It’s what’s known as a social deduction game, which means the game-play focuses on a conflict between two teams: the informed minority and the uninformed majority. Play online or over local WiFi with 4-10 players as you attempt to prep your spaceship for departure, but beware as one will be an impostor bent on killing everyone! Released in 2018 to little acclaim or interest, Among Us suddenly exploded over the last few months. They are also busy welcoming their first child into their life, which has been the best adventure life has given yet. Among us was originally rated PEGI 16 when it was released in June 2018 however following an increase in interest in the game it was reclassified as PEGI 7 following another review of the game by the VSC Rating board. The who-did-it game features a crew on a ship attempting to make repairs, while a rogue "Impostor" works to take them out before their tasks can be accomplished. Communication with others is essential to gameplay as it’s all … The Impostor can use sabotage to cause chaos, making for easier kills and better alibis. At its core, Among Us is a game about teamwork, where you work together to figure out who can and can’t be trusted within the group of players. It’s rare that a new game comes along that appeals to adults, teens and children alike, so this is partly what explains the surging popularity of the online and mobile video game, Among Us. Among Us has reemerged as one of Fall 2020's most popular games, despite seeing its full release on Steam almost two years ago. The age that is appropriate for playing the game varies from person to person and, in the end, is up to a parent to decide. They have had a wild freelance career in being a nerd, spending time traveling as a professional cosplayer and becoming a published illustrator while working the night grind as an IT tech. But in fact, the vast majority of this game is relatively tame. Next: Among Us Impostors: Should You Have 3, 2, or 1? As we said in our parent’s guide to Fortnite, multiple studies prove that violent video games do not increase aggression in kids. Most kids (and grown-ups too) will eventually want to play with others. Just make sure they know how to handle strangers, to avoid naughty chat, and YOU as the parent have to … You might hear the word “murder” and “kill” and decide this game isn’t appropriate for your kids. The base game comes with different coloured suits your character can wear as well as funny hats, including a flamingo floatie, a chef’s toque, a toilet plunger or an Elvis-style pompadour. Since the late summer, Among Us has become the subject of many memes and gaming streams online attracting over 60 million daily users and garnering over 100 million downloads of the mobile app. So as long as your kids have access to a phone or tablet, they can access the online features without spending any money. The only catch is that players are only allowed to talk to each other during emergency meetings, which only happens after a body of a slain Crewmate is found and reported or someone presses the emergency meeting button (each player can only press the button once per game, depending on your settings). Among Us is a good game for teaching children the ins and outs of deductive reasoning and socialization. Some are relatively simple, like ejecting waste into space or charting a course to a planet, while others are more complex, such as working on the electrical systems on your vessel. Whether your kid is asking for permission to play, or they’ve been playing it for a while now, this guide has the answers to all the questions parents may have about this popular online murder-mystery game. A key factor in whether a game is good for a certain age group can be determined with the teaching of internet safety. If you have a tween or teen who’s bored at home, you’ve likely heard them talk about playing the videogame Among Us with their friends online. Parents can help their children set up groups with friends their age to help encourage an appropriate atmosphere with peers instead of strangers. Although it can be easy to forget, Among Us is both cheap (or free) and available on mobile - and rated E in both Google and Apple's app stores. Aside from violent content, though, there's another aspect of Among Us parents should be aware of. Being able to talk about the game mechanics and strategies and understand game-specific jargon like “venting” and “sus” will allow your kid to be involved in discussions and jokes said within friend groups and not feel left out. Since the game is easy enough to learn and fun for adults too, you may want to try playing as a family first to see how your kid manages before letting them play online with friends. Among Us is what it is, and unapologetically so. The ESRB reportedly recommends players be at least 10 years of age … Among Us is really popular with teenagers. Understanding this, is Among Us safe for kids to play? And you can chat about things like why it’s OK to lie during a game but not OK in other circumstances. The kill animations are actually only put on screen for the Crewmate being killed, so although you’re likely to be a Crewmate most of the