Among Us is five dollars on Steam, and free on mobile. It was made by a tiny team, launched in 2018, and existed in near-complete obscurity for most of the two years since release. Now it’s played by streamers, politicians, and everyday gamers alike, and according to a new report, it’s the seventh-biggest game of the quarter where it got big.
Among Us reached the seventh-highest player count among console and PC players in the three months from July through September, according to Mat Piscatella of analyst group NPD. 69% of those players (nice) were under 24. (The devs have occasionally provided charts showing how the numbers break down across PC and mobile, too.)
NPD primarily tracks sales data in the US, and this quarter represented the highest quarterly spending on videogames in history. $11.2 billion was spent on videogames in the US this quarter, up 24% from the same period in 2019. The biggest-selling game of the stretch was NBA 2K21, based on dollar sales – and that’s not even counting the money 2K is pulling in on microtransactions.
NPD also lists Modern Warfare, Fortnite, Madden, Marvel’s Avengers, Minecraft, and the Tony Hawk remakes among the best-sellers of the quarter. Naturally, some console-exclusives including Animal Crossing, Ghost of Tsushima, Paper Mario, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars also made the list.
Among Us was another hit of Q3. According to The NPD Group's PlayerPulse, Among Us reached the 7th highest player count in the quarter among Console/PC players. 69% of Among Us players were 24 years old or younger.
— Mat Piscatella (@MatPiscatella) November 11, 2020
If you’re looking for more games like Among Us, but don’t expect them to match this title’s success any time soon.