left the top five on Apple’s U.S. App Store since Sept. 1, and it has seen more than 158 million installs worldwide across the App Store and Google Play to date, SensorTower says.|access-date=October 14, 2020|archive-date=October 15, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=September 21, 2020|title=Among Us fans are calling everything 'pretty sus,' and it keeps working|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/21/21449498/among-us-fans-pretty-sus-meme-explained|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924153115/https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/21/21449498/among-us-fans-pretty-sus-meme-explained|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=October 15, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Schuhart|first=Johnathan|date=October 13, 2020|title=Among Us Phrases & Commonly Used Words Explained|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-sus-afk-where-meaning-slang-glossary/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015160737/https://screenrant.com/among-us-sus-afk-where-meaning-slang-glossary/|archive-date=October 15, 2020|access-date=October 15, 2020|website=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kim|first=Alina|date=October 5, 2020|title=Red Is Lowkey Sus: A Political Reflection on "Among Us"|url=https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2020/10/5/red-lowkey-sus-political-reflection-among-us/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015160736/https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2020/10/5/red-lowkey-sus-political-reflection-among-us/|archive-date=October 15, 2020|access-date=October 15, 2020|website=[[The Chicago Maroon]]|language=en}}</ref> which had been used as a slang term before the game's release.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sus {{!}} Definition of Sus by Oxford Dictionary on Lexico.com also meaning of Sus|url=https://www.lexico.com/definition/sus|access-date=October 19, 2020|website=Lexico Dictionaries {{!}} English|language=en}}</ref>
During its time of widespread popularity, ''Among Us'' was controversially played by the [[U.S. Army Esports|U.S. Navy Esports team]], in which players on the stream used in-game names referencing the [[N-word]] and the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|bombing of Nagasaki]]. The stream was deemed "offensive" and "intolerable" by some viewers.<ref>
* {{Cite web|last=Lemon|first=Jacon|date=September 13, 2020|title=US Navy's Twitch account criticized for streaming games with offensive player names|url=https://www.newsweek.com/us-navys-twitch-account-criticized-streaming-games-offensive-player-names-1531578|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123308/https://www.newsweek.com/us-navys-twitch-account-criticized-streaming-games-offensive-player-names-1531578|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 15, 2020|website=[[Newsweek]]|language=en |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Gault|first=Matthew|date=September 14, 2020|title=A U.S. Navy Twitch Stream Included Jokes About Nagasaki and the N-Word|url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7kp3db/a-us-navy-twitch-stream-included-jokes-about-nagasaki-and-the-n-word|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123259/https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7kp3db/a-us-navy-twitch-stream-included-jokes-about-nagasaki-and-the-n-word|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 15, 2020|website=[[Vice Media|Vice]]|language=en |ref=none}}
*[[Image:chessbishop.jpg|20px]] Bishop—3
* {{Cite web|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|date=September 15, 2020|title=Navy Twitch Stream Spirals Out Of Control Due To Slur, War Crime Jokes|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/09/navy-twitch-stream-spirals-out-of-control-due-to-slur-war-crime-jokes/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123338/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/09/navy-twitch-stream-spirals-out-of-control-due-to-slur-war-crime-jokes/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 17, 2020|website=[[Kotaku Australia]]|language=en-AU |ref=none}}
*[[Image:chessrook.jpg|20px]] Rook—5
* {{Cite web|last=Marchetto|first=Claudia|date=September 14, 2020|title=Among Us: la Marina americana lo gioca su Twitch usando nickname razzisti ed è bufera|url=https://www.eurogamer.it/articles/2020-09-14-news-videogiochi-among-us-giocato-twitch-marina-militare-usa-nickname-razzisti|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123341/https://www.eurogamer.it/articles/2020-09-14-news-videogiochi-among-us-giocato-twitch-marina-militare-usa-nickname-razzisti|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 15, 2020|website=[[Eurogamer|Eurogamer.it]]|language=it |ref=none}}</ref> In October 2020, U.S. Representatives [[Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez]] and [[Ilhan Omar]] streamed the game alongside several other prominent streamers such as Pokimane and [[Hasan Piker]] as a way to encourage people to vote in the [[2020 United States presidential election]], drawing almost 700,000 concurrent viewers on Twitch.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stephen|first=Bijan|date=October 20, 2020|title=Watch AOC play Among Us live on Twitch with HasanAbi and Pokimane|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/10/20/21525740/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-aoc-twitch-hasanabi-pokimane-ilhan-omar-among-us|access-date=October 21, 2020|website=The Verge|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Brown|first=Abram|title=Almost 700,000 People Flock To Twitch To Watch Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Play Hit Video Game 'Among Us'|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/abrambrown/2020/10/20/almost-700000-people-flock-to-twitch-to-watch-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-play-hit-video-game-among-us/|date=October 20, 2020|access-date=October 21, 2020|website=[[Forbes]]|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/21/tech/aoc-twitch-account-voting/index.html | title = Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez just played a video game on Twitch to encourage voting | first = Hanna | last = Ziady | date = October 21, 2020 | access-date = October 21, 2020 | work = [[CNN]] }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Streams On Twitch With Hasan Piker And Pokimane, Draws Over 430,000 Viewers|url=https://kotaku.com/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-streams-on-twitch-with-hasan-p-1845431479|access-date=October 21, 2020|website=[[Kotaku]]|language=en-us}}</ref>
*[[Image:chessqueen.jpg|20px]] Queen—9
*[[Image:chessking.jpg|20px]] King—Priceless, since its loss means the loss of the game. However, as an active piece in the endgame it is usually considered to have a value of 3.
