Life After Death
If you’ve joined the hype-train and played Among Us in the last month or so, you’ll have found that there is a lot to love about the adorable little space people slaughtering each other in amusing little hats. Things can be a lot less fun once you’ve been on the receiving end of said slaughtering, however, and developer Innersloth is well aware of the problem.
The sudden popularity of the multiplayer game has been a big story, as friends who aren’t able to hang out in person are instead gathering on a malfunctioning ship as it hurtles through space. If you haven’t played the game, the concept is this: You and your friends rush around a modular space station completing tasks, while one of you is secretly a killer hell-bent on sabotaging and murdering your fellow astronauts – very astro-naughty if you ask me!
One you have been murdered however, or wrongfully accused of being the killer among us and kicked out of the ship, you return as a ghost. While it is initially fun to float through walls, the novelty soon wears off and even though you can still complete tasks, the fun factor definitely takes a dive. Furthermore, many players admit to leaving the game, or simply ignoring it until the next round starts. Innersloth programmer Forest Willard discussed the issue recently, admitting “We’ve thought of a lot about [making ghosts into] Guardian Angels and stuff like that, but it’s a difficult thing to pull off but we’re definitely thinking about those sort of things.”
How exactly would a guardian angel mechanic work? Perhaps deceased players would have the ability to heal others if they find them first, or else they could otherwise hinder the killer? However such an update is handled, it would certainly change the balance of the game – something the developers are likely keenly aware of. Innersloth is dedicated to supporting their surprise smash hit, going as far as to cancel development on a sequel to ensure they don’t squander their moment in the limelight. They have also promised to deal with the unfortunate cheating that the game’s popularity has attracted, and while we are excited for what they come up with next, it is inspiring to see a developer truly putting their heart and soul into something that is bringing a lot of joy to a lot of people.
How would you change Among Us? Add weapons, new tasks, big head mode? Let us know in the comments below!