Month: October 2020

If there’s one downfall of online multiplayer games, it’s cheaters. Among Us has fallen prey to those nefarious parties that’lll do anything to secure victory. So how can you avoid the cheaters?

The answer has a few components to it. We’ll dive into what kinds of cheating you may encounter in InnerSloth’s social deduction mega hit, how to avoid them if you can, and what, if anything, the developer is planning to do about it.

Here are the most common types of cheating in Among Us:

1. Always Impostor
2. Read dead chat
3. Move speed hack
4. Wall hacking
5. Voting interference
6. Backchannel chat

Let’s get right into it.

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Types of cheating

Among Us isn’t unique in having cheaters; nearly every major video game has to deal with these kinds of players at some point. However, in other games, the hacking and cheating is usually to get a reward or currency more quickly. In Among Us, though, there isn’t a currency, there aren’t any achievements, and there are no rewards.

It leaves one wondering why players would hack at all.

There are plenty of modpacks and hacks available for the game. Players can download these hacks and have access to a wide range of abilities that they couldn’t use before. It might include an ability to always be the impostor, moving faster than all the other players, and insta-killing the entire lobby.

The cheating can come in a few forms that all have different results. Keep reading to find out how to identify them and what you’ll see when they occur.

Always Impostor

There’s a hack that allows a player to always be the Impostor. It usually takes a few games to figure this out, so if you like to rotate lobbies each match, you won’t notice it right away.

It does exactly what it says. If you noticed that the same player has been the Impostor for more than two matches in a row, they might be hacking

Read dead chat

As players might now, the chat of the dead exists in its own realm. When you’re killed, players that are still alive can’t read your messages, but you can talk to other dead players.

Some hacks allow a player to read the chat of dead players. It could give them an edge in the game if they’re a crewmate. You might see a player directly responding to what you said, which is a pretty good sign they’re hacking.

Move speed hack

This cheating method is pretty easy to spot. By default, all players (crewmates and Impostor) move at the same rate. While there are differences in how the two roles see and interact, movement is a constant for all players.

If you notice a player moving faster than everyone else, then they’re probably hacking.

Wall hacking

If you’ve played the game, you’ll know that you become a ghost when the Impostor kills you. This mode allows you to traverse the map without walls acting as a boundary.

Wall hacking allows the player to circumvent the wall restrictions and move through the map unimpeded. It’s easy to spot; if you can see the player is alive and is walking through walls, they’re definitely hacking.

Voting interference

One of the most important moments of the game is the meeting and vote period. You’ll notice the time allotments to this section before the game starts. There’s an amount of time given to the meeting, and a different amount given to the voting period.

Hackers can completely get around this by ending the voting and discussion period early. If you notice there’s still time on the clock when the meeting ends (and people still haven’t voted), then somebody is probably hacking.

It would be hard to figure out who, though, unless someone confesses in chat.

Mass killing

The Impostor is the only player that has the ability to kill players. However, this ability is usually curtailed through a cooldown. The player has to wait a certain amount of time before they can kill again.

Some hackers are dissatisfied with this mechanic. They can eliminate that cooldown altogether, allowing them to wipe out the entire crew in a matter of seconds.

This function is another hack that’s easy to spot. If you know there’s a kill cooldown and you see the Impostor laying waste to your crewmates, they’re probably hacking.

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Backchannel chat

This hack is pretty tough to spot. Players may sometimes join public lobbies together. As a result, they all have access to the same information. If one of them goes down, everyone in the Discord knows who it was and how to vote.

Playing this way ruins the spirit of the game. The Impostor’s identity is hidden from everyone for a reason; using a backchannel to upend the mechanics of the game just sours the experience.

If you notice everyone making the right vote the first time with no discussion, you’re probably seeing backchannelling at work.

What to do about cheaters

Without a robust reporting system, anti-cheat tools, and other features in place, there’s little players can do about any cheating they witness. There are a couple of things you can do to take your game experience back into your own hands.

Rotate lobbies

If you’re playing in a public lobby, just back out and find a new one. Try not to leave in the middle of a game, though. You can get punished with a 5-minute wait time for leaving a match intentionally.

This method is your best and only defense against cheaters if you aren’t hosting the game.

Use private lobbies

If you want more control over the game experience, put together a few friends, agree on some rules, and start up a private lobby. You can all join by using the code at the bottom of the screen.

This technique might be the best thing to do if you want to play with friends anyway.

Kick players

If you’re the host of the game, you have a nice moderation tool at your disposal: you can kick out any players you want. Take advantage of this function if you notice any of the above cheating behaviors. Removing them from the game is better than starting a new lobby and losing the crew you have.