<BR>(The value to the player of some pieces will actually vary during the course of the game, for instance, in an endgame, the King has an attacking power of about 3)
===Style===
The game also received several mods made by the community, which added new roles, game modes, cosmetics, etc.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Matheus|first=Emma|date=March 22, 2021|title=The best Among Us mods to try with your friends|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/best-among-us-mod-download/|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=[[PC Gamer]]}}</ref> ''Among Us'' was also featured in [[Twitch Rivals|Twitch Rivals 2020]], an online gaming tournament which was held on December 4, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mukherjee|first=Arnab|date=December 6, 2020|title=Twitch Rivals Among Us Showdown: Trainwrecks wins for the 4th time in a row, Glitch Pet Twitch Drops active on his channel!|url=https://thesportsrush.com/among-us-news-twitch-rivals-among-us-showdown-trainwrecks-wins-for-the-4th-time-in-a-row-glitch-pet-twitch-drops-active-on-his-channel/|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=The Sports Rush}}</ref> During the event, players were able to receive an exclusive pet called "Glitch Pet", which is the [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] logo.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sayles|first=Lauren|date=December 9, 2020|title=How to get the free Twitch Glitch pet to use in Among Us|url=https://www.pcinvasion.com/twitch-glitch-pet-among-us/|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=PC Invasion}}</ref>
===Canceled sequel and ongoing updates===
In August 2020, the team shifted focus onto a sequel, ''Among Us 2''.<ref name="sequelannouncement"/><ref name="gamerantsequel" /><ref name="techraptorsequel"/><ref name="sequelsomag"/> During this time, Forest Willard and Amy Liu continued to update ''Among Us'', increasing the maximum player base, adding four servers and three regions,<ref>{{cite web|last=Willard|first=Forest|date=September 1, 2020|title=Among Us Beta 2020.9.1 :: Among Us General Discussions|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/945360/discussions/0/2923353981937819321/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123256/https://steamcommunity.com/app/945360/discussions/0/2923353981937819321/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]] Community|language=en}}</ref> and implementing longer multiplayer codes to support more concurrent games.<ref>{{cite web|last=Willard|first=Forest|date=September 10, 2020|title=Servers Update (2020.9.9 beta) :: Among Us General Discussions|url=https://steamcommunity.com/app/945360/discussions/0/2952628643857359158/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123256/https://steamcommunity.com/app/945360/discussions/0/2952628643857359158/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 18, 2020|website=[[Steam (service)|Steam]] Community|language=en}}</ref> On September 23, 2020, the team canceled the sequel, instead opting to add all content intended for the sequel to the original ''Among Us'', due to "how many people [were] enjoying [the original game]".<ref name=":13"/><ref name=":15"/><ref name=":12">{{cite web|date=September 23, 2020|title=The Future of Among Us|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/181107/the-future-of-among-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924084429/https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/181107/the-future-of-among-us|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 23, 2020|last=Innersloth|website=[[Itch.io]]}}</ref> However, Innersloth deemed the game's [[codebase]] "outdated and not built to support adding so much new content", so the team made plans to rework the game's core code to enable adding new features.<ref name=":12" />
==Gameplay ==
The team subsequently announced their plans to fix the game's server issues and widespread [[Cheating in online games|cheating]] problem,<ref name=":24">{{Cite web|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|date=October 2, 2020|title=Among Us Has A Cheating Problem|url=https://kotaku.com/among-us-has-a-cheating-problem-1845256959|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003212735/https://kotaku.com/among-us-has-a-cheating-problem-1845256959|archive-date=October 3, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2020|website=[[Kotaku]]|language=en-us}}</ref><ref name=":25">{{Cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=October 8, 2020|title=Among Us with randoms is rough|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/8/21499102/amoung-us-playing-game-popularity-random-public-lobbies|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009025656/https://www.polygon.com/2020/10/8/21499102/amoung-us-playing-game-popularity-random-public-lobbies|archive-date=October 9, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":26">{{Cite web|last=Wilde|first=Tyler|date=October 5, 2020|title=Of course there are already Among Us cheaters|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/of-course-there-are-already-among-us-cheaters/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009115036/https://www.pcgamer.com/of-course-there-are-already-among-us-cheaters/|archive-date=October 9, 2020|access-date=October 9, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US}}</ref> as well as add a system for banning disruptive players.<ref name=":21">{{Cite web|last=Turney|first=Alexandria|date=October 9, 2020|title=Everything Among Us Desperately Needs To Add|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-voice-chat-report-filter-new-maps/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013144959/https://screenrant.com/among-us-voice-chat-report-filter-new-maps/|archive-date=October 13, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2020|website=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US}}</ref> In October 2020, [[Color blindness|colorblind]] support for the "wires" task was added to the ''Among Us'' [[Beta development stage|beta]] on Steam, as well as some previously unannounced lobby customization options.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kent|first=Emma|date=October 12, 2020|title=Among Us beta adds new ways to spice up investigations|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-10-12-among-us-beta-adds-new-ways-to-spice-up-investigations|access-date=October 13, 2020|website=Eurogamer|language=en|archive-date=October 13, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201013075055/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-10-12-among-us-beta-adds-new-ways-to-spice-up-investigations|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wheelock|first=Kyle|date=October 13, 2020|title=Among Us Beta Updates Make Both Impostors' & Crewmates' Jobs Easier|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-beta-updates-impostors-crewmates-tasks-easier/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015160731/https://screenrant.com/among-us-beta-updates-impostors-crewmates-tasks-easier/|archive-date=October 15, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2020|website=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US}}</ref> As-of-yet unimplemented features include improving gameplay for ghosts,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Paez|first=Danny|date=October 6, 2020|title='Among Us' developers promise to fix the most boring part of the game|url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/among-us-ghost-update|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201009003238/https://www.inverse.com/gaming/among-us-ghost-update|archive-date=October 9, 2020|access-date=October 7, 2020|website=Inverse|language=en}}</ref> adding customizable controls,<ref name=":18" /> a friends system, and more player colors.<ref name=":13" /><ref name=":15" /><ref name=":12" /><ref name=":21" /> They also announced an update to the game's art style, lobby support for 15 players, new six colors, and a new meeting screen.<ref name=":32" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Etra|first=Alden|date=April 20, 2021|title=Among Us' Next Update Will Add New Crewmate Colors & More|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-update-new-crewmate-colors/|url-status=live|access-date=April 24, 2021|website=Screen Rant}}</ref><ref name=":29">{{Cite web|last=Innersloth|date=April 27, 2021|title=Clever and interesting dev log title - Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/247343/clever-and-interesting-dev-log-title|url-status=live|access-date=May 3, 2021|website=[[Itch.io]]}}</ref>
The object of the game is to checkmate the other player's '''King''' before he checkmates your king. When a pawn reaches the far side of the board, it may be promoted to any other piece (except a King).
