Have you been called “sus” yet? If you haven’t, then it’s probably because the video game Among Us hasn’t made its way to your school. But don’t worry, it’s only a matter of time before it does... 

Among Us: How does it work?

Among Us is a multiplayer game that centres around a group of characters who are on a spaceship, trying to get home.

Unbeknownst to the characters, members of their party have been replaced by parasitic shapeshifters who are trying to sabotage the ship and kill the crew.

For the crew, the aim of the game is to complete all of their assigned tasks on the ship and to figure out who the imposters are - they can’t speak to each other during this time.

For the imposters, the aim of the game is to kill the crew.

Whenever one of the imposters makes a kill, and someone finds the body, all players are pulled out of the game into a lobby, where they can discuss what they’ve seen and accuse one another of being the imposter.

The round ends with a voting process; if someone is voted out, they will be “airlocked” out of the ship, regardless of whether they are actually an impostor or not.

If you have ever played the campfire game ‘Mafia’, then this all might sound familiar. Among Us is essentially a more complicated, video game version of that.

Why is it popular with kids at the moment?

Two words: Twitch streamers.

Twitch is a streaming platform, where people play video games while an audience watches them.

Among Us is a great game to stream - it requires a lot of people to play, so streamers can join forces to play with one another, combining their audiences. Videos of their gameplay can also be uploaded to YouTube, some of which get millions of views. 

It’s not just professional streamers who are getting in on the action, though. US senators Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar were watched by at least 400,000 people when they played the game as part of an appeal to get young people to vote in the upcoming US election.

Does the game pose safeguarding risks?

While the game seems to be designed to be played with friends, it has an online function where you can play with people across the world.

According to Dawn Jotham from the safeguarding company Educare (owned by Tes Global), the risks of children playing Among Us are similar to the risks of them playing any online game: there is the potential for them to access inappropriate material or share personal information, and there is also the chance of being exposed to bullying or offensive language.

However, Jotham points out that Among Us “gets generally good reviews except for the chat function, where many adults are reporting inappropriate language”.

Dawn Antonia, a safeguarding lead working in a school, likewise raises concerns about the in-game chat function.

“If children are accessing this independently, then it is unlikely that the settings ensure that these chats are limited to friends only,” she says.

“This of course increases the children’s risk of exposure to inappropriate language and discussions, and increases the risk of more sinister discussions, possibly leading to online grooming.”

This is something that schools need to be aware of when planning lessons around online safety, she adds.

“We need to tailor our online safety sessions to the current platforms and games that children are playing, reinforcing the importance of sharing any concerns or worries around their online gaming with trusted adults.”

What does this mean for school staff?

Jotham makes the point that while school staff “can’t be expected to know everything about new games”, it is helpful for them to have “an awareness of risks and trends online”.

To help with this, Jotham recommends taking a look at Common Sense Media, which offers useful advice to those working with children about the suitability of games. This information can then also be passed on to parents.

Should teachers be worried about Among Us? Overall, it should cause no more concern than any other video game. So, don’t worry too much if all your students are suddenly calling you “sus” (suspicious). It’s no more harmful than those Fortnite dances.