In China, the game “Werewolf Among Us” is currently making its way up the app charts. This not only sounds like the current hit “Among Us,” but is also otherwise almost the same.
This is the original: “Among Us” should be a term everyone is familiar with by now. The indie game was originally released back in 2018 but only really gained traction in the last few months.
Currently, it ranks 5th in the Steam charts and had a peak of 349,643 players. The game belongs to a series of games that have greatly benefited from Twitch. Just before, for example, Fall Guys was a hit that fell into a similar niche.
The Among Us principle is quite simple: You take on the role of a crew member of a space station and must work together with your team to solve various tasks. However, one of you is a deceitful alien, an imposter, who moves among the crew members and must eliminate them.
The team’s task is to figure out who the imposter is and vote them out. Since communication is only allowed during certain phases of the game, this can go wrong – and you might vote out the wrong players. Essentially, it works like the classic party game “Werewolf” – only online and in space. Overall, the principle appeals to many players. Even in US politics, the game has made its way in between.
In China, a game is making the rounds called “Werewolf Among Us.” And yes: It looks quite similar.
Medieval Among Us celebrates success in China
This is the copy: According to a SCMP report, “Werewolf Among Us,” a mobile Among Us clone by the Chinese developers Shenzhen Youliang Technology, is currently very successful in China. It was released on October 28 and jumped to the top with 116,000 downloads in the App Store on November 2, surpassing the previous leaders Honour of Kings and Peacekeeper Elite by Tencent. It is now said to be at over 478,000 downloads.
Overall, it plays out very similarly to the original. Only, in the clone version, a magical castle is at the center instead of a space station. Instead of an alien deceiver, a hidden werewolf is appropriately roaming around the castle to take out the other players. This, in a way, also fits with Among Us: It has become especially known in China as “Space Werewolf” (via SCMP). Under the “Werewolf” name, the original party game was also very popular in China.
Since gameplay mechanics in China are not covered by Chinese copyright, there are reportedly already plenty of Among Us clones – but this one is particularly successful. The original has risen to 10th place among the most downloaded games in China (885,000 downloads on Steam and in the App Store). However, there are hurdles such as the lack of Chinese voiceover and connection issues. “Werewolf Among Us” does not have these problems.
Currently, the game is not available for download here. But there is the original version – a game that is perfect for playing with friends.
