For a year like 2020, of course The Game Awards are going to be very different. Shoe-ins for Game of the Year like Cyberpunk 2077 are no longer eligible because of delays, surprise viral hits like Hades are grabbing numerous nominations, this year is certainly unusual. Viral games in particular has been a recurring trend in 2020, with games like the aforementioned Hades, Fall Guys, and Phasmophobia boasting huge viewerships and sales at the peaks of their popularity. However, there's one game in particular that's remained continuously popular long after the game first went viral in June: Among Us.
Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, Among Us has had an interesting story in 2020. For a game that came out two years ago, with not nearly as much recognition as it has now, Among Us was always set up for success. The only problem the game had was that it needed a proper audience to hoist the game above the many thousands of indie games published on Steam every year. Once Sodapoppin and other major streamers started playing the game, that was when Among Us spread like wildfire. However, despite all of its success, there's quite a few reasons why it's not up for Game of the Year, even if there's plenty of reasons why it should be nominated.
Among Us Exploded in Popularity This Year
What may have surprised most people about Among Us was that, contrary to what it seemed, the game didn't actually come out this summer. It actually came out in June of 2018, and its incognito status was the result of the many thousands of indie games published on platforms like Steam, iOS, or Android each year. Because those game libraries are so large, Among Us got lost in the shuffle. It wasn't until it was picked up by several popular streamers where Among Us became ubiquitous.
Whether it was gaming enthusiasts, casual players, or even people who had never played video games before, the massive popularity of Among Us drew in thousands of players. From popular streamer Pokimane to US Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, everyone was playing Among Us by fall. Because of its huge popularity, among other factors, Among Us has garnered enough recognition to be nominated for two categories at the Game Awards. Many could even argue it deserves a nomination for Game of the Year for its massive adoption around the world, which is a justifiable thought. However, there's a couple main reasons why it's not.
Popularity Aside, Among Us Has No Chance for GOTY
There's a few big caveats to Among Us getting nominated for Game of the Year. The obvious first notion is that it's a game that wasn't even released in 2020. Theoretically that would invalidate the game from all categories, but according to the Game Awards themselves (via their website):
"Games released in previous years are eligible in all award categories, so long as the jury feels their inclusion is merited due to new content, improvements or service updates."
This particular quote references "games as a service" specifically, and Among Us technically falls into that category now that the sequel was cancelled and Innersloth focuses development on the base game. That statement at least opens up the possibility of Among Us being at-one-point eligible for Game of the Year. Considering all the aforementioned evidence of the game's popularity warranting inclusion for the category, Among Us hypothetically has all the makings of being a Game of the Year contender. However, considering every other game in the Game of the Year category was released in 2020, it's clear that big games released this year take priority.
Additionally, compared to the other games in the Game of the Year category, it doesn't necessarily check the same boxes. Among Us riffs on the old Mafia and Werewolf-style games in video game form, which is exactly why it's nominated for Best Multiplayer Game. Players will cultivate their own emotions and memories from playing the game, but Among Us isn't exactly a testament to video games as a whole.
The Success of Among Us in 2020 is Still Very Impressive
Several of the Game of the Year contenders were all built over years of development time, boasting impressive scope, scale, and effect on players. At the end of the day, the design and purpose of Among Us is comparatively much simpler to other games in the category. That's not to say more work was put into one game or the other, but it's more about what each experience provides to players. At the end of the day, even if Among Us is the cultural zeitgeist for games in 2020, that alone doesn't necessarily make it the Game of the Year.
That being said, for a game like Among Us to make such a massive comeback after already being released for more than two years, it's impressive the game's been nominated at all. For both Best Multiplayer Game and Best Mobile Game, Among Us has a very high probability of handily sweeping those categories as well. The staying power of Among Us will likely make the game popular for a lot longer than 2020, and while it may not win the award itself, it's certainly going to be one of this year's most memorable games.
Among Us is available now on PC (via Steam), Android, and iOS.