First announced at [[The Game Awards 2020]], the Airship map was released in March 31, 2021.<ref name=":31" /><ref name=":32" /> The Airship features multiple floors, contraptions, tasks, and "more."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Team|first=M. G. H.|date=December 11, 2020|title=Among Us 'The Airship' Map: Release Date, Leaks, Costumes and More|url=https://mobilegaminghub.com/2020/12/12/among-us-the-airship-map-release-date-leaks-costumes-and-more/|access-date=December 11, 2020|website=Mobile Gaming Hub|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Adler|first=Matthew|date=November 19, 2020|title=Among Us Teases New Airship Map|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/among-us-teases-new-map-with-boat-theme|website=IGN}}</ref> In addition, Game Awards presenter [[Geoff Keighley]]'s face was added as a skin. The map itself is based upon the ''Henry Stickmin''<nowiki/>'s Toppat Clan Airship.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Skrebels|first=Joe|date=December 11, 2020|title=Among Us Reveals New Map, The Airship|url=https://sea.ign.com/news/167007/among-us-reveals-new-map-the-airship|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=[[IGN]] Southeast Asia|publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]|language=en-sg}}</ref> Innersloth also stated that the map would be free to all players.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Innersloth|date=November 3, 2020|title=Small Patch and Small Roadmap – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/192737/small-patch-and-small-roadmap|url-status=live|access-date=March 15, 2021|website=[[Itch.io]]}}</ref><ref name=":32" /> It also features a skin bundle that includes ''Henry Stickmin''-themed cosmetic that can be bought on Steam.<ref name=":32" />
The accounts system was implemented along with the update, and it allows players to report players that are not following Innersloth' Code of Conduct in order to make the game a welcoming and respectful place. Punishment ranges from temporary to a permanent ban. They also stated that reports would be viewed manually and not by bots, that account creations would be required if players want to use Free Chat or to customize their nicknames, and that people under the age of 13 would need their parents' permission to create an account. A friends system and the ability to link to multiple accounts would be added somewhere in the future.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Holt|first=Kris|date=March 24, 2021|title=The upcoming 'Among Us' account system is mostly about making the game safer|url=https://www.engadget.com/among-us-account-system-safety-harassment-kids-185830761.html|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=Engadget}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Innersloth|date=March 24, 2021|title=Info on Accounts – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/235010/info-on-accounts|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=[[Itch.io]]}}</ref>
===Initial Conditions===
In mid-February 2021, the game added a feature called Quickchat, which replaces the standard chat interface with a series of preset phrases that players must pick from. Players under the age of 13 are required to use Quickchat, but those over 13 are also allowed to use Free Chat, which allows them to type original messages.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-03-08|title=What Among Us' New Quickchat Feature Is (& What It Does)|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-quickchat-wheel-new-feature-works-how/|access-date=2021-04-25|website=ScreenRant|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=2021-03-08|title=Among Us introduces quick chat option that's "faster and safer"|language=en|work=Rock Paper Shotgun|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/among-us-quick-chat-feature-update|access-date=2021-04-25}}</ref> Innersloth later revaled in a devlog post that they will reveal more about the new six colors sometime in May.<ref name=":29" />
===Movement===
=== Console releases ===
Amid its popularity, Innersloth considered releasing the game to [[PlayStation 4]] and [[Xbox One]] consoles, but encountered a problem in implementing player communication, since standard text-based or voice-based chat seemed unusable. They considered a system similar to the "quick comms" system from ''[[Rocket League]]'', as well as the possibility of developing an entirely new communication system for the game.<ref name=":8" /><ref name=":9" /> Versions of the game for Xbox consoles were later announced.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-06|title=Here's everything you need to know about Among Us for Xbox|url=https://www.windowscentral.com/among-us-xbox|access-date=2021-04-20|website=Windows Central}}</ref>
====Capturing====
''Among Us'' was released for the [[Nintendo Switch]] on December 15, 2020, the same day it was announced during [[Nintendo Direct]] [[Indie World]] showcase. The Switch version supports cross-platform play with the mobile and Windows versions.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Farokhmanesh|first=Megan|date=December 15, 2020|title=Among Us launches for the Nintendo Switch today|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/12/15/22176459/among-us-nintendo-switch-cross-play-launch|access-date=December 15, 2020|website=[[The Verge]]|language=en}}</ref> This port was published by Play EveryWare.<ref name=":30">{{Cite web|last=Innersloth|date=March 18, 2021|title=📣 March 31 – The Airship Releases! – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/232933/-march-31-the-airship-releases|url-status=live|access-date=March 20, 2021|website=[[Itch.io]]}}</ref> Upon release, the Switch version had an [[Video game exploit|exploit]] to access ''The Airship'' prior to its official release in early 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Lee|first=Julia|date=December 16, 2020|title=How to play Among Us' new Airship map on Nintendo Switch|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/12/16/22179208/among-us-new-map-airship-nintendo-switch|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en}}</ref> The exploit was fixed two days after release in the Switch version's first update.<ref>{{Cite web|author=rawmeatcowboy|date=December 20, 2020|title=Among Us Airship map glitch fixed|url=https://gonintendo.com/stories/374458-among-us-airship-map-glitch-fixed|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=gonintendo.com|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=December 21, 2020|title=List of Nintendo Switch game patches/updates|url=http://www.benoitren.be/switch-gamepatches.html|access-date=December 23, 2020|website=benoitren.be|language=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20201223200717/http://www.benoitren.be/switch-gamepatches.html|archive-date=December 23, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> Currently, all the game's downloadable content is unavailable on Switch, although the team stated that it will be added in some point.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Innersloth|date=January 19, 2021|title=The upcoming Airship map, consoles, and what's next 🎈 – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/202874/the-upcoming-airship-map-consoles-and-whats-next-|url-status=live|access-date=April 18, 2021|website=[[Itch.io]]}}</ref>
On the same date as the announcement of The Airship, it was announced that ''Among Us'' will be available in [[Xbox Game Pass]] for PC at "some point in the not-too-distant future," as quoted from ''[[Shacknews]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chandler|first=Sam|date=December 10, 2020|title=Among Us is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC|url=https://www.shacknews.com/article/121917/among-us-is-coming-to-xbox-game-pass-for-pc|access-date=December 14, 2020|website=[[Shacknews]]|language=en}}</ref> The game is also planned for release on Xbox One and [[Xbox Series X/S]] in 2021.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2020/12/10/among-us-coming-soon-to-xbox-game-pass-for-pc/|title=Update: Among Us Available Now with Xbox Game Pass for PC, Coming 2021 to Xbox Game Pass for Console|website=Xbox Wire|last=Tuttle|first=Will|date=December 10, 2020|access-date=December 17, 2020}}</ref> During the Xbox Indie Showcase, it was announced that it would include the new "Airship" map.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Tran|first=Victoria|date=March 26, 2021|title=Find the Impostor When Among Us Comes to Xbox Series X{{!}}S and Xbox One in 2021|url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/03/26/find-the-impostor-when-among-us-comes-to-xbox-series-xs-and-xbox-one-in-2021/|url-status=live|access-date=April 18, 2021|website=Xbox Wire}}</ref> Innersloth stated that as the game is coming to other consoles, it is facing several approval processes.<ref name=":30" /> Releases of ''Among Us'' for the [[PlayStation 4]] and [[PlayStation 5]], supporting cross-platform play with existing versions, were announced in April 2021 with an unspecified released date; players on these consoles will get an exclusive ''[[Ratchet & Clank]]'' cosmetic.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.polygon.com/22410549/among-us-ps4-ps5-release-date | title = Among Us coming to PS4, PS5 in 2021 | first= Owen | last = Good | date= April 29, 2021 | accessdate = April 29, 2021 | work = [[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] }}</ref>
====Special Moves====
===October 2020 and January 2021 hacks===
In mid-October 2020, a hacker known as "Eris Loris" began targeting mainly North American servers. Several players on the ''Among Us'' [[Reddit#Subreddits|subreddit]] and [[Twitter]] reported this player hacking their lobbies and [[spamming]] in-game chat with promotions for his YouTube channel, links to his Discord server, and controversial political messages.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mukherjee|first=Arnab|date=October 24, 2020|title=Among Us Hacker: Who is Eris Loris & how to respond to his Among Us hack /spam attack – guide|url=https://thesportsrush.com/among-us-hacker-who-is-eris-loris-how-to-respond-to-his-among-us-hack-spam-attack-guide/|access-date=October 25, 2020|website=The SportsRush|language=en-US}}</ref> Eris Loris also threatened to personally hack players that refused to subscribe to his YouTube channel. The Discord server has been found to contain large amounts of offensive content, such as racist language, gore, pornography and images depicting animal abuse.<ref name=":22">{{Cite web|last=Emma|first=Kent|date=October 23, 2020|title=Among Us is dealing with a huge spam attack|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-10-23-among-us-is-dealing-with-a-huge-spam-attack|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024215004/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-10-23-among-us-is-dealing-with-a-huge-spam-attack|archive-date=October 24, 2020|access-date=October 24, 2020|website=[[Eurogamer]]|language=en-Us}}</ref>
A ''Eurogamer'' report from October 23, 2020, features an interview with a person claiming to be Eris Loris, conducted via the Discord server from one of the links provided in the hacked games. In the interview, Loris claims he created the bot responsible for the hacks "in only six hours", and had enlisted up to 50 volunteers to form a [[botnet]] which boosted the strength of their attacks. Loris claimed that the hack impacted 4.9 million players in 1.5 million games. He also added that the hacks were part of a publicity stunt to influence players to vote for [[Donald Trump]] in the [[2020 United States presidential election]].<ref name=":22" />
A chess game may end in a number of ways.
