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Family Guide to Among Us

Among Us (and the upcoming sequel Among Us 2) is a strategy game where crew-mates prepare their space ship for launch by completing tasks. However, one or two of the players is an impostor intent on sabotaging the ship and killing the crew. As the game progresses in real-time the impostor carefully picks off players, who can then pause the game for an emergency meeting to discuss and vote traitors off the ship.

Why It's Fun

It's an unusual game because it combines the thrill of action and puzzles with sitting down and talking to the other players. One minute you can be chasing around trying to assassinate someone when the next you are trying to convince the other players of your innocence in a meeting.

How You Play

Among Us is available on Android and iOS for free. There are adverts in the Android version. And can be purchased for PC. You can play with people on different systems and choose whether this includes strangers online or a private match with friends and family.

The controls are either touch-screen, keyboard or joystick and relatively simple. When you are in meetings you can talk to other players by typing messages. 

Age Rating

Among Us is rated PEGI 7 because the characters, the violence and the reactions to the violence are all non-realistic and simplistically animated. Parents and carers should note that the player-interactions in the game are not part of the PEGI criteria, as is flagged by the Players Interact label on the game.

You can limit these interactions with the parental control and family settings on your system. It's also worth knowing that because the game doesn't offer voice chat, some players choose to use an app like Discord to be able to speak to each other during the discussion element of the game.

In-App Purchases

Although you can play the game without additional purchases. It does offer the following items that add new locations and outfits:

  • Brainslug Pet Bundle - adds Slug pets and UFO's to the game.
  • Polus Skin Bundle - adds a new map, winter gear and mining outfits.
  • Bedcrab Pet Bundle - adds Bedcrab and Squiq pets.
  • Hamster Pet Bundle - adds Hamster and Dog pets.

Accessibility

This is a game that can be enjoyed by a wide range of players. If you want to make it less pressured you can adjust the time you have to discuss and vote on who is an impostor as well as reduce the player, crewmate and impostor speed. You can also adjust how hard it is to kill a player and how far people can see in the game to adjust how hard it is to play and give new players an advantage.

Offline Alternatives

If you would like to play a game like an Among Us style game on a console, or without the online aspect of play, the following are some great suggestions for families:

Spaceteam (PEGI 3) offers a communication and teamwork challenge set in space, with a new VR version just released.

Hot Lava is an online playground style game but limits the number of players to four. You can also choose to compete for high scores on your own.

Spaceland (PEGI 7) is a space adventure played against a computer player. It's played in a turn-based form so is lower pressure than Among Us.

Hello Neighbor (PEGI 12) is a game where you try and escape one player who is trying to catch you. Secret Neighbor is a more recent version that offers four players online.

Avatar for Andrew Robertson
Andrew Robertson
Andy Robertson is the editor of AskAboutGames and has written for national press and broadcast about video games and families for over 15 years. He has just published the Taming Gaming book with its Family Video Game Database.