Among Us is a multiplayer game for four to fifteen players.[8] Up to three players are randomly[9] chosen to be the impostor(s) each round. A round can take place on one of four maps: a spaceship called "The Skeld"; a headquarters building called "MIRA HQ"; a planet base called "Polus";[10] or "The Airship", which is based on Innersloth's Henry Stickmin series.[11][12]
At the start of the game, Crewmates are assigned "tasks" to complete around the map in the form of minigames, consisting of maintenance work on vital systems such as fixing wires and downloading data.[13] Impostors are given a fake list of tasks to blend in with Crewmates. However, they cannot legitimately perform tasks. Impostors can sabotage vital systems (such as the ship's oxygen supply), covertly travel through vents, and work with other Impostors to kill Crewmates. If a player dies, they become a ghost. Ghosts can pass through walls, spectate other players, and chat with other ghosts.[14] Living players have a limited cone of vision,[15] but ghosts do not have this limitation.[16]
Ghosts help their living teammates by completing their tasks (as a Crewmate) or performing sabotages (as an Impostor).[10] The Impostors win when they kill enough Crewmates to be equal in number, or when the Crewmates fail to resolve a major sabotage.[14] The Crewmates win by completing all tasks, or by identifying and ejecting all Impostors.[10] Games can also end by players quitting the match if doing so fulfills any win condition (if a crewmate quits the game, their tasks are automatically considered completed).[17][18]
To help the Crewmates identify Impostors, there are various surveillance systems on each map, such as security cameras system on The Skeld,[19] a doorlog in MIRA HQ,[20] and a vitals indicator in Polus.[10] Crewmates may also confirm their identity through visual tasks, which cannot be faked by Impostors.[21] Any living player may call a group meeting by reporting a dead body, or by pressing the Emergency Meeting button at any time (except during major sabotages, when Emergency Meetings cannot be called, but dead bodies can still be reported).[14][22][23]
During a meeting, players discuss who they believe is an Impostor based on the available evidence. A plurality vote is held, and the chosen player is ejected from the map and they become a ghost.[13][14] Players can communicate in a text chat,[13] but only during meetings, and only if they are alive (though ghosts can speak with o shit