====Checkmate====
Innersloth added an in-game message warning players about the hacks on October 22,<ref name=":22" /> and released a statement on Twitter the next day. They said they were "super aware" of the hacking issue, and stated that an "emergency server update" would be pushed out to combat the hacks. They encouraged players to stick to private games and to avoid playing on public ones until the update was released.<ref name=":23">{{Cite web|last=Innersloth|date=October 23, 2020|title=Innersloth's Response to the hacking problem|url=https://twitter.com/InnerslothDevs/status/1319471920115376130|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024234001/https://twitter.com/InnerslothDevs/status/1319471920115376130|archive-date=October 24, 2020|access-date=October 24, 2020|website=[[Twitter]]|language=en-US}}</ref> The team plans to address the hacking vulnerabilities as part of a planned overhaul for the game.<ref name=":24" /><ref name=":25" /><ref name=":26" />
At the end of January 2021, players reported on Twitter the return of Eris Loris' hack attack, which is now distributing ''Among Us'' hacks and cheats.<ref name="EirsLorisWave2">{{Cite web|first1 = Aqdas|last1 = Khan|url = https://thesportsrush.com/eris-loris-among-us-another-hack-wave-players-ask-questions-as-eris-loris-hack-is-reportedly-back/|title = Eris Loris Among Us : "Another hack wave?", Players ask questions as Eris Loris hack is reportedly back|website = The Sports Rush|date = January 30, 2021|access-date=February 7, 2021|language = en-US}}</ref>
==Notation==
==Reception==
<!-- Do not switch "imposter" to "impostor" in the Evelyn Lau quote. Do not add "sic" either, as "imposter" is a correct spelling. -->
{{Video game reviews
| MC = PC: 85/100<ref name="MCPC">{{cite mc |id=among-us |type=game |vgtype=pc |title=Among Us (PC) |access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref><br>[[Nintendo Switch|Switch]]: 79/100<ref name="MCSwitch">{{cite mc |id=among-us |type=game |vgtype=switch|title=Among Us (Switch) |access-date=February 14, 2021}}</ref>
| 4P = 68/100<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.4players.de/4players.php/dispbericht/Switch/Test/42379/84750/0/Among_Us.html|title=Test: Among Us|last=Krosta|first=Michael|date=February 3, 2021|website=[[4Players]]|access-date=April 11, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>
| GI = 8/10<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/review/among-us/among-us-review-better-late-than-never|title=Among Us Review – Better Late Than Never|last=Ruppert|first=Liana|date=September 29, 2020|website=Game Informer|access-date=October 29, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201115112314/https://www.gameinformer.com/review/among-us/among-us-review-better-late-than-never|archive-date=November 15, 2020}}</ref>
| JXV = 14/20<ref name="JXV">{{Cite web|url=https://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/1327943/among-us-que-vaut-vraiment-le-party-game-du-confinement.htm|title=Test : Among Us : Que vaut vraiment le party game du confinement ?|author=Tiraxa|date=November 23, 2020|website=Jeuxvideo.com|access-date=November 28, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127052408/https://www.jeuxvideo.com/test/1327943/among-us-que-vaut-vraiment-le-party-game-du-confinement.htm|archive-date=November 27, 2020}}</ref>
| IGN = 9/10<ref name="IGNReview" />
| NLife = 8/10<ref name="NintendoLife">{{Cite web|first1 = PJ|last1 = O'Reilly|url = https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/switch-eshop/among_us|title = Among Us Review (Switch eShop)|website = Nintendo Life|date = December 21, 2020|access-date = February 7, 2021|language = en-US}}</ref>
}}
''Among Us'' was well-received by critics. On the aggregator website [[Metacritic]], the PC port received a 85 of 100 score based on 9 critic reviews, while the [[Nintendo Switch]] version received a 79 of 100 score based on 8 critic reviews, both them indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref name="MCPC" /><ref name="MCSwitch" /> It was also considered as one of the "Best PC Games for 2018", being ranked 17th, and as the "#38 Best Discussed PC Game of 2018".<ref>{{Cite web|title=Best PC Games for 2018|url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/year/pc/filtered?sort=desc&year_selected=2018|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Best PC Video Games|url=https://www.metacritic.com/browse/games/score/metascore/discussed/pc/filtered?sort=desc&year_selected=2018|url-status=live|access-date=March 25, 2021|website=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> Since December 2020, ''[[IGN]]'' considered it as one of 2020's best reviewed games so far.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sirani|first=Jordan|date=September 25, 2020|title=The Best Reviewed Games of 2020|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/the-best-reviewed-games-of-2020-so-far|url-status=live|access-date=March 30, 2021|website=[[IGN]]}}</ref>
Elliott Osange of ''Bonus Stage'' considered that the game is "silly fun", but felt that is more fun "to be an Impostor".<ref name=":27">{{Cite web|last=Osange|first=Elliott|date=September 23, 2020|title=Among Us Review|url=https://www.bonusstage.co.uk/2020/09/23/among-us-review/|url-status=live|access-date=March 15, 2021|website=Bonus Stage}}</ref> Craig Pearson of ''[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]'' had the same opinion, found playing as an Impostor "a lot more fun" than playing as a Crewmate, which he called "exhausting".<ref name=":1" /> In reference to the game's popularity among streamers, Evelyn Lau of ''[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]'' said: "Watching the reactions of people trying to guess who the impostor is (and sometimes getting it very wrong) or lying terribly about not being the impostor is all quite entertaining."<ref name=":2" /> Alice O'Conner of ''Rock, Paper, Shotgun'' described the game as "Mafia or Werewolf but with minigames".<ref>{{Cite web|author=O'Conner|first=Alice|date=September 8, 2020|title=Among Us had 1.5 million people playing at the same time this weekend|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/08/among-us-had-1-5-million-people-playing-at-the-same-time-this-weekend/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025017/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/09/08/among-us-had-1-5-million-people-playing-at-the-same-time-this-weekend/|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]}}</ref> Andrew Penney of ''TheGamer'' said the game was "worth it for the price" and that "who you play with dictates how fun the game is."<ref name=":5"/> L'avis de Tiraxa of ''[[Jeuxvideo.com]]'' praised the game's Freeplay mode, which offers newer players "to browse the map alone to accomodatte the places", as they would need to play several games in order to "perfect their strategies".<ref name="JXV" />
Leana Hafer from ''[[IGN]]'' stated in her verdict on the game: "I don't have any sus that this will be the last game of its breed to make a splash, since we’re already seeing its influence on even mega-games like Fortnite". As a negative point, she pointed out some technical problems, such as the difficulty of finding rooms that aren't already full or are a long way from getting there. She also lamented the lack of "mechanic to punish players who rage-quit when they don't get to play as impostor, or are caught dead to rights in the middle of a murder".<ref name="IGNReview">{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/among-us-review|title=Among Us Review|date=December 22, 2020|website=[[IGN]]|last=Hafer|first=Leana}}</ref> Tiraxa of ''[[Jeuxvideo.com]]'' was more critical to the game, which lamented the lack of a incremented voice chat into the game, the server bugs, which "[prevents] some from joining the party, in a totally unexplained way", the public servers with strangers, as she considered it "less entertaining" than private servers with friends, and the large development progress, considering that the game has a "bit of a way to go before it reaches its full potential".<ref name="JXV" /> The mobile version of the game, although being free-to-play, was criticized. Osange of ''Bonus Stage'' called the presence of ads and in-app purchases of cosmetic changes that are mostly available for free on the PC version "nonsense". He also called the PC version "stable" but also stated that the Android version is "a device-by-device situation".<ref name=":27" />
