Among Us and Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None
Though worlds apart in form and content, some works have more in common than we might think. #literature #mystery #videogame
Welcome back to Artcade, the video game book club where you can come and go as you please (by the way: thanks to all of you who have subscribed. Your support is vital to keeping this project alive). The best thing about Artcade is that we can spend time together talking about art and video games without worrying that an assassin is hiding among us. That’s what I call an indicator of a good quality of life. Enjoy the read!
Wargrave said: ‘I am not yet clear as to the purpose of our Unknown host in getting us to assemble here. But in my opinion this person, whoever he may be, is not sane in the accepted sense of the word. ‘He may be dangerous. In my opinion it would be well for us to leave this place as soon as possible. I suggest that we leave tonight.’
Rogers said: ‘I beg your pardon, sir, but there’s no boat on the island.’[…]
The judge said acidly: ‘At my time of life, I have no desire for “thrills” as you call them.’
Anthony said with a grin: ‘The legal life’s narrowing! I’m all for crime! Here’s to it.’
He picked up his drink and drank it off at a gulp.
Too quickly, perhaps. He choked—choked badly. His face contorted, turned purple. He gasped for breath—then slid down off his chair, the glass falling from his hand.[…]
It was so sudden and so unexpected that it took every one’s breath away. They remained stupidly staring at the crumpled figure on the ground.
Then Dr Armstrong jumped up and went over to him, kneeling beside him. When he raised his head his eyes were bewildered.
He said in a low awe-struck whisper: ‘My God! He’s dead.’
Agatha Christie (2019) [1939] And then there where none [Literature] [Mistery] HarperCollins Publishers
And Then There Were None owes its success to a formula as simple as it is effective: a group of strangers are stranded on a deserted island, and someone seems intent on killing them one by one. Who is the murderer?
The main setting of Among Us couldn’t be further from Agatha Christie’s masterpiece. Here, we’re aboard a spaceship traveling through the vastness of space. But beneath the surface, it quickly becomes clear that the online crew members who maintain the ship face an identical dilemma to Christie’s characters: who is the hidden killer amongst them?
The Impostor will soon begin to attack, and the remaining players must call an emergency meeting to vote on the suspected culprit. The one with the most votes is ejected into the void of space.
Amid the bluffing and mutual accusations, it’s not always the guilty party who falls victim to this impromptu people's tribunal. Among Us is equal parts of fun and nerve-wracking—just like a well-written mystery story.
Innersloth (2018) Among Us [Video game] [Party, survival] [iOs] [Android, Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/ Series X/S] Innersloth
Information Desk:
Agatha Christie is the most translated author in the world—at least, that’s what the internet says. Her prolific output in the mystery genre has earned her the title Queen of Crime, a nickname that the Agatha Christie Limited company (which manages her literary rights) has even trademarked.
Innersloth is a small indie studio that achieved worldwide success with Among Us. They even have an adorable logo (see image below). But they didn’t stop there: they decided to reinvest the profits from Among Us to help other small studios fund their projects. They call this initiative Outersloth. Brilliant.
My last two coins
In Among Us, the Impostor is chosen randomly. It’s thrilling to try and guess who it is, but it’s even more thrilling to be the Impostor yourself. When the game starts and the word “Impostor” appears on my screen, I always find myself grinning. There’s something deeply twisted about that feeling, but I can’t help loving it.
And some people say that gaming is just for kids. The truth is, games are the only context where we can fully inhabit any role, and video games are magical spaces where we can experience emotions we have to control in real life. That’s no small thing. Until the next episode, ciao!