Mobile downloads of Among Us, the viral social deception game, have nearly eclipsed those of Pokemon GO at the peak of its popularity in 2016. However, Among Us has not done so well in terms of financial gross, while Pokemon GO continues to shine four years after release.
The report, which comes from research analytics firm SuperData, reflects just how popular Among Us really is. Although the game initially released in 2018, it became popular with streamers midway through 2020. This has caused mobile downloads to grow exponentially each month since then. Beyond the game itself, the playable astronaut characters have become a staple in memes across every corner of the Internet, providing the game even more exposure.
Although the SuperData report does not include a specific number of downloads for Among Us, the game had over 80 million downloads on mobile in the middle of September. If its downloads rival those of Pokemon GO, the number must have risen even further since. One statistic not mentioned in the report is player engagement, which was a key part of Pokemon GO's success. After all, Android owners used Pokemon GO more than Tinder and other social media apps in mid-2016. If the huge presence of Among Us on social media is any indication, however, user engagement is probably very high.
That said, Among Us did not make the top 40 highest-grossing mobile games of September 2020. The report notes that the game's only in-app purchases are to remove ads and add cosmetic items, neither of which drive strong sales. Even though the differently-colored astronauts of Among Us may be connected by a deeper backstory than initially believed, the optional cosmetic items have nothing to do with this backstory. Developer InnerSloth seems to prioritize player goodwill over monetization, so this is not surprising. Perhaps surprisingly, Pokemon GO was the second-highest grossing game of September.
It's important to note that Among Us is hugely popular on PC in addition to the mobile version. If those downloads were to be added in, Among Us would surely overtake Pokemon GO. Since Among Us has reported almost four million concurrent players between mobile and PC players, the game's user engagement statistics from mobile and PC together might also overtake those of Pokemon GO at its peak.
One major consequence of Among Us becoming so popular is the role it is playing in 2020 politics. For example, United States Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently played an enormously popular stream of the game. Although some may prefer that politics remain separate from gaming, it is inevitable that something as popular as Among Us will have a real-world impact.
Among Us is available now on PC, iOS, and Android devices.
Source: SuperData