What is between us?: Is the multiplayer game Among Us safe for kids?

Among Us is a PEGI 7 rated online multiplayer game that allows a maximum of 10 players to take on the roles of a ‘Crewmate’ or ‘Imposter’. The object of the game is for the Crewmates to identify the players who are the impostors in the game. The imposters in the game have to secretly sabotage the tasks on the ship and kill the Crewmates before they finish their tasks.

What’s good about the game?: Is the multiplayer game Among Us safe for kids?

Promote communication and teamwork to achieve the ultimate goal of finding the imposter. It also presents an emotion for imposters, who are trying to hide their identity. The same goes for the Crewmates, who need to clear their name so they aren’t eliminated and have to do their chores while their lives are on the line.

Why is it so popular with young people?: Is the multiplayer game Among Us safe for kids?

Statistics from Twitch, the popular game streaming platform, show that more than 25 million hours of Among Us streams were viewed between August and October 2020. So why is it so popular?

It’s easy to play, “extremely social,” and involves a lot of teamwork and interaction with others, which is the key ingredient for the success of other multiplayer games. There is a level of customization of the avatars and the game itself. It can also be played on a variety of platforms (PC and mobile devices).

What attributes does it offer?

Hosting feature

Users can use this feature to set up a game in which it gives them the ability to customize the theme of the game, the number of imposters in the game and who can be blocked or removed from the game. This option also generates a code that can be shared with other players to give them access to the game if it is set to private (where it can only be accessed with a specific code provided by the host) instead of public (open to all). .

Set up a game in Among us as the Host.

Public feature

This allows users to join games that are set to public (available for everyone to join). Only 10 players can join each game before the game starts. This means that children can interact with many users they do not know.

Between us, screenshot of the game of the Host, Public and Private options.

The search function in Among Us to find games that are public.

Public and private settings in the game

Games can be configured to be public or private. The host of each game controls whether a game is public or private. If a game is private, users will need a specific code to play. If a game is public, any user of the platform will be able to find it in the “Public” section and join the game (as long as it is not full).

To limit potential interaction with strangers, setting games to private and requiring users to have a code to play is a safer option. This will mean that if a child wants to play with their friends, they will have to send the code to their friends via other platforms.

In-App Purchases

Players can purchase “accessories” to “customize” their avatar, such as hats. These cost between £ 1.89 – £ 2.99.

Shop where players can buy accessories in the game.

Advertisements

At the end of each game, or when a player dies in the game, they are shown an advertisement before another game can begin. However, if you are willing to pay £ 1.99, you can remove all the ads.

Free text
chat Free text chat has filters that remove inappropriate language and personal information.

How does it work?

The game can take place in one of three settings: a spaceship (The Skeld), an imaginary planet (Polus), or the headquarters (Mira HQ).

While the Crewmates are asked to complete a to-do list, the Imposter shuffles and takes out the Crewmates one after the other. When a player reports on a corpse, killed by an impostor, a discussion is requested so they can vote on who they think the impostor is.

When people have voted, the result is displayed and if the wrong person has been chosen, no crew member is removed or “kicked” from the ship. Sometimes players can call emergency meetings, which there are a limited number of.

Screenshot of the discussion of Among Us in the game

Some players have to lie to keep their impostor identity a secret. The teamwork aspect arises where each player can use the in-game chat feature to communicate their reasons for choosing a particular player or defend why they are not the imposter.

In order for the imposters to win the game, they have to sabotage the countdown or eliminate multiple crewmates so that there are the same number of imposters as crewmates. Those who are taken out of the game are before the end, they can still help their companions as ‘ghosts’.

Game example Among Us.

Using other chat features

In addition to the in-game chat feature, including the aforementioned free text chat, players can also use Discord Servers to talk to each other in-game. However, if you are playing on a mobile device and you join a public game, you will not know that the other players are chatting on Discord until the game has started. This can present an unfair advantage, as some players will not be included in team discussions on the Discord server.

What should parents worry about?

Talk to strangers in the game.

If your child is playing a public game, he may meet and chat with people he does not know, which could put him at risk.

View inappropriate content

Although you can use the censorship filter to block inappropriate language, it doesn’t block everything, and there are words that the filter doesn’t catch. So despite this feature, there is a possibility that children are exposed to inappropriate content .

Are there security features?

Parental Portal
Innersloth has added a Parent Portal, although creating an account is not required, some features will be blocked if you choose not to. The security measures are aimed at making Among Us safer for everyone and especially for children under the age of 13.

Review your child’s activity
Within the Parental Portal, you can review your child’s profile, their functions, applications, and what they can and cannot access.

Permissions
Children under the age of digital consent (13 in most countries) will need permission from a parent or guardian to access the free chat, create an account, or change their display name.


Censor option to remove foul language

Disable the chat feature in Among Us

To limit interactions with strangers, you can encourage children to set games private and allow only people they know to enter the game.

If a player becomes a problem, the only person who can eliminate them is the Host. This means that all players have no choice but to trust the Host to take action if something goes wrong in the game.

A more secure quick chat text feature

Between us: quick chat function

According to Among Us, the new text chat feature: ‘Quick Chat’ is intended to be a ‘faster and safer alternative to open text chat’. The free chat option is still available, but if a child is under the age limit to play Among Us (under 13), the quick chat option is for them.

Ratings: what you need to know

Among Us was originally rated PEGI 16 when it launched in June 2018, however, following a surge in interest in the game, it was reclassified as PEGI 7 following another review of the game by the VSC Rating Board.. In the Apple App Store, it is also listed as suitable for ages 9 and up.

Based on the PEGI Rating this indicates that the game may “contain some possibly scary scenes or sounds. Games can show violence as long as it is unrealistic and directed at fantasy characters. There may be some unrealistic violence towards people or violent actions (for example: bombing of cities or non-human targets). “

Among Us contains some cartoon violence, as the Imposter character is instructed to take out the Crewmates on the ship, however it is not graphic nor does it target real people.