=====Pieces=====
The Nintendo Switch version received some criticism. William Antonieli of ''[[Insider Inc.|Insider]]'' said that the Switch controls give "many tasks a satisfying game response". However, he also stated that most of the tasks could be "done quickly with the Switch's touchscreen control", which can only be used when the console is in handheld mode. He noted that many of the game's tasks are difficult to complete using a gamepad, which is required when the console is connected to a larger screen, and considered this version "inferior" to the PC and mobile versions.<ref name=":34">{{Cite web|last=Antonelli|first=William|date=December 23, 2020|title='Among Us' is the biggest game of 2020, but don't play it on the Nintendo Switch|url=https://www.insider.com/among-us-nintendo-switch-game-review-2020-12|url-status=live|access-date=February 17, 2021|website=Insider}}</ref> He also stated that the communication system is "frustrating", as using the joystick to select letters is "slow", and said the fact that the game has support for multiplayer across multiple platforms gives Switch players "immediate disadvantage".<ref name=":34" /> PJ O'Reilly of ''Nintendo Life'' noted that the Switch lacked much of the additional content available on other platforms, such as skins, which he called a "shame".<ref name="NintendoLife" />
''Among Us'' has been frequently compared to ''Fall Guys'', as both became popular as party games during the COVID-19 pandemic;<ref name="improb"/><ref name=":10"/><ref name=":18" /> the developers of both games have positively acknowledged each other on [[Twitter]].<ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1308574859144945667|user=FallGuysGame|title=This is actually true<br/>We love Among Us 😍|author=[[Fall Guys]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite tweet|number=1308884508897423363|user=forte_bass|title=This is horrifying.<br/>I love it.|author=Forest Willard}}</ref> Comparisons have also been drawn between the two games' [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]], which have been said to look like [[jelly bean]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fairfax|first=Zackerie|date=September 27, 2020|title=A Fall Guys X Among Us Crossover Could Happen (& It Just Makes Sense)|url=https://screenrant.com/fall-guys-among-us-crossover-costume-skin/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201008063055/https://screenrant.com/fall-guys-among-us-crossover-costume-skin/|archive-date=October 8, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2020|website=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Harris|first=Iain|date=October 1, 2020|title=Someone has modded Among Us's Red into Left 4 Dead 2, naturally|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/left-4-dead-2/mod-among-us-red|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003173555/https://www.pcgamesn.com/left-4-dead-2/mod-among-us-red|archive-date=October 3, 2020|access-date=October 4, 2020|website=[[PCGamesN]]|language=en-GB}}</ref> ''Among Us'' has also been compared to [[The Thing (1982 film)|''The Thing'']],<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":17"/> ''Town of Salem'',<ref name=":16" /><ref name=":17" /> ''Werewolves Within'',<ref name=":16" /> and ''Secret Hitler''.<ref name=":16" />
=====Moves=====
=== Sales ===
{{As of|2020|9}}, [[Steam Spy]] estimated that the game had more than {{nowrap|10 million}} owners on [[Steam (service)|Steam]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Peters |first1=Jay |title=Among Us is so popular that its developers just canceled the sequel |url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21453499/among-us-2-sequel-popular-canceled-developers-innersloth |access-date=February 20, 2021 |work=[[The Verge]] |date=September 23, 2020}}</ref> The [[Associated Press]] noted the game was the most downloaded app on the [[App Store (iOS)|iOS App Store]] for both [[iPhone]]s and [[iPad]]s in October 2020.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/the-top-iphone-and-ipad-apps-on-apple-app-store/2020/10/13/69318488-0d7c-11eb-b404-8d1e675ec701_story.html|title=The top iPhone and iPad apps on Apple App Store|agency=[[Associated Press]]|work=[[The Washington Post]]|date=October 13, 2020|access-date=October 13, 2020|quote=1. Among Us!, InnerSloth LLC|archive-date=October 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201015160813/https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/technology/the-top-iphone-and-ipad-apps-on-apple-app-store/2020/10/13/69318488-0d7c-11eb-b404-8d1e675ec701_story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> According to [[SuperData Research]], the game had roughly {{nowrap|500 million}} players worldwide {{as of|2020|11|lc=y}}, with the [[free-to-play]] mobile version accounting for 97% of players and the [[buy-to-play]] PC version accounting for 3% of players, though it was the buy-to-play PC version that generated 64% of the game's gross revenue.<ref>{{cite news |title=November 2020 worldwide digital games market |url=https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market |access-date=December 19, 2020 |work=[[SuperData Research]] |publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] |date=December 18, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201218193653/http://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market |archive-date=December 18, 2020 }}</ref> ''Among Us'' became one of the best selling games of 2020 on Steam, being listed on the platinum category on "The Year's Top 100" list.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/steam-reveals-2020s-most-played-and-best-selling-pc-games/|title=Steam reveals 2020's most-played and best-selling PC games|last=Blake|first=Vikki|date=December 28, 2020|website=GamesRadar+|access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://uk.pcmag.com/pc-games/130697/cyberpunk-2077-among-us-top-steams-best-selling-games-of-2020|title=Cyberpunk 2077, Among Us Top Steam's Best-Selling Games of 2020|last=Vincent|first=Brittany|date=December 26, 2020|website=PCMag|access-date=January 1, 2021}}</ref> The [[Nintendo Switch]] version's launch sold {{nowrap|3.2 million}} digital units in December 2020, making it the highest-earning version of the game for the month and one of the [[List of best-selling Nintendo Switch video games|best-selling games on the Nintendo Switch]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Worldwide digital games market: December 2020 |url=https://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market |access-date=January 22, 2021 |work=[[SuperData Research]] |publisher=[[Nielsen Company]] |date=January 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122193846/http://www.superdataresearch.com/blog/worldwide-digital-games-market/ |archive-date=January 22, 2021 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Pastro|first=Max|date=January 25, 2021|title=Among Us Nintendo Switch Version Sold Over 3 Million Units|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-nintendo-switch-version-sales-december-2020/|url-status=live|access-date=March 15, 2021|website=Screen Rant}}</ref>
===Algebraic===
===Awards===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" width="auto"
|-
! scope="col"| Award
! scope="col"| Date of ceremony
! scope="col"| Category
