Among Us

Among Us is a free space-themed online game where up to 15 players play together and are assigned the roles of ‘Crewmate’ or ‘Imposter’. The aim of the game is for the crewmates to identify the players who are the imposters before the imposters can secretly sabotage their tasks and individually kill the crewmates. When a crewmate is killed and the dead body is reported, there is then a discussion among the remaining crewmates so that they can vote on who they think is the imposter. This game is all about communication and strategy. The game is free to download on most devices, but Nintendo Switch users will need to purchase the game. Among Us has a virtual reality version of the game, Among Us VR. This first-person 3D version puts up to 10 players in the location setting ('Skeld') to compete as either crewmate or imposter. Among Us VR is available on Meta Quest, Rift and Steam VR.

Official age rating

Among Us is a PEGI rated 7 game.

It is worth noting that in the Apple App Store, the game is rated as 9+.

The PEGI 7 rating reflects that Among Us is a suspense, murder mystery and strategy game with a cartoon visual feel. It is not a game with realistic violence or adult orientated content. The game contains elements that might be frightening for some children and young people. There are no age verification methods used when creating an account, so ensure your child has entered their correct date of birth to benefit from some of the safety settings.

Find out more about age ratings in our ‘A parent and carer’s guide to age ratings of apps and games’.

How children and young people use the app

Among Us is a free, easy to learn and social game in which players have to deceive and outwit each other in order to win. The interactivity and set up of the game make it fun for children and young people to play together. Children and young people can host a game and play with their friends, with each of them performing one of their assigned roles. The look of the game can be changed in terms of the characters, and usernames but the game can also be customised, for example, by choosing the number of imposters and the speed of play. The game can also be played across a range of platforms including via the app.

Key features and terminology

Potential risks

Content

The content within the game has a PEGI 7 rating, reflecting that this is a game with suspense, where players must secretly kill other players. However, this is not done in an overly graphic way and the game does not contain explicit sexual or violent content or any other adult themes. The animation sequences for when a player’s character is killed by the imposter is very sudden and could be considered distressing for some children. It is the most graphic and dramatic moment of the game so we would recommend that parents and carers watch these killing animations in advance to determine whether it would upset their child.

The in-game chat function is where players may stumble across inappropriate content in the form of bad language which the chat filtering does not pick up on. If your child is playing publicly or privately, you can set chat filters which determine whether they can use ‘Quick chat’ or ‘Free text’ chat. There are some filters within the free text chat in Among Us to filter out personal information, but these should not be relied on and can be easily turned off.  For account holders under 13, the game defaults to ‘Quick chat’ mode where players can only select comments or questions from a pre-populated list. By restricting who your child can access on the platform, your child is less likely to experience language or behaviour that is not suitable for their age.  However, it should be acknowledged that your child may still be exposed to inappropriate content by their known contacts.

Unmoderated usernames may also expose your child to harmful and inappropriate language, and in some cases, telephone numbers. Encourage your child to speak to you if they see anything that makes them feel uncomfortable and enforce that they should not contact people they meet while playing via text message or social media.

Connecting with others

The most significant risk in Among Us is the fact that it can be played publicly. The hosting feature of the game means that children and young people can decide to play with just their friends by setting up a game and sharing the game’s access code with their friends. Equally, they can join a friend’s game by entering the access code that their friend has shared with them. However, the game can also be played publicly where any user on the platform can join it. The game is safer if you encourage your child to play the game privately with their known friends so that they are not interacting with strangers. Remind your child not to accept an access code or friend request shared by someone they do not know and trust in real life. Speak to your child about the risks of chatting with strangers and explain the importance of not sharing any personal or identifiable information with other players within chats. Encourage them to tell you if they have been asked more personal questions or to chat privately using a different app.

It is also worth noting that some gamers use third party chatting apps like Discord to chat whilst gaming. Ask your child if they are using any additional chatting apps whilst playing and check who they are communicating with. It may be helpful to know that although chatting is an appealing part of gaming, it is not essential to play. Within the game there are also direct links to Among Us and Innersloth (the game creator) accounts on Discord, X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Whilst you may have enabled the relevant settings on Among Us to ensure your child is not interacting with strangers, these settings will not apply on third-party platforms. Encourage your child to talk to you if they have been directed to another platform or if they have been approached by someone they don’t know having followed these links.

User behaviour

Among Us has its own code of conduct, which all players must adhere to in order to play. Players who deviate from the expected behaviour risk being removed from the game. Speak to your child about what is appropriate behaviour when playing a multiplayer game and ensure they know how to report inappropriate or offensive behaviour.  The introduction of the ToxMod tool to moderate voice chat in Among Us VR is an attempt to reduce the toxic behaviour between players that can exist on the platform. Any language detected which sits outside of the code of conduct will be assessed and the appropriate action taken. Younger players who are using the ‘Free chat’ feature should also be aware of what is and is not appropriate for them to post in chats, and discuss the various ways they can protect themselves by sharing in private rather than public forums. Ensure your child knows it can be difficult to keep ownership of any content once it has been shared online, as content can easily be copied and reposted without their knowledge and can then become difficult to remove from the internet.

Design, data and costs

As with most free online games, there are opportunities for players to make in-game purchases to personalise their characters. These do not benefit the gameplay, but they can nonetheless be extremely appealing for players. Speak to your child about in-app purchases to affirm their understanding that real money is used to make purchases within the game. You can also set the relevant in-app purchase settings on your device.  If your child is under 13, a parent’s email address is needed to verify the account. To do this, a physical credit or debit card is required, so it is important to check that the game is not linked to your bank cards or financial details. The game also makes money through advertising. At the end of each game, players are shown an ad before they can start a new game. If you are willing to pay, you can remove all adverts. It is also important to note that the nature of this game is to keep users engaged for long amounts of time and that young users may find it difficult to tear themselves away from it. Encourage them to take regular breaks away from their screen and work with them to set appropriate screentime limits.

Tips for keeping your child safe

Additional tips

Encourage your child to set up their own games as host and only play with people they know. It is recommended you check with them who is in their friends lists. 

If they are playing publicly, make sure your child keeps their information private and consider setting controls on the chat function to help keep them safe.