time, you’ll witness the animation no more than once per game (if at all). There is a killing of imposters and blood that isn’t good for younger children. However, one of the players is an impostor intent on sabotaging the ship and killing the crew. When a player is killed, a cutscene plays that shows a cute spacer stabbing the other player repeatedly or spiking them through the visor with a projectile, among other death sequences. Back in 2018, the game received a … Being able to talk about the game mechanics and strategies and understand game-specific jargon like “venting” and “sus” will allow your kid to be involved in discussions and jokes said within friend groups and not feel left out . As Among Us continues to be one of the most popular games around, it may be worth reminding those who go into its public lobbies that social courtesy should not go out the airlock when you boot up the game. St. Joseph Communications uses cookies for personalization, to customize its online advertisements, and for other purposes. This fun and educational app is filled with trusted brands like Disney, Nickelodeon, PBS Kids, Amazon Originals, Sesame Street, National Geographic and more. Among Us is an online multiplayer game where players have to determine the “good guy” players from the “bad guy” players — otherwise known as a social deduction game. If the Crewmates want to win, they must either discover who the Imposters are and vote them off the ship, or finish repairing the ship by doing little tasks (which present as simple mini-games) before the Imposters are able to kill everyone. Due to the public chat, the age of app in the App Stores should be at least 12+. Plus, in a family setting, kids would be able to decide whether they want to continue playing without having to fear repercussions from their peers. There’s a slight chance that playing too long and too often will affect your child’s mood, but that’s likely less a function of the specific activity or content within the game, and more a sign that your kid might have a tendency to fixate on games. This will also be a great time to have the "Internet safety talk." These are the worst video games for kids this season—be sure they're not on your list. While there is room to debate what age is best to get into playing Among Us, as well as what features might make for a safer game environment, help and guidance from parents on internet safety is the key factor for any young gamer. Luckily, our simple guide has the answers. The Imposters know what role each player was assigned (i.e., they know who the other bad guys are), while the Crewmates are none the wiser. No. A one-stop shop for all things video games. In order for Imposters to win, they must kill all the Crewmates without getting caught. ESRB ratings make it easy for parents to get informed about the video games their kids play, but there’s more parents can do to stay involved and up to date. An in-game friend list for Among Us would also be handy for parents, especially in the mobile version of the game, but Among Us unfortunately does not have one yet. The game also features cross-platform play, so your kid can play with their friends no matter which version they’re playing. © Copyright 2021 St. Joseph Communications. Even so, they maybe be exposed to bullying or comments that are racist, sexist or homophobic during those meetings as the chats are not moderated (although there is a setting to turn on a rudimentary chat censor that blocks profanity). If your kid is playing with a specific group of friends, they’ll likely play in a private game which requires a code to enter, so no strangers can get in. This can be a benefit as it helps hone kids’ logic and social skills, especially during a time when kids may be stuck at home and in need of socialization. Within the 2D murder-mystery game, indie developer Innersloth cooks up a unique atmosphere filled with space stations, intergalactic chores, and lies. Amazon Kids+ (FreeTime Unlimited) is an all-in-one subscription for kids that offers unlimited access to over 10,000 kid-friendly books, movies, and TV shows for children 3 – 12 years old. However, we must note that the game is also about betrayal; for those playing as Imposters, certain undesirable social skills like lying and manipulation are the key to winning. ... can play a role in guiding them towards healthy habits and appropriate content. Laura Gray is a writer, illustrator and gamer in cozy Boise Idaho. The site explains that Among Us originally had a PEGI 16 rating for … Among Us is an online multiplayer game from the developers at InnerSloth that has players working together to fix their crumbling spaceship while figuring out who the imposters are. There is a text chat function in the game, but as previously mentioned, it’s only open during “emergency meetings” and those last for only about 30 seconds. These show fairly violent scenes, including getting stabbed with a knife or a sharp alien tongue, getting your character’s neck broken and getting shot with a gun. When I first heard about the game, people described it as something similar to Mafia or Town of Salem. Common Sense Media rates the game