! scope="col"| Result
! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}
|-
|[[Golden Joystick Awards#2020|Golden Joystick 2020]]
|November 24, 2020
|Breakthrough Award
|{{won}}
|style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|title=Among Us developer wins this year's Breakthrough Award at the Golden Joysticks|url=https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/among-us-developer-wins-this-years-breakthrough-award-at-the-golden-joysticks/|website=GamesRadar+|date=November 24, 2020|last=Tyrer|first=Ben|access-date=November 28, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128113314/https://www.gamesradar.com/uk/among-us-developer-wins-this-years-breakthrough-award-at-the-golden-joysticks/|archive-date=November 28, 2020}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="2" scope="row" |[[The Game Awards 2020]]
|rowspan=2|December 10, 2020
|Best Mobile Game
|{{won}}
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|title=New Among Us Map Teased, Announcement Coming At The Game Awards|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-among-us-map-teased-announcement-coming-at-the-game-awards/1100-6484604/|website=GameSpot|date=November 18, 2020|last=Makuch|first=Eddie|access-date=November 19, 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201119152145/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/new-among-us-map-teased-announcement-coming-at-the-game-awards/1100-6484604/|archive-date=November 19, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Ryan|first=Jackson|date=December 10, 2020|title=The Game Awards 2020: Every result, winner, world premiere, trailers and more|url=https://www.cnet.com/news/the-game-awards-2020-every-result-winner-world-premiere-trailers-and-more/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201211033532/https://www.cnet.com/news/the-game-awards-2020-every-result-winner-world-premiere-trailers-and-more/|archive-date=December 11, 2020|access-date=December 11, 2020|website=CNET|language=en}}</ref>
|-
| Best Multiplayer Game
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Steam Awards#2020|Steam Awards 2020]]
|January 3, 2021
|Labor of Love Award
|{{nominated}}
|style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|title=Steam Awards 2020 nominees revealed|url=https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/news-steam-awards-2020-nominees-revealed|website=Sportskeeda|date=December 20, 2020|author=Izaak|access-date=November 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Steam Awards |url=https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards |work=Steam|date=January 3, 2021|access-date=January 27, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124061809/https://store.steampowered.com/steamawards/|archive-date=January 24, 2021}}</ref>
|-
|[[2021 Kids' Choice Awards|Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards]]
|March 13, 2021
|Favorite Video Game
|{{won}}
|style="text-align:center"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.etonline.com/2021-kids-choice-awards-the-complete-winners-list-161949|title=2021 Kids' Choice Awards: The Complete Winners List|work=[[Entertainment Tonight]]|author=Liz Calvario|date=March 13, 2021|access-date=March 13, 2021}}</ref>
|}
====The Board====
==See also==
* [[Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the video game industry]]
====Movement====
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="itchpage">{{cite web |title=Among Us by Innersloth |url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us |website=itch.io |access-date=October 15, 2020 |language=en |archive-date=September 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909142044/https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us |url-status=live }}</ref>
<ref name="outofbeta">{{Cite web|title=Among Us Out of Beta and Pricing – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/55343/among-us-out-of-beta-and-pricing|last=Innersloth|website=[[Itch.io]]|date=November 8, 2018|access-date=September 27, 2020|language=en|archive-date=September 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200906012540/https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/55343/among-us-out-of-beta-and-pricing|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Lugris|first=Mark|date=September 9, 2020|title=InnerSloth's Party Game Among Us Reaches 1.5 Million Simultaneous Players|url=https://www.thegamer.com/among-us-1-5-million-players-simultaneous-innersloth-party-game/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123233/https://www.thegamer.com/among-us-1-5-million-players-simultaneous-innersloth-party-game/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 9, 2020|website=TheGamer|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":6">{{Cite web|last=Matthews|first=Emma|date=September 15, 2020|title=Deceive your friends with these sneaky Among Us tips|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/among-us-imposter-crewmate-tips-guide-emergency-meeting/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123245/https://www.pcgamer.com/among-us-imposter-crewmate-tips-guide-emergency-meeting/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 16, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|last=Pearson|first=Craig|date=August 27, 2020|title=Among Us has made a lying murderer out of me|url=https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/27/among-us-has-made-lying-murderer-out-of-me/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025037/https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2020/08/27/among-us-has-made-lying-murderer-out-of-me/|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=[[Rock, Paper, Shotgun]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=Lau|first=Evelyn|date=September 8, 2020|title='Among Us': what to know about the online survival game that's all about deceit|url=https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/among-us-what-to-know-about-the-online-survival-game-that-s-all-about-deceit-1.1074482|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909024952/https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/among-us-what-to-know-about-the-online-survival-game-that-s-all-about-deceit-1.1074482|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=[[The National (Abu Dhabi)|The National]]|language=en}}</ref>
<ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Penney|first=Andrew|date=September 16, 2020|title=Among Us Review: A Perfect Way To Ruin Your Friendships|url=https://www.thegamer.com/among-us-review/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123255/https://www.thegamer.com/among-us-review/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 16, 2020|website=TheGamer|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":20">{{Cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=September 21, 2020|title=Among Us fans are calling everything 'pretty sus,' and it keeps working|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/21/21449498/among-us-fans-pretty-sus-meme-explained|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924153115/https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/21/21449498/among-us-fans-pretty-sus-meme-explained|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 26, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en}}</ref>
