From the first cabinet game (Computer Space 1971) to the initial game console (Magnavox Odyssey 1972), and finally the creation of the multiplayer game (Empire for the PLATO Network System 1973), it didn’t take long until video games could be played with friends. Accordingly, humans are designed to be social creatures, and no matter how introverted, require human contact. Besides, video games are also fun!

   One of the most popular games circulating this season is Among Us. A fun, space Mafia-esque party game that’s both strengthened bonds and brain cells, Among Us connects teenagers and quarantiners alike during these tough times. Hannah Cho (11) emphasized the importance of avoiding suspicion within the game as a crewmate, and to always go in groups of three. She expressed that with two people “you have the potential risk of being followed by an impostor,” but in groups of three, there’ll always be a witness to report a body. From then on, it’s just a simple matter of process of elimination. Another pro-tip for crewmates unraveled an interesting fact about the shields task: “You don’t need to go in front of the task,” as it turns out. You can do it from outside of the fence. “If somebody kills you, your body will be discovered.” 

   Cho also revealed the best place to get a kill on the Skeld (the primary map of Among Us, set on a spaceship), and it’s not Electrical: “Experienced people are going to suspect that you’re the impostor, and you vented from Electrical into Medbay…You’re gonna get caught.” Most people have the preconception that a vent kill in Electrical is an easy win, but that’s a misconception. Instead, Navigation is the best place to kill. Cho explained, “There’s two vents in there…You can close off the door…You can hide a body under a chair…” It’s perfect.

   Takashi Kusano (10), another avid ‘gamer,’ introduced another multiplayer that he’s had a blast engaging in with friends: SCP Secret Laboratory. “It’s basically a game based on the SCP (Secure; Contain; Protect) genre,” Kusano explained in detail, “the main task being either to liberate people, to defend the facility, to escape the facility, or to kill everyone.” The game is easy to learn without prior experience, the opposite of what is true for most first-person shooters. Kusano was happy to divulge some tricks in getting ahead, though. “There’s an SCP, 914, and it allows you to upgrade your items,” he explained. Keycards are required to open different zones, and that’s exactly what SCP-914 is for. “If you’re a D-Class, a scientist, or a guard, you should focus on finding a good key card.” Kusano also couldn’t stress enough the importance of communication, and setting your radio at ultra high when trying to communicate through an entire facility.

   Though, communication is important in any team based game. As quarantine drags on at a seemingly endless pace, and more people turn to video games, bonds are forged while people work together in-game. It’s an outcome that might have been surprising to some, but a welcomed one. WASD may be the universal keys to movement in PC games, but friendships are key to a happy quarantine.