What will InnerSloth do?

The developer of Among Us is already aware of the issue. Despite the small team, Forest Willard (InnerSloth co-founder and programmer) talked about the need for better multiplayer tools moving forward.

One of those tools includes an account system, which doesn’t currently exist in Among Us. Tying players to accounts will allow InnerSloth to take reports and ban hackers more efficiently, which will improve the overall experience.

Willard also spoke about the desire to implement more anti-hacking tools and features into a future update. This would aim to prevent the hacking altogether.

It’s doubtful that the bad experiences with hackers in Among Us will have any negative impact on the game’s lifecycle. InnerSloth have already announced a total code rework of the game and canceled a sequel, favoring adding content into the base game itself.

Conclusion

The title has seen a massive popularity spike due to the deduction portion of the game. It’s unlikely that hackers will be able to interfere with or take away what made Among Us so popular in the first place.

So what about you? Have you had experiences with hackers? What did you do about it? Let us know in the comments below!

With the massive spike in popularity of InnerSloth’s social deduction game, many users are left wondering how they could be a better Impostor in Among Us.

It’s no easy feat; you have to manage the distrust and control the game right from the jump. If you’re slacking in any facet of play, you’re leaving an opening through which player suspicion can crawl.

Not to worry, though. We’ve got the best tips and tricks to win in Among Us as an Imposter.

1. Know the maps and settings
2. Use sabotage wisely
3. Kill with discretion
4. Learn the social half of the game
5. Create trust

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Know the maps and settings

If you don’t understand the map’s layout, you’re going to be at a huge disadvantage. It’s in your interest to take the time to study each of the three locations: The Skeld, Mira HQ, and Polus.

You should have a good idea where the tasks are, how long they take, the value they add to the meter, and which tasks are visual. Don’t try to fake visual tasks; you’ll get caught pretty quickly.

You’ll also want to pay attention to and learn the vent connections. You can’t just hop into a vent and go wherever you want; they’re not all connected. You’ll need to understand which ducts are connected to which so that you can use them most efficiently.

Learn where the cameras are on The Skeld and Polus. Memorize what rooms and areas they observe. If you get caught venting on-camera, you’re going to be outed pretty quickly, so it’s good to know where you should and shouldn’t be doing sneaky Impostor activities.

As for the settings, these are critical. You need to have your cooldown timers memorized and remember what the vision size is for players and the Impostor. By default, there’s a slight difference in visibility. Use this to your advantage and understand how it impacts a player’s ability to see your shenanigans.

Also, take note of the move speed. Higher speeds will render your sabotage little more than an inconvenience, so you’ll need to adjust how you use them. Lower move speeds make a nuclear meltdown more dangerous.

Learn the emergency meeting cooldown time; that’ll come in handy near the end of the game if you’re caught out but can get in the last kill. If the meeting cooldown is longer than your kill cooldown, you won’t be able to snag the final kill if the remaining players have realized you’re the Impostor.

Use sabotage wisely

The Impostor can lock doors and shut off critical systems of the ship or station. Most players use this activity to try and kill everyone else, but there’s more than one use for sabotage.

Firstly, remember that as of now, players reporting a body will fix the deadliest sabotages automatically (reactor meltdown and O2). However, all sabotage, aside from doors, will prevent the emergency meeting button from being pressed. You can use this to buy yourself a bit of time to kill someone who spotted you.

Don’t be afraid to fix your own sabotage to gain trust with players. If you’re faking a task in the reactor room, you can throw the suspicion off you by setting off the reactor and fixing it with a buddy. Make sure you don’t kill that person, though, as they’ll vouch for you in chat if they have to.

Use the communications sabotage to get the cameras off you, clear the door log, and hide vitals signs on Polus. This element gives you a better window to get in a kill if you need to.

When you shut off the lights, you could spend time around a lone player without killing them. It could buy you more trust currency as well, as you could have taken them out if you wanted to.

Always try to find ways to use sabotage to play the long game.

Kill with discretion

You can’t just kill willy-nilly.

Well, you can, but it’s not a good idea. Pick your targets intelligently. Ensure that you take out the right people first and keep certain players alive until near the end of the game. So, how do you make this decision?

Immunity

Players can be declared ‘immune’ by performing visual tasks or otherwise having an airtight alibi. These players should be your first targets.

The reason for this feature is that immune players are like a ‘class’ of crewmates, and they’re aware of anyone who isn’t socially considered ‘immune.’ The Impostor will usually be included in that group, so if only the non-immune players are dying, you’re closing the dragnet in on yourself.

