You run down the hallway as fast as your stubby little legs can carry you, popping in and out of vents and trying not to be seen. You spot someone standing alone in the electrical room, fixing some wires. The “kill” button pops up, and you press it. The bean-like avatar in front of you falls over, head missing, as you hop back into the vent, hoping that no one figures out that you are the imposter.

This is Among Us, the spaceship-centric murder-mystery mini game that has recently been sweeping the internet. If you are assigned the role of “Crewmate,” your job is to complete tasks, report bodies, and discuss with everyone who you suspect the murderous imposter might be. If you are secretly assigned the role of “Imposter,” you and your Imposter teammate attempt to murder, sabotage, and lie your way to victory. Will you sit back and let the others argue? Or will you pass the blame onto someone else? Let the game begin.

Innersloth, the indie game developer behind this smash-hit, first released Among Us back in 2018; however, it has just recently blown up due to the sudden rise of Youtubers and Twitch streamers playing it for their audience. The escapades and high tension of Among Us are great for commentary, but it’s just as fun to experience for yourself! The game is $5 on Steam for the computer, but it’s completely free on mobile (save for some unnecessary cosmetic in-game purchases). This lowers the bar of entry, so anyone can play!

Among Us requires you to communicate with players via chat or verbally through voice chats, making it a great way to stay in touch with your friends during quarantine. Every time I open my computer, I’m greeted by another Among Us meme my friend has sent me in the hope of getting me to join their ongoing game. When my friends and I hop on a voice call and boot up the game, we always have a great time together despite the distance! We argue, accuse, and yell at each other, but it’s all in good fun, and I can feel our friendships strengthening.

Above all, the main appeal of Among Us is the social deception. As your friends battle each other with claims such as “Red was looking sus,” you can sit back, deflecting their accusations with a simple “No, no, I was swiping my admin key card!” If you become the target for inspection, it is up to you to be as convincing as possible when you tell the others, “that’s cap!” If you do not, you can (and will) be ejected out of the spaceship and potentially lose the game.

The stakes are high — Will you survive? Or will you become a ghost haunting the map?