'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Among Us is a fairly small game with a 2D aesthetic, which might make it seem like there isn’t much to break or go out of bounds with.
The YouTube channel, Shesez, put together a video showcasing the hidden 3D world of Among Us, uncovering a surprising amount of depth (insert laugh track) and developer creativity. His efforts show that Among Us is actually a series of layered 2D images stacked on top of each other being manipulated to give the appearance of a 2D world.
How Among Us uses 3D space to make a 2D world
As revealed in the video, Among Us works by presenting large 2D images carefully placed on top of one another. Surprisingly, there is actually a good amount of space between each layer, likely to make it easier for the developers to adjust them as needed.
Additionally, for the game’s various cutscenes, such as the execution screens, meeting screens, or kill animations, Shesez revealed that Among Us either creates a whole new area on the map or simply projects the respective assets on top of everything else.
One surprising discovery was that even the game’s line of sight uses this mechanic. Rather than having the game calculate visibility for each player, the game simply projects a shadow layer over the map, which moves in conjunction with the player's character. If the player were ever able to have their screen zoomed out enough, they’d be able to see wherever this shadowed layer doesn’t cover.
The illusion revealed
Seeing Among Us deconstructed to its base elements is a lot like watching someone explain a magic trick. In many ways, being able to see how it’s done can encourage players to try their own hand at game development.
This technique, using perspective to affect how players observe something, shows how it’s sometimes better to trick players than to actually build something to function as expected. Most Among Us players probably bought into the idea that these crewmates were walking around in fully connected locations, rather than the reality that the backgrounds and foregrounds were actually incredibly far apart.
Forced perspective is an old filmmaker’s trick, and it’s fun to see it being used even in something as far removed from filmmaking as Among Us.