Target the players that everyone agrees can’t possibly be the Impostor. You need to preserve the pool of suspicious players so that you’re not absorbing all of the risk.

Relationship

If you’ve gotten in someone’s good graces, leave them alive unless they’re an immune player; in that case, you still need to keep them alive as long as possible.

The same is true with an enemy. Killing the people that are actively against you is another way to arouse suspicion.

You need to preserve all extreme relationships as long as you can.

Leadership

If you notice one player taking the lead on everything, analyze their leadership style. If they’re calling for random ejections, get rid of them quickly. If they’re more measured and guiding other players to think logically and not jump to conclusions, keep them around. You can manipulate the latter, but not the former.

Opportunity

This aspect should be the lowest consideration. Don’t kill someone just because you have the chance. In fast-paced games, this may seem like the best idea, but windows of opportunity close quickly.

When they do close, a player usually discovers the body, so you won’t have much time to get away. Create good, vast opportunities, and then execute.

Learn the social half of the game

One of the biggest problems with Impostors is how little attention they typically pay to the communication that takes place before voting. This area is where all of your tactics will be informed.

Look for emerging leaders in the game, see who’s not speaking, and see who’s being accused.

If you see one player accuse another but fail to get the votes, kill the accuser as soon as you can, then report the body yourself. You’ll immediately throw suspicion onto the accused player.

If the game moves quickly and everyone votes for the first accused players, your tactics should consist of total silence and hit-and-run play.

The player energy in meetings is the biggest thing that dictates your playstyle, so you need to stay adaptable. Remember how people voted and what the attitudes were; take advantage of that once you get back into the game.

Create Trust

It’s essential that players trust you when you’re the Impostor. It’s the only good way to throw suspicion directly if you ever need to. So, how do you create trust?

Sticking by players without killing them is always an excellent way to do it. Do some tasks with them, ‘protect’ them, and be around them when the body is found.

Take the time to vouch for others during meetings as well; they’ll see you a bit differently. If you catch some people doing visual tasks, vouch for them as quick as you can. Just remember, they’re a target.

Generating trust is the only way to protect yourself in the social setting if anyone gets suspicious. You remove the idea from gamers’ heads before it ever gets there. You also carry more weight when you make assertions, which is always better than catching heat.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has been a helpful guide to making you a better Impostor. You should now be better prepared to go out and wreck the crew.

Are there any tips and tricks we missed? Do you have anything to add? Please leave them in the comments below!

As the game has skyrocketed in popularity, players have found themselves searching for answers on how to be the best impostor they can be. Among Us is an interesting game that requires more than just knowing the game’s mechanics; you have to understand how other players think, as well.

Let’s take a quick look at our top 5 Impostor tips, then we’ll get more in-depth on each one.

1. Observe previous impostors
2. Memorize the maps
3. Learn task value and time
4. Construct an alibi
5. Pick targets wisely

If you can get a handle on these five ideas, you’ll be well on your way to being a better Impostor. Keep reading to get a detailed look at these concepts.

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Observe previous Impostors

You should take note of how other Impostors operate since it can help you see what and what not to do. This aspect is especially true if you’re new to the game.

It’s important to see the ways others fail, not just how they succeed. How did you catch the Impostor last time? Were they too obvious? Was it luck? It’s best that you keep track of what information led to the Impostor’s defeat. 

Also, be sure to look at how an Impostor won. Who did they target, and when? Where were the bodies found, and how long was that ‘round’? Did the Impostor ever report their own kills? 

These details may seem superfluous, but they matter in the game’s larger context and how the crewmates respond to information. We’ll tackle that a bit more in the next section.

The point of this observation is also to understand how crewmates react to these actions, both in-game and in meeting chats. Do they get suspicious when anyone makes pointless accusations? Do they eject that person right away? What is the impostor doing that makes them either the primary target or completely unsuspected? 

This method is the best way to quickly learn what you should and shouldn’t be doing as an Impostor.

Memorize the maps

As of this writing, there are three maps in the game: Mira HQ, Polus, and The Skeld. You need to learn them inside out if you want to have the best shot at defeating the crew. 

General layout

Knowing the layout of the maps is important when you want to set off sabotage. For example, Mira HQ has an odd design that makes it hard to get from the cafeteria to the reactor in time. The Skeld, on the other hand, has a very evenly-distributed floor plan that makes it easy to get from one end of the ship to the other.

You should also know where players need to go for their tasks, any isolated areas they could be in, and where the cameras are. 

Vent locations

The ventilation shafts are your key to quick movement around the map. You can quickly make kills and establish alibis, or you can get ahead of a player trying to report you for something. 

Learning where they are and what rooms they connect to is vital. You need to be able to move around at-will and not be hiding in the vents for too long.

