What is Among Us? How to play, availability & more
Among Us is a high paced and popular online game. Its reach had increased to such an extent that it was close to beating Roblox to become the most downloaded mobile game. But, the reach of the game has faded away a bit, still it has a core fan base.
Boldly, it is more like a social deception game, and can be downloaded for free on Android and iOs. The game has received mixed comments since its launch back in 2018.
So, the major concern is what if your child or any family kids asked to play Among Us? In such a case you might think, is it safe for children? What do parents need to be aware of Among Us and more questions like this.
You don’t need to worry in this blog post if all these questions get answered. So, as a parent you stay free and your child stays secure. So, Let’s dive in.
What Is Among Us Game?
Among Us is a space theme based online game. It has multiplayer and highly strategic games. The number of players can be 4 to 10 and it offers a friends group as well as random online joining options.
As the theme of the game is space oriented so the players get it also according to it. The players are colourful bulbous cartoons in which astronauts set up and get up and go for a mission.
How does Among Us work?
The landscape of the game is easy and the players have two role options to choose from. First, the role of crewmate which includes completing all the tasks related to the mission, second is the role of imposter whose task is to destroy the mission and crew by any means.
The crewmates got a list of tasks to complete for the departure of the spaceship. Tasks like fixing the weather node need multiple steps to complete or deciding the spaceship position also takes time.
On the other hand, the role of imposter is to stop and break the space mission of crewmates. As the game continues the imposter tries various methods to kill the crew. The game only gets a break when the body is identified or calls for an emergency meeting to discuss further strategy.
For crewmates, it is necessary to complete all the assigned tasks or discover the imposter to win the game. While, for imposter, it is necessary to avoid all the detection and kill the all crews.
Why do children like Among Us?
The game didn’t receive as much attention and reach since the second half of 2020. During this time Among Us games received a huge spike and started getting users from all across the globe. The pandemic might also be the reason for such instant growth but, it was in favor of game creators.
The game topped the Google Play and App Store charts at the same time. It provides an easy interface to chat, teamwork involved and the perk of set up private games with friends. All these features attract young kids and childrens.
The whole set up has become so intriguing that many get involved without being aware of surroundings. Whether avoiding imposter or completing the task, both are highly engaging.
Is Among Us safe for children?
Yes, the game is safe for children but with some precautions. It is recommended to kids of age 10 and above due to violent setup transformation during the game. The body, Common Sense Media, also issues regulations to Among Us gaming.
Since the game is highly engaging, the children below age 10 might get disturbed and abused in the game. It might disturb them mentally and physically. So, it is safe only under precautions.
What do parents need to be aware of Among Us?
No matter how trustful your children or how effective rule has been released by the government. Being a parent you must have to be upfront with your kids. The children usually have lesser understanding and high sensitivity. So, you never know what and when things will go wrong.
Your kids want to play the game and also you don’t want to stop him or her. Then, being a parent there are few major things you must be aware of.
Unmoderated chat
The voting to identify imposter is done via unmoderated chat. In such a case there are chances that your children might be interacting with inappropriate language. However there is a ‘censer chat’ option available but it’s not fully proof. Such vulnerability may fall into excess to slang and even vulgarity.
The other flip side of the game, the censer feature can be turned off with a single click and there is no option for parents to stop their child from changing it. There is a Kick feature which activates during the play time and it allows to eliminate any player in case any bad language is used.
During the waiting period in the lobby, players do share personal information in chat, including sharing location, social media handles, and ages.
Friends list
This is one of the most fragile spaces in the game if it is in right then all well otherwise it can change things for the worse. Being a parent you can allow your kids to add users to a friend list and vice versa.
It gives access to send and accept invitations to game lobbies. But for safety and fair play you can ask your child to create a private friends list which leads to safe lobbies. The private lobby is secure to play with full control of eliminating any stranger attempt of adding in the list.
Violence
The whole operation of the Among Us game is killing and being not killed while completing all the assigned tasks. The whole and only aim of the imposter is to murder crew members and destroy their equipment.
Most murder involve violent activity such as grabbing necks, dragging and stabbing. For crew members the only aim is to be hidden from imposters. But, once they get in there is no option of pretending or anything but death.
When any players get killed there are violent graphics shown which have a higher tendency to influence the mindstate of your child.
Conclusion
Among Us is a great game and already curated a higher user base especially among young and teenage. The game comes up with great graphics, and mission experiences which engage the players a lot.
But, the other sensible side of the game can’ t be ignored like excess to the stranger, and sharing personal details. Being a parent you must be aware of these operations and activity of your child.