Who is up for a game of Mafia? You know, the social deduction game where players have to decide who among them is the Mafiaso before they are all killed? You may know it better as Werewolf, but the game is the same, and now you can play one of the best variations of it in video game form on the Nintendo Switch. Originally released in 2018 for mobile phones and then PC, Among Us was a slow burner at first, but took off like crazy this year and proved to be a pop culture phenomenon.
The game sees you play with a group of up to ten players where between 1 and 3 players will be an impostor out to kill the rest of the crew. The imposters will need to be careful when they kill, and get their story straight, because the questions start once the body is found. A meeting is called and all players have to account for where they were to sus out who was the imposter. The Imposters will need to throw suspicion on someone else, while the rest of the players must be careful who they pick. Once players vote, someone is ejected, and should the crew equal the number of imposters, the game is over. The game will also end if the tasks are not met, tasks like fixing the wiring and oxygen for instance. The tasks will take each player to a different section of the map and thus make it easier for the imposter to strike.
What makes Among Us work is that it successfully adds variety to the Werewolf/Mafia game by adding new elements like the tasks, and creating more urgency that brings players apart. You are in an interchangeable role yes, but you need to succeed in the one the game assigns you, or others will fail because of you. The imposter will have their own tasks as well, so it is not as easy as just following someone who is only walking around. Strategies are needed here, and a wrong decision will affect the entire game.
The Switch version plays remarkably well, with the controls handling perfectly. There is the option to use the Nintendo Switch Online Mobile App for the voice chat elements ( and voice chat is required for this online game), but discord is probably the better choice. Nintendo’s app is a bit clunky and discord is just better for this. I will also note that some sections require typing and using the Switch controls for this do take some getting used to, but it is overall not as big an issue as you may think.
Overall, this is an excellent port of the brilliant game and players on console can now see why Among Us has become such a hit. The game has a rather addictive nature, and playing with friends online is perfect for the current events we find ourselves in. Among Us is the game we need right now, and I highly recommend it.