<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=September 11, 2020|title=Why Among Us' Emergency Meeting is the big social media mood|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/11/21432684/among-us-emergency-meeting-meme-explained|access-date=September 13, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en|archive-date=September 21, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123243/https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/11/21432684/among-us-emergency-meeting-meme-explained|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=":8">{{Cite web|last=Winslow|first=Jeremy|date=September 18, 2020|title=Among Us PS4, Xbox One Port More Complicated Than You Think|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/among-us-ps4-xbox-one-port-more-complicated-than-you-think/1100-6482373/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123303/https://www.gamespot.com/articles/among-us-ps4-xbox-one-port-more-complicated-than-you-think/1100-6482373/|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2020|website=[[GameSpot]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":9">{{Cite web|last=Paez|first=Danny|date=September 17, 2020|title='Among Us' dev offers disappointing update on progress for Xbox, PS4 ports|url=https://www.inverse.com/gaming/among-us-xbox-ps4-release-date-update|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123252/https://www.inverse.com/gaming/among-us-xbox-ps4-release-date-update|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 19, 2020|website=[[Inverse (website)|Inverse]]|language=en}}</ref>
<ref name=":19">{{Cite web|last=Marshall|first=Cass|date=September 25, 2020|title=Among Us fans are creating their own crewsonas and sweet impostors|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/25/21456451/among-us-fan-crew-sonas-impostor-culture-explained|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200926185819/https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/25/21456451/among-us-fan-crew-sonas-impostor-culture-explained|archive-date=September 26, 2020|access-date=September 27, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en}}</ref>
<ref name=":7">{{Cite web|last=Carless|first=Simon|date=September 10, 2020|title=Behind the dizzying ride to the top for Among Us|url=https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/SimonCarless/20200910/369968/Behind_the_dizzying_ride_to_the_top_for_Among_Us.php|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123258/https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/SimonCarless/20200910/369968/Behind_the_dizzying_ride_to_the_top_for_Among_Us.php|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 16, 2020|website=[[Gamasutra]]|language=en}}</ref>
====Captures====
<ref name="gamerantsequel">{{Cite web|last=Brian|first=Renadette|date=August 19, 2020|title=Among Us 2 Announced Following First Game's Huge Surge In Popularity|url=https://gamerant.com/among-us-2-trailer/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025037/https://gamerant.com/among-us-2-trailer/|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=Game Rant|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":16">{{Cite web|last=Fenlon|first=Wes|date=September 24, 2020|title=How Among Us became so wildly popular|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-among-us-became-so-popular/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925235535/https://www.pcgamer.com/how-among-us-became-so-popular/|archive-date=September 25, 2020|access-date=September 25, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|last=Joseph|first=Funké|date=September 4, 2020|title=Why Among Us Became One of the Biggest Games on Twitch Two Years After Release|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/among-us/among-us-game-twitch/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025026/https://www.pastemagazine.com/games/among-us/among-us-game-twitch/|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|language=en}}</ref>
<ref name=":14">{{Cite web|last=Campbell|first=Amy|date=September 22, 2020|title=Among Us Devs Have Created a Gaming Phenomenon, Albeit Two Years After It Launched|url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/among-us-devs-have-created-a-gaming-phenomenon-albeit-two-years-after-it-launched/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924152953/https://www.escapistmagazine.com/v2/among-us-devs-have-created-a-gaming-phenomenon-albeit-two-years-after-it-launched/|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[The Escapist (magazine)|Escapist Magazine]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":11">{{Cite web|last=Coto|first=Adrian|date=September 21, 2020|title=Among Us Surpasses PUBG With Almost 400,000 Concurrent Steam Players|url=https://screenrant.com/among-us-pubg-concurrent-players/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924153020/https://screenrant.com/among-us-pubg-concurrent-players/|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 21, 2020|website=[[Screen Rant]]|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name="sequelannouncement">{{Cite web|author=Innersloth|date=August 18, 2020|title=Among Us 2 – Among Us by Innersloth|url=https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/171026/among-us-2|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123307/https://innersloth.itch.io/among-us/devlog/171026/among-us-2|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 9, 2020|website=[[Itch.io]]|language=en}}</ref>
<ref name="techraptorsequel">{{Cite web|last=Perrault|first=Patrick|date=August 18, 2020|title=Among Us 2 Announced|url=https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/among-us-2-announced|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025029/https://techraptor.net/gaming/news/among-us-2-announced|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=TechRaptor|language=en}}</ref>
===Descriptive===
<ref name="sequelsomag">{{Cite web|last=Manson|first=Leonard|date=September 4, 2020|title=Among Us 2 confirmed for PC and mobile; first details|url=https://www.somagnews.com/among-us-2-confirmed-for-pc-and-mobile-first-details/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200904223822/https://www.somagnews.com/among-us-2-confirmed-for-pc-and-mobile-first-details/|archive-date=September 4, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=Somag News|language=en-US}}</ref>
<ref name=":13">
* {{Cite news|date=September 24, 2020|title=The game that's so popular, it can't have a sequel|language=en-GB|work=[[BBC News]]|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-54277123|access-date=September 24, 2020|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924152951/https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-54277123|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Oloman|first=Jordan|title=Among Us 2 Cancelled, New Content Headed to Among Us 1|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/among-us-2-cancelled-among-us-1-updates|language=en|access-date=September 24, 2020|date=September 24, 2020|website=[[IGN]]|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924135125/https://www.ign.com/articles/among-us-2-cancelled-among-us-1-updates|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Carpenter|first=Nicole|date=September 24, 2020|title=Among Us 2 canceled — but don't worry|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/24/21454185/among-us-2-canceled-innersloth-game|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|language=en|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924153209/https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/24/21454185/among-us-2-canceled-innersloth-game|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Plunkett|first=Luke|date=September 23, 2020|title=Among Us 2 Cancelled One Month After It Was Announced|url=https://kotaku.com/among-us-2-cancelled-one-month-after-it-was-announced-1845160536|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923234103/https://kotaku.com/among-us-2-cancelled-one-month-after-it-was-announced-1845160536|archive-date=September 23, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[Kotaku]]|language=en-us |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Prescott|first=Shaun|date=September 23, 2020|title=Among Us 2 cancelled in favour of ongoing work on the current game|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/among-us-2-cancelled-in-favour-of-ongoing-work-on-the-current-game/|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924125705/https://www.pcgamer.com/among-us-2-cancelled-in-favour-of-ongoing-work-on-the-current-game/|url-status=live |ref=none}}
