With the massive spike in popularity of InnerSloth’s social deduction game, many users are left wondering how they could be a better Impostor in Among Us.
It’s no easy feat; you have to manage the distrust and control the game right from the jump. If you’re slacking in any facet of play, you’re leaving an opening through which player suspicion can crawl.
Not to worry, though. We’ve got the best tips and tricks to win in Among Us as an Imposter.
- Know the maps and settings
- Use sabotage wisely
- Kill with discretion
- Learn the social half of the game
- Create trust
Know the maps and settings
If you don’t understand the map’s layout, you’re going to be at a huge disadvantage. It’s in your interest to take the time to study each of the three locations: The Skeld, Mira HQ, and Polus.
You should have a good idea where the tasks are, how long they take, the value they add to the meter, and which tasks are visual. Don’t try to fake visual tasks; you’ll get caught pretty quickly.
You’ll also want to pay attention to and learn the vent connections. You can’t just hop into a vent and go wherever you want; they’re not all connected. You’ll need to understand which ducts are connected to which so that you can use them most efficiently.
Learn where the cameras are on The Skeld and Polus. Memorize what rooms and areas they observe. If you get caught venting on-camera, you’re going to be outed pretty quickly, so it’s good to know where you should and shouldn’t be doing sneaky Impostor activities.
As for the settings, these are critical. You need to have your cooldown timers memorized and remember what the vision size is for players and the Impostor. By default, there’s a slight difference in visibility. Use this to your advantage and understand how it impacts a player’s ability to see your shenanigans.
Also, take note of the move speed. Higher speeds will render your sabotage little more than an inconvenience, so you’ll need to adjust how you use them. Lower move speeds make a nuclear meltdown more dangerous.
Learn the emergency meeting cooldown time; that’ll come in handy near the end of the game if you’re caught out but can get in the last kill. If the meeting cooldown is longer than your kill cooldown, you won’t be able to snag the final kill if the remaining players have realized you’re the Impostor.
Use sabotage wisely
The Impostor can lock doors and shut off critical systems of the ship or station. Most players use this activity to try and kill everyone else, but there’s more than one use for sabotage.
Firstly, remember that as of now, players reporting a body will fix the deadliest sabotages automatically (reactor meltdown and O2). However, all sabotage, aside from doors, will prevent the emergency meeting button from being pressed. You can use this to buy yourself a bit of time to kill someone who spotted you.
Don’t be afraid to fix your own sabotage to gain trust with players. If you’re faking a task in the reactor room, you can throw the suspicion off you by setting off the reactor and fixing it with a buddy. Make sure you don’t kill that person, though, as they’ll vouch for you in chat if they have to.
Use the communications sabotage to get the cameras off you, clear the door log, and hide vitals signs on Polus. This element gives you a better window to get in a kill if you need to.
When you shut off the lights, you could spend time around a lone player without killing them. It could buy you more trust currency as well, as you could have taken them out if you wanted to.
Always try to find ways to use sabotage to play the long game.
Kill with discretion
You can’t just kill willy-nilly.
Well, you can, but it’s not a good idea. Pick your targets intelligently. Ensure that you take out the right people first and keep certain players alive until near the end of the game. So, how do you make this decision?
Immunity
Players can be declared ‘immune’ by performing visual tasks or otherwise having an airtight alibi. These players should be your first targets.
The reason for this feature is that immune players are like a ‘class’ of crewmates, and they’re aware of anyone who isn’t socially considered ‘immune.’ The Impostor will usually be included in that group, so if only the non-immune players are dying, you’re closing the dragnet in on yourself.
Target the players that everyone agrees can’t possibly be the Impostor. You need to preserve the pool of suspicious players so that you’re not absorbing all of the risk.
Relationship
If you’ve gotten in someone’s good graces, leave them alive unless they’re an immune player; in that case, you still need to keep them alive as long as possible.
The same is true with an enemy. Killing the people that are actively against you is another way to arouse suspicion.
You need to preserve all extreme relationships as long as you can.
Leadership
If you notice one player taking the lead on everything, analyze their leadership style. If they’re calling for random ejections, get rid of them quickly. If they’re more measured and guiding other players to think logically and not jump to conclusions, keep them around. You can manipulate the latter, but not the former.
Opportunity
This aspect should be the lowest consideration. Don’t kill someone just because you have the chance. In fast-paced games, this may seem like the best idea, but windows of opportunity close quickly.
When they do close, a player usually discovers the body, so you won’t have much time to get away. Create good, vast opportunities, and then execute.
Learn the social half of the game
One of the biggest problems with Impostors is how little attention they typically pay to the communication that takes place before voting. This area is where all of your tactics will be informed.
Look for emerging leaders in the game, see who’s not speaking, and see who’s being accused.
If you see one player accuse another but fail to get the votes, kill the accuser as soon as you can, then report the body yourself. You’ll immediately throw suspicion onto the accused player.
If the game moves quickly and everyone votes for the first accused players, your tactics should consist of total silence and hit-and-run play.
The player energy in meetings is the biggest thing that dictates your playstyle, so you need to stay adaptable. Remember how people voted and what the attitudes were; take advantage of that once you get back into the game.
Create Trust
It’s essential that players trust you when you’re the Impostor. It’s the only good way to throw suspicion directly if you ever need to. So, how do you create trust?
Sticking by players without killing them is always an excellent way to do it. Do some tasks with them, ‘protect’ them, and be around them when the body is found.
Take the time to vouch for others during meetings as well; they’ll see you a bit differently. If you catch some people doing visual tasks, vouch for them as quick as you can. Just remember, they’re a target.
Generating trust is the only way to protect yourself in the social setting if anyone gets suspicious. You remove the idea from gamers’ heads before it ever gets there. You also carry more weight when you make assertions, which is always better than catching heat.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this article has been a helpful guide to making you a better Impostor. You should now be better prepared to go out and wreck the crew.
Are there any tips and tricks we missed? Do you have anything to add? Please leave them in the comments below!
