Among Us Copycat Is Destroying The Original On Steam
You'd think that the itch to betray friends in gaming would have been scratched by now, but Steam continues to surprise us.
Among Us was, and still partially is, a cultural phenomenon. Taking over during lockdown and having a popularity that permeated beyond, the stealthy betrayal simulator crushed it on Steam and console alike - making InnerSloth overnight game development superstars.
And yet, even though the game remains comfortably on the market, copycats are on the move. And some are even overtaking the original.
Goose Goose Duck Is Dominating On Steam
Click to enlargeA charming Among Us rip that features some goofy-looking geese seems to be toppling the original game on Steam, and players are growing obsessed. But they're not into it for the exact reason that you might think.
Last year saw the player numbers of Goose Goose Duck from a fair 4,000 in November to a whopping 61,000 in December. They're not exactly Call of Duty numbers, but for an indie rip-off, this is an unprecedented leap for an existing game.
It'd be fair to wonder why players are flocking (pun intended) to a rip-off of an existing game that is already present on the same digital storefront - but players aren't jumping on Goose Goose Duck because they like the game. They're jumping on Goose Goose Duck because they like K-Pop. Stay with us here.
Why Is Goose Goose Duck Performing So Well?
Goose Goose Duck is performing well for one reason - BTS member V played the game during a livestream on Weverse. It's practically like a Korean substitute for Patreon, where members of BTS often interact with fans for a subscription fee.
Yet, even though V hasn't streamed the game since November, the player numbers keep amplifying, with fans being forced to demand more server space to make way for the slew of new fans coming into the game.
It's a surprising turn for the game, and it's telling of the power of K-Pop stans. To be fair, if BLACKPINK's Rosé started playing a Minecraft rip on Twitch, we'd be all over it too.