* {{Cite web|last=Peters|first=Jay|date=September 23, 2020|title=Among Us is so popular that its developers just canceled the sequel|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21453499/among-us-2-sequel-popular-canceled-developers-innersloth|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[The Verge]]|language=en|archive-date=September 24, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924030235/https://www.theverge.com/2020/9/23/21453499/among-us-2-sequel-popular-canceled-developers-innersloth|url-status=live |ref=none}}</ref>
<ref name=":15">{{Cite web|last=Kent|first=Emma|date=September 24, 2020|title=Among Us 2 cancelled as devs focus on original title|url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-09-24-among-us-2-cancelled-as-devs-focus-on-original-title|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925235536/https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2020-09-24-among-us-2-cancelled-as-devs-focus-on-original-title|archive-date=September 25, 2020|access-date=September 24, 2020|website=[[Eurogamer]]}}</ref>
<ref name=":10">{{Cite web|last=Matthews|first=Emma|date=August 25, 2020|title=Why Among Us is the best game to watch on Twitch right now|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/why-among-us-is-the-best-game-to-watch-on-twitch-right-now/|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=[[PC Gamer]]|language=en-US|archive-date=September 9, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025025/https://www.pcgamer.com/why-among-us-is-the-best-game-to-watch-on-twitch-right-now/|url-status=live}}</ref>
<ref name=":18">{{Cite web|last=Liao|first=Shannon|date=September 26, 2020|title=Among Us, a murder mystery set in space, is the latest multimillion dollar craze in video games|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/26/tech/among-us-sequel-canceled/index.html|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200927064152/https://www.cnn.com/2020/09/26/tech/among-us-sequel-canceled/index.html|archive-date=September 27, 2020|access-date=September 27, 2020|website=[[CNN]]}}</ref>
<ref name="improb">{{Cite web|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|date=September 8, 2020|title=Among Us' Improbable Rise To The Top Of Twitch|url=https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/09/among-us-improbable-rise-to-the-top-of-twitch/|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200909025025/https://www.kotaku.com.au/2020/09/among-us-improbable-rise-to-the-top-of-twitch/|archive-date=September 9, 2020|access-date=September 8, 2020|website=[[Kotaku Australia]]|language=en-AU}}</ref>
<ref name=":17">
* {{Cite web|last=Rothery|first=Jen|date=August 26, 2020|title=The best games like Among Us: seven of the top social deduction and imposter games|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/social-deduction-games-like-among-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921123303/https://www.pcgamesn.com/social-deduction-games-like-among-us|archive-date=September 21, 2020|access-date=September 14, 2020|website=[[PCGamesN]]|language=en-GB |ref=none}}
* {{cite web|last1=Marshall|first1=Cass|date=September 22, 2020|title=Among Us is much better without 'confirm eject'|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/22/21450928/among-us-confirm-eject-setting-best-experience|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924153020/https://www.polygon.com/2020/9/22/21450928/among-us-confirm-eject-setting-best-experience|archive-date=September 24, 2020|access-date=September 22, 2020|website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]] |ref=none}}</ref>
}}
==Further reading==
*{{citation|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=October 14, 2020|date=October 14, 2020|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/14/style/among-us.html|title=With Nowhere to Go, Teens Flock to Among Us – YouTubers, influencers and streamers popularized the multiplayer game. Then their fans started playing too.|first=Taylor|last= Lorenz|quote=When an indie game company created ''Among Us'' in 2018, it was greeted with little fanfare. The multiplayer game remained under the radar as many games do — until the summer of the pandemic. Eager to keep viewers entertained during quarantine, Chance Morris, known online as Sodapoppin, began streaming the game, created by InnerSloth, to his 2.8 million followers on Twitch in July. By mid-September, ''Among Us'' caught on like wildfire. Suddenly major YouTube stars, TikTok influencers, and streamers were playing it. PewDiePie, James Charles, and Dr. Lupo have all played the game for millions. |ref=none}}
*{{citation|url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/10/14/how-among-us-became-a-mega-hit-thanks-to-amazon-twitch.html|work=[[CNBC]]|access-date=October 14, 2020|date=October 14, 2020|title=How Amazon's Twitch turned an obscure game called Among Us into a pandemic mega-hit|first=Salvador|last= Rodriguez|quote=Developed by InnerSloth, a small studio in Redmond, Washington, ''Among Us'' was download nearly 42 million times on Steam in the first half of September, according to Safebettingsites.com, and it was downloaded nearly 84 million times on iOS and Android that month, according to SensorTower. The game hasn't left the top five on Apple’s U.S. App Store since Sept. 1, and it has seen more than 158 million installs worldwide across the App Store and Google Play to date, SensorTower says. |ref=none}}
*{{citation|work=[[YouTube|YouTube Culture and Trends]]|title="Among Us" Surged in September – "Among Us" videos topped 4 billion views in September|access-date=October 14, 2020|date=October 14, 2020|url=https://www.youtube.com/trends/articles/among-us-september/|quote=''Among Us'' is an online multiplayer social deduction game developed by an American indie game studio, Innersloth. ''Among Us'' is a space-themed game in which a crew of astronauts must complete tasks while trying to figure out who among them is an imposter, who is sabotaging their work and killing the other players. The game has been available for about two years, but the viewership of videos related to the game soared last month. There were over 4 billion views of videos related to ''Among Us'' in September.}}
==Tactics and strategy==
=== Chess vs. Go ===
==Chess Variants==
==Computer Chess==
== Words from Chess ==
*[[gambit]] (origin in 1656)
== Rankings in Chess ==
==External links==
==External links==
*[http://www.fide.com/ FIDE] - International Chess Federation based in [[Switzerland]], which posts rankings of players in multiple categories
* {{Official site}}
{{Portalbar|Video games|Science fiction|Internet}}
{{authority control}}
<!-- Do NOT add "Category:Internet memes" or "Category:Internet memes introduced in 2020". The game itself is not a meme, but has generated memes. -->
[[Category:2018 video games]]
[[Category:2020 in internet culture]]
[[Category:2020s fads and trends]]
[[Category:Android (operating system) games]]
[[Category:Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the video game industry]]
[[Category:Chess]]
[[Category:IOS games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer online games]]
[[Category:Nintendo Switch games]]
[[Category:Party video games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 4 games]]
[[Category:PlayStation 5 games]]
[[Category:Science fiction video games]]
[[Category:Social deduction video games]]
[[Category:Strategy video games]]
[[Category:Survival video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in the United States]]
[[Category:Video games set in outer space]]
[[Category:Video games set on fictional planets]]
[[Category:Windows games]]
[[Category:Xbox One games]]
[[Category:Xbox Series X and Series S games]]