Among Us is an online multiplayer game where players work together as a spaceship crew, or try to sabotage the mission as sneaky imposters. Up to 10 players can join each match.
It features cute cartoon alien characters and simple game mechanics ideal for players of all ages. Among Us has become massively popular lately.
This guide will teach you how to download and play Among Us on a Windows PC.
Getting Started with Among Us on PC
To play Among Us on your Windows desktop or laptop, you’ll need to first download the game from Steam or the Epic Games store. Here are step-by-step instructions to download Among Us for free from either platform:
Download from Steam
- Go to store.steampowered.com and create a free Steam account if you don’t already have one.
- Use the search bar to find “Among Us.” Click on the Among Us game page.
- Click the green “Play Game” button to download and install Among Us.
Download from Epic Games Store
- Go to www.epicgames.com/store/en-US/ and create a free Epic Games account.
- Use the search bar to find “Among Us.” Click on Among Us on the game page that appears.
- Click “GET” to download and install the game for free.
No matter which platform you use, the Among Us download size is very small (around 100 MB) so it should install quickly.
Then you can launch the game directly from your Steam or Epic library whenever you want to play.
Getting Familiar with the Game Interface
When you first launch Among Us, you’ll see the main menu page. Here’s an overview of what each major menu section is for:
- Play: Search for online games to join, or host your own match
- Settings: Configure your screen resolution, volume, notifications, etc.
- Data: View metrics like total playtime and achievement progress
- Cosmetics: Customize your character’s suit, hat, skin color and more (some cosmetics can be unlocked through gameplay or purchased)
Take a few minutes to explore the game menus and options before hosting or joining your first game.
Make sure to also complete the interactive tutorial — it will guide you through the basics of moving around the map and using game features as both a regular crewmate and suspicious imposter.
Hosting and Joining an Online Multiplayer Match
Among Us works by having one player host/create a match, while up to nine others join their party.
As the host, you can customize game options like map selection and length before launching the lobby. Here are the steps to follow:
- From the main menu, select Play then Host Game (for a private match where only friends can join) or Online (for a public match where anyone can join).
- Select or configure your preferred game options:
- Game map: Pick from three themed maps (spaceship, headquarters building, airship)
- Impostors: Choose how many imposter bad guys will secretly sabotage the mission (1-3)
- Confirm ejects: Enable or disable visual confirmation when vote kicks a player out
- Number of emergency player meetings
- Player speed
- Length of discussion/voting time limits
- Number of short/long tasks to complete the mission
- Once you finalize the match settings, click → (PC) or A Button (mobile) to create the lobby.
The lobby prepares to start the match while players join your game. The match will automatically launch once enough players have joined (typically when 8-10 players are ready).
As a player looking to join a match rather than host, simply select Join Game on the main menu, choose
Online in the menu that appears, and you’ll see a list of available public lobbies you can join. Pick one and wait for the host to start the match.
Gameplay Basics
After the match starts, each player is randomly assigned one of two hidden roles:
Crewmates – Regular spaceship team members trying to identify the imposters. Crewmates win by completing all their assigned daily tasks or determining which players are the imposters.
Imposters – 1, 2 or 3 imposters will also be assigned, depending on the lobby options. Imposters win by sabotaging or discreetly killing off all the crewmates before their tasks can be finished.
Whether you get assigned as an honest crewmate or sneaky imposter, the basic gameplay actions are the same:
Mobile/Touch Controls
- Left joystick or drag: Move your player around the map
- Interact button: Perform various context actions like starting assigned tasks or reporting dead bodies.
- Kill button (only for imposters): Eliminate crewmates when you catch them alone
- Sabotage button (only for imposters): Cause hazards and problems to slow down the mission
- Map button: Check where you are on the level map
Keyboard/Mouse Controls
- WASD Keys: Move your character
- Left click: Interact and select menu options
- Right click: Use map to navigate the level
- R key: Report dead bodies or sabotage issues to call a group meeting
- Q key: Open mission task list to see assigned tasks
- E key: Use various equipment like vents (as imposter) or complete tasks like submitting scan samples (as crewmate)
During the match, imposters try to stealthily take out crewmates and blend in as normal players, while crewmates try to detect suspicious behavior.
If an imposter gets spotted or blamed for sabotage, the other players can call an emergency meeting to argue who they should eject.
So whether you end up assigned as an honest crew member or imposter saboteur, playing Among Us with friends can lead to hilarious accusations, tense close calls, and fun adventures.
Keep playing more matches to improve your strategy over time.
Customizing Your Player Appearance
As you play more games, you’ll unlock access to skins, hats, pets, and color options to customize your little alien avatar.
To change your look, head to the Cosmetics section from the main menu sidebar. From here you can:
- Select different colored suits and skins for your base character model
- Equip silly hat accessories like brain slugs, plant hats, wizard hats, bike helmets, and more
- Unlock cute shoulder pets like dogs, crabs, butterflies and mini-crewmates
- Choose animated display stickers and effects that appear when other players inspect you
Mix and match these cosmetic items to show off your own unique look. Some locked cosmetics can be purchased with real money if wanted.
Otherwise, new cosmetic items unlock randomly over time from simply playing more games and earning Experience (XP).
Expanded Game Options for More Fun
Once you get the hang of the basics against random online players, try setting up a private match with friends and exploring some of the expanded game options for even more chaos.
For example, you can mess with these settings before starting a custom lobby:
- Confirm Ejects Off: Players won’t know for sure if evicted crew truly were imposters or not
- Visual Tasks On: Crewmates can actually see others performing common tasks
- Max Players 10-15: More players equals more mayhem
- Impostor Count 3: Having three imposter saboteurs makes it extra hard for crewmates
- Reduce Kill Cooldown: Imposters can eliminate crew faster
- Reduce Discussion/Voting Time: Less time to debate before tossing someone out the airlock!
The wide range of adjustable settings keeps gameplay interesting over repeated matches. Try different custom rule mixes to find what your friend group enjoys the most.
Conclusion
Now you know the basics for how to play Among Us — a simple yet highly addictive party game of teamwork and betrayal that has captured the hearts of gamers everywhere.
Gather a group of friends or make some new ones online as you work together to find the imposter in chaotic, fun-filled matches. Just try not to get ejected into space yourself!
Explore all the hats, skins, effects and options to fully customize your avatar. And don’t be afraid to tweak the settings for faster-paced or more challenging gameplay once you get experienced.
Strap in and get ready to complete your tasks, make wild accusations, and hopefully watch your crew eject imposters, not trusted crewmates by accident instead. Let the battle of deceitful alient chaos begin!