Sight lines

The crewmates have limited visibility throughout the ship (even more so if you kill the lights), but the Impostor isn’t affected by this. Use that to your advantage.

Here’s something important to consider: just because you can see a crewmate doesn’t mean they can see you. Crewmate visibility is restricted by the game’s settings and by any ‘blocking’ objects, like walls or closed doors. Learn these angles so that you don’t panic unnecessarily.

Visual tasks

If the lobby has visual tasks enabled, know what those are on the current map. For The Skeld, that includes priming shields, destroying asteroids, and emptying the chute. All three maps have a medbay scan task, which is the one players typically use to declare others immune.

Use those visual tasks to figure out which players are safe. You could even declare those players in the chat, which can help you endear yourself to them. After that, you can focus on killing them first.

Learn task value and time

Impostors can’t actually do tasks. While crewmates are running around, tending to the ship’s systems, you’ll be left standing around, focusing entirely on trying to kill people. In the meantime, a crewmate might have spotted that you’re not doing tasks. 

This aspect is why it’s so important to learn where the tasks are, how much they contribute to the task meter, and how long they typically take. Take advantage of freeplay and understand how much they contribute to the meter.

Short tasks are your best bet. You can stand by the card reader in the admin room and wait for the bar to go up a little bit before you move along. The card task is notoriously finicky; people usually don’t get it right the first time. As long as the next taskbar update only fills the bar a little bit, you can move away. It’ll look like you’ve done a task.

However, if someone finishes a long task at the same time, it’s going to look like you faked it. You won’t necessarily be considered safe, and you may have to try again to register yourself as ‘immune’.

Construct an alibi

You can’t forget about the other part of the game: meetings. That’s where your abilities as an Impostor will truly shine. You should always be thinking about how players are going to perceive you, how you’re going to explain actions during discussion time, and how you plan to vote. 

Make sure that you’re very visible to other players. You shouldn’t do it in a passing kind of way; you need to spend time with other players, do ‘tasks’ with them, and ‘protect’ them. Then you can break off and do what you need to do.

It also helps to get back to a group as quickly and cleanly as you can. If you’re able to spend a lot of time with players before a body is discovered, that’s even better. Players typically don’t think about actual time of death when asking where players were; they usually think about the moment of discovery.

Establishing alibis helps connect you to the crewmates and lessens the likelihood of them suspecting you. If you’re constantly on your own and stalking others, you’re going to be more of a target.

Pick targets wisely

While you could end up killing anybody you want, you’ll have greater luck if you’re very picky about who your victims are going to be.

If you’ve made a friend or an enemy, don’t get rid of them just yet. Let them stick around so it doesn’t look like you’re targeting relationships. 

Focus on people who are considered ‘immune’. These are players who were in someone’s sight the whole time or who were seen doing visual tasks. The lower the number of ‘immune’ players, the better your chances are. 

Figure out which rooms are the best to leave a body in instead of merely walking away. In Mira HQ, the storage closet might be a good place, as well as the greenhouse. They’re one-way accessible and pretty low-traffic. Make sure you utilize that later in the game when people are just waiting on one or two people to complete their tasks.

You also don’t want to kill anyone who still has to do tasks. As a ghost, they have more freedom of movement and can get them all done without restriction. Focus on trying to kill people who are further along in their task list. If anyone announces that they’re done with tasks in meetings, target them.

We hope this list was useful in giving you some tips on being a better Impostor. Are there any tips you’ve come up with? Leave them down in the comments below!

Among Us has rocketed in popularity recently, and it seems like everyone’s playing it. If you’re looking for a good time, you might be interested in giving the game a try.

Jumping into a multiplayer game unprepared can be a bit daunting, but don’t worry. We’ll give you the details you need to make your experience better. Let’s dive in.

What is Among Us?

InnerSloth’s Among Us is a top-down social deduction game that forces you to question the motives of all of your teammates. It was originally released in June 2018 and popularized by Twitch stream Sodapoppin in July 2020.

The team initially developed Among Us as a mobile-only title. It also received a wider PC release in November 2018. In August 2020, InnerSloth announced that plans for a sequel were canceled. Instead, all of the new content would be added to the original game.

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What are the rules of Among Us?

In order to win, you’ll need to complete all of your tasks, vote out the Impostor, or kill everyone on board, depending on the role you’re assigned.

The game contains two roles that players can receive: Crewmate or Impostor. Let’s take a look at these roles and how it’ll change how you interact with the world.

Crewmate

The crewmate’s job is to complete their tasks before the imposter kills everyone onboard the ship or station. Alternatively, you can win the game as a crewmate by ejecting the Impostor.

