It looks like of all the great multiplayer games out currently, Among Us breaks the record for "most popular game." In a new study done by SuperData, the research found shows that Among Us was the top dog for the month of November 2020.
Labeled as an "online multiplayer social deduction game," the indie has drawn fans due to the simple but thrilling gameplay. The developers, Innersloth, even accepted multiple accolades for Among Us at The Game Awards this year.
The acclaim is well-deserved, as the study by SuperData shows that the game had half a billion users in November. This beats out other top grossing multiplayer offerings like Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War or League of Legends. With a small upfront cost of $5 on PC, it is no surprise that the platform accounts for 64% of the revenue from August to November.
With the original release back in 2018, it took a few years for Among Us to reach these statistical heights. Part of this success is likely due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. In addition, the popularity of the game among streamers, content creators, and even politicians surely helped jettison notoriety.
As an indie game with humble gameplay, it is fantastic that Among Us is breaking records for most popular game. With it beating out multiplayer experiences with higher costs, it shows that ingenuity is key to a good game. Its basis on popular tabletop games like, Burke’s Gambit or One Night Ultimate Werewolf is a recipe for success. In addition, Among Us is available on multiple platforms, so various types of gamers can join in. Unfortunately, because the monetization is next to none, earnings do not actually reflect these millions of users who login to the game. And with a free map update coming in 2021, it is unclear whether that will be changing anytime soon.
That said, the study by SuperData is for the month of November 2020 specifically. Therefore, this success for Among Us could just be the indicators of a one-hit-wonder, and not representative of future popularity. Once streamers and content creators move on to the next best multiplayer game, it could see a major drop in users. If Innersloth does little besides a map update, the interesting gameplay may end up being repetitive in the long run. However, there is no time better than now to jump in and experience the social deduction fun of Among Us.
Among Us is available for Mobile, Nintendo Switch, PC, and will be released for Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S in 2021.
Source: SuperData