as good for ages 10+ (and it tends to be conservative in its age recommendations). Crewmates can win by completing all tasks or discovering and voting the impostor off the ship. It’s been available to play since 2018, but this year saw Among Us skyrocket to popularity as the COVID-19 pandemic forced people in lockdown to connect with friends online rather than in person. Is It Child-Friendly? Children are not the primary audience, but the video is still directed at children because it features actors, characters, activities, games, songs, stories, or other subject matter that reflect an intent to target children. AMONG US is a betrayal-based party game set in space with a group of four to 10 explorers. New apps are constantly being created, so it’s important to monitor what your child downloads. Instead, when you make a kill—which is easier said than done depending on your skill level—the victim’s character simply becomes that “honey-baked ham” and falls to the floor. The game's cartoon style makes it feel like it is good for any age, but it is primarily geared at young teenagers and up. If your children aren’t already playing it, they’ve probably watched YouTubers playing … Among Us offers the ability to create lobbies from Steam friend lists instead of just random rooms. Among Us can be hacked to send ads and spam in chat lobbies, as well, and older players might not be aware of much younger players and use language some might deem inappropriate for that age group. Like many games that shoot to popularity, Among Us has some features it needs to improve that would create a better experience for players of all ages. Among Us Age Ratings There is actually quite a bit of disagreement about what age rating Among Us should have. While the graphics are cartoon-like there is still the use of knives and visuals of the cartoon players being stabbed and killed. So, is Among Us safe for your child? However, Imposters will try their best to convince the other players that they’re one of the good guys, so players must use logic to see beyond the deception and make the right choices. Released in 2018 to Steam as a fun, cheap, multiplayer game, Among Us soared to abrupt popularity this fall as a viral gaming sensation. Among Us is not suitable for primary school-aged children under 12. If it’s too intense—which it can be at times, with the background music and sound effects—you’ll be there to comfort them. The game draws in players of all ages, and its community encourages the use of external platforms for chatting outside of the game, as well as during play sessions. The mobile app is free to download and play, but the PC and Switch versions costs money: $5.69CAD for the PC version via Steam and $6.30CAD for the Switch version via the Nintendo eShop. Then, the potential audience for gameplay exploded, and the cartoonish, collaborative nature of Among Us was ideal to improve the stuck-inside doldrums. Single-player is fun but only for so long. There’s no visible blood in the game, and when a player finds the “dead body” of another player, the cartoony art style makes it look more like a colourful honey-baked ham than a corpse. Galaxy S21 Ultra Vs. iPhone 12 Pro Max: Best Advanced Camera Features? In the United States, Among Us is rated ESRB 10+ for fantasy violence and mild blood. With the DLC, you can purchase skins (i.e., outfits), more funny hats (like a flowerpot or a brain slug) or even pets that follow you around in the game. There are three different maps to explore and each game only lasts around 10-15 minutes, so even if you die or get voted out, its not long before you can play again. If you're a parent of a young child or teen, you may have been introduced to Among Us first-hand. Among Us Impostors: Should You Have 3, 2, or 1? 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. This year may be bad, but having fun experiences definitely isn't; Among Us provides a much-needed … These all range in price but most are between $1 to $4. By Kevin John Siazon This probably has parents wondering: Is Among Us appropriate for kids to play? Related: How To Have A Civil Argument In Among Us (& What The Rules Should Be). Among Us can be hacked to send ads and spam in chat lobbies, as well, and older players might not be aware of much younger players and use language some might deem inappropriate for that age group. Like in Fortnite, these packs are cosmetic and don’t affect the way the game is played or help your kid win—they just change the way your character looks on screen. Among Us is currently available to download on mobile (on Android and iOS), on Nintendo Switch and on Windows PC. here is a current list of some of the most dangerous apps. As crewmates, you're given different tasks to handle on your ship. “You can also require that your kids use a private invite code to play only with friends they know, versus connecting virtually with strangers,“ says Graber. The use of knives and visuals of the most dangerous apps towards healthy habits and appropriate content to. So your kid bad habits certain age group can be determined with the teaching of Internet.... 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