Update log
Full Among Us update
The complete published notes, normalized for clean reading and source attribution.
Repeated intro
Extracted changes
- Gameplay
- Maps
As a treat Dave has turned back the clock to take us through the process for some of our other roles – the Tracker and Noisemaker!
Take it away, Dave!
After releasing The Fungle in 2023, the next goal was to release a batch of new roles. Players had been asking for new roles for a while, so it was exciting to start prototyping different ones. Roles are a great way to create new mechanics, make the gameplay feel fresh, and add new twists to the social deduction component in Among Us.
This exploration resulted in 3 new roles being released in 2024: Tracker, Noisemaker, and Phantom. I felt that the Tracker and the Noisemaker were interesting because despite both being Crewmate roles, they’re design opposites. This allowed them to have stronger, unique identities while also serving two different playstyles.
Noisemaker
The Noisemaker has a very straightforward ability: when they’re killed by the Impostor, they send out an alert to the other Crewmates, guiding them to their location. It’s a pretty simple role to play because it’s passive. It automatically triggers on death. It’s a great role for players who don’t want to have another thing to do during a match. Some people just want to focus on tasks and fixing sabotages — and that’s totally okay. Honestly, that’s me a lot of the time.
Of course, there was concern about the Noisemaker being too simple. This was feedback the team got frequently: it could be a letdown to get assigned a role and not have an extra ability you can use at the press of a button. But, simplicity is the name of the Noisemaker’s game. It’s not to say there isn’t any nuance to the role. A clever Noisemaker can lure the suspected Impostor to kill them in a spot that gives them away. I’ve been tricked like this a few times myself while I’ve been Impostor.
The simplicity of the role doesn’t mean it’s a weak role either. It’s actually quite powerful in that the alert is a game-wide effect. It can be the deciding factor that throws off an Impostor and gets the Crewmates the win! Releasing a low complexity role was the design intent behind the Noisemaker, so I decided to keep them straightforward and simple.
After it was released, seeing the Noisemaker so positively received really warmed my heart. From casual players to streamers, everyone understood the role and valued how game-changing the Noisemaker’s ability can be. One my favorite comments to this day is still:
Tracker
Like I mentioned earlier, the Tracker is the mechanical opposite of the Noisemaker. The Tracker has the ability to place a tracking device on another Crewmate. By opening their map, they can then see where the other Crewmate is while they move around. They were designed for the super Crewmates who, on top of doing their tasks and fixing sabotages, are constantly figuring out who’s safe and who’s suspicious.
Of course, this ability is powerful. For new players, the ability was designed to be straightforward to use and understand. But as players start to get better with the role, it gives gameplay depth and surprise.
On a surface level, the ability allows the Tracker to confirm another Crewmate’s location. The ability becomes more valuable once you start combining
Source