Devon Chennelle ‘23
Staff Editor
Among Us is the world’s new gaming obsession. For those still unaware of this fantastic fad, Among Us is an online multiplayer game released in June 2018. It drew little notice initially, but, like a film that was first unheralded but later became a cult classic (e.g. Blade Runner), the game has recently experienced rapid growth in popularity. Apparently much of this newfound fame has been driven by TikTok content, though I wouldn’t know. As a twenty-five year-old man, I think having a TikTok gives Chris Hansen probable cause to search my van.
The game places you on a map, usually a spaceship, and assigns you one of two roles: Crewmate or Impostor. In a standard game, there will be around eight Crewmates and two Impostors, though exact proportions vary. The Crewmates must complete tasks around the game map while evading the murderous Impostors. The dastardly Impostors seek to sabotage the ship and assassinate the Crewmates before all the tasks are completed. The pacifistic Crewmates’ only way to fight back is by voting them off, a la Survivor, in voting sessions that may be called by a Crewmate or automatically convened upon discovery of a hapless Crewmate’s corpse. There, in the words of Anakin Skywalker, is where the fun begins. During a voting session, all players can argue for who should be ejected and defend their own right to stay. What ensues is a cavalcade of lies, misdirection, and fabrication sufficient to win the heart of even the most Saul-Goodman-esque attorney.
Pictured: Can you tell who the Imposter is? Photo Courtesy of stayhipp.com
Now, why does all this make Among Us the ultimate complement to my law school coursework? I generally find myself only capable of trying to force Civil Procedure into my head for around fifty minutes at a time, and therefore I set a timer on my iPhone for fifty minutes whenever I study. Once those glorious bells chime, I pace about the Law School and gaze at the disappointed stares of my illustrious forebears’ portraits before resuming my studies. Yet, often I have not sufficiently regained focus after such a sojourn. In such a situation, Among Us constitutes the ultimate method of further procrastination. This is partly because a game of Among Us lasts roughly ten minutes, providing a natural stopping point. But it is also because the game itself hones one’s legal abilities.
Unlike most, I prefer playing as Crewmate, the role which is also most conducive to the development of legal acumen. Crewmate is far more relaxing than a heart-racing game as Impostor. One simply trundles about the map, completing tasks by pushing buttons and solving simple puzzles. Each rewards me with a pleasant noise, removing me for an instant from the care and turmoil of my daily existence. Additionally, during the voting sessions, one can sharpen one’s skills in written advocacy, advancing powerful arguments about the Impostor’s identity. It is great fun to practice one’s advocacy skills before preteen gamers rather than septuagenarian professors. In those meetings one also practices investigation skills by deducing which team members are clearly not Impostors and singling out those who are, as well as evidentiary skills (a simple assertion of “red sus” will likely not suffice without an accompanying “I saw red vent”). Furthermore, participation in a fast-paced team of six to nine individuals working towards a common goal prepares one to collaboratively problem solve in the world of high-stakes corporate litigation.
Playing as the Impostor also has its charms. One can run around murdering Crewmates, pretending they are that kid from your section who couldn’t stop talking about the major memo. Additionally, once you come under suspicion, you will be forced to apply your skills in misleading argumentation and deflection as never before. Though many of us are unlikely, burdened by student loan debt as we are, to ever pursue the interesting lifestyle of a criminal defense attorney, we will get to approximate that thrill by defending ourselves against truthful accusations of guilt in the safe context of Among Us. Furthermore, if one is a clever Impostor, one will get to enjoy bandying about wildly false accusations in order to deflect attention from one’s own malfeasance—without the fear of incurring Rule 11 Sanctions.
It is for those reasons—its short game length, inculcation of key skills for both transactional and litigation practice, and relaxing nature—that make Among Us the perfect study break for law students. So, this finals’ season, if you truly want to beat the curve, do yourself a favor: Drop Quimbee, add Among Us. You can thank me later—for now, I have another game to start.
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dnc9hu@virginia.edu