Deception games like Among Us are super popular right now. Why are they everywhere? In an age where we no longer know who to trust, Among Us gives us a safe, fun space to play out our greatest fears: succumbing to a fascist death cult. It's non-sexual CNC https://www.dailydot.com/irl/among-us-fascism/

It doesn't take many fascists to implement fascism, which is a common theme in Among Us, Push the Button, and Secret Hitler. And it can be really difficult to reveal who is or isn't a bigot until the masks come off. Case in point: Secret Hitler's creator https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/23/21300435/cards-against-humanity-max-temkin-report

There's this really good part in @tinahornsass' convo with @jbbrager on Why Are People Into That?! where they talk about consensual nonconsent and 20th cent fascism's erotic appeal. Longing to let go and submit is really sexy in eroticism and REALLY BAD in politics

(ep here btw:
https://play.acast.com/s/yapit/jbbrager-fascismpt1)

In the same way that we play with certain themes in erotic play in order to understand, mock, or defang them, that's true for games like Among Us as well.

Games are fundamentally CNC experiences: you're agreeing to the potential to be removed or (your character) harmed

Among Us is just one big CNC exercise because it's all about agreeing to be killed should the game necessitate your death.

I'm sure some SAPs will run and say that this means games are bad. This isn't a bad thing!!! Games let us explore psychological needs in alternate realities

Fascism is scary. It's a movement that turns friends into monsters and tries to lure you in by speaking to your deepest, darkest fears.

Among Us lets us explore these anxieties, it gives us a safe play space to sniff out imposters, and it lets us unpack the fascist death drive

This is just one interpretation of AU and there are many reasons why people play. I've played deception games for a very long time for the same reason @CartaMonir drew her wonderful comic comparing Hitman to trans women's experiences passing https://www.polygon.com/2017/11/16/16657222/hitman-comic-carta-monir

*However*, Among Us is blowing up right now, and before AU there was Push the Button. I don't think this is a coincidence, and I think societal collapse + fascism's growing strength are both contributing factors

cc @critdistance #TWIVGB