You can see your tasks on-screen, and helpful arrows can also guide you to jobs you have to do. When you complete tasks, the taskbar will fill and show the progress of your entire crew.

If you want to win the game, you’ll need to get everyone on board to do all of their tasks. If a crewmate dies, not to worry! They can still do jobs as a ghost.

Impostor

The Impostor’s job is to kill all of the crewmates, one way or another. You can sabotage systems to force players to move around and create confusion. There’s also the ability to travel through the vents in the ship or station, which lets you move rapidly across the map.

You could throw suspicion onto other crewmates and turn them against each other, but be careful. Making accusations can backfire on you.

Meetings

Meetings will occur if a player hits the ‘emergency meeting’ button in the level’s cafeteria, or if someone reports a dead body.

Meetings are the only time that the in-game chat is accessible. If you want to talk to people, you have to call a meeting. Any players that have been killed can’t communicate with you. They can see your chat, but you can’t see theirs.

During this time, the crew can discuss movement, raise suspicions, and vote to eject a team member if enough people think they’re the Impostor.

As a crewmate, you need to be on the lookout for any unusual behavior during meetings. Players throwing immediate suspicion onto others could be a sign they’re the Impostor; they could also be telling the truth.

As the Impostor, this is a critical time for you. You’ll need to use misdirection and manipulation to convince the crew that you’re on their side. Take the opportunity to endear yourself to the crew or find reasons to raise suspicion against other players. Take note of any tactics that emerge during this period and take advantage of them.

How can I win Among Us?

Winning a game can be difficult. If the Impostor is talented, you may never find them. If the crew are focused and in lock-step, you may only get one kill. Read on for some of our quick tips for how to win in Among Us.

As a Crewmate

Your primary focus should be on completing tasks. Even when you die, your ghost can still finish assignments. If you just get all of the tasks done, you can win the game.

However, it’s rarely that easy. You also need to protest your innocence from time to time in the meetings. You may notice suspicious behavior that you want to make light of, but it could blowback on you.

Here are a few tips:

• Never travel alone.
• Get your tasks done.
• Patrol the map when you’re finished.
• Address sabotage as quickly as you can.

As an Impostor

We’ve covered how to be a good impostor in another article, but we’ll hit the broad points for now.

You’ll need to know the territory better than anyone if you want to win as the Impostor. You need to know what rooms have vents, where the blind spots are, and what rooms your sabotage will affect.

You also need to know the game setup better than the rest of the players. You can see all that information on the left side of the screen in the game lobby. What are the vision limits? What are the cooldowns? How many emergency meetings do we get? If you have that information in your head, you’ll be a more effective impostor.

Here are a few general tips:

• Know the map and all its little quirks
• Know the vent locations
• Know the game’s settings
• Use your sabotage wisely

How can I play Among Us online?

The big draw for the game is playing with strangers and testing your deductive skills against unknown foes.

When you boot up the game, you’ll notice a big “online” button on the main menu. You can click that, then decide whether you want to host or join a match. Let’s take a look at both of these options in detail.

Hosting a game

When you decide to host a game, you’ll need to choose the map, number of impostors, and maximum players (up to 10). You can also decide the main language you want game chat to be in, which helps potential players find games that chat in their language.

You can’t change any of these options while in the lobby. If you want more impostors or a different map, you’ll need to exit your lobby and make a new game.

When you first pop into your lobby, your game is set to private. This feature gives you plenty of time to change the gameplay options before other players can jump in.

You can use the computer in the lobby to adjust the options. Feel free to change the view distances and player speeds. There are also options to add more tasks, lengthen cooldowns, and adjust how long meetings take.

Once you’re ready, you can set the game to public by clicking the button on the bottom of the screen. Players will join at their leisure.

Joining a game

If you’d rather jump into a game without dealing with all the settings, use the Join options.

If you want to play with your friends on public matches, they could give you the code at the bottom of the screen. You can use that to join a private game or just join a match directly.

Otherwise, you can look through a browser of currently-active lobbies. You have the option to filter by map, Impostor number, and chat language. The server browser will show you the name of the host and the max player count.

You can also see how many players are active in the lobby. If you want to play right away, it’s best to join a lobby that’s nearly full. If you want a bit of time to customize your character and chat with people, you might want to join an emptier game.

Make sure to have fun!

The most important part of the game is that you play in good spirit and enjoy the ride. It may not be fun to die, but find humor in watching your crewmates struggle with information you already know!

We hope you got plenty of useful information out of this beginner’s guide. Do you have something to add? Was there anything we missed? Be sure to let us know in the comments section down below!