No Common Task is a lobby setting in the among us game that will remove all tasks that are shared by all crewmates at the beginning of a game. By default, the host can decide how many common tasks everyone has, but if the number is set to zero, each player’s task list will be entirely different.
This little change makes a huge difference in the way rounds play out and makes it easy to see who the among us impostors are. In this guide we will discuss what common tasks do, why they are sometimes disabled on hosts, and how this impacts the strategies of crewmates and impostors.
This will help you make better decisions in the lobby, whether you’re new to the game and need to understand the settings or you’re an experienced player who wants to spice up your game.
What is a common task, anyway?
During a normal game, the host can assign a number of common tasks to all of the among us characters. These are basic tasks such as:
- Repairing wires
- Swipe a card
- Emptying the garbage
The concept is to have a simple method for players to check each other.
If they are doing something that you know they can do, they are probably a real crewmate, as impostors cannot do those things. They pretend by standing close to the task location. This common standard allows crewmates to easily clear people and catch fakers during the game. Without it the deduction process is more difficult and depends more on conversation and observation.
So What Does No Common Task Change?
When the host sets common tasks to zero no task is shared across the entire crew. Each player has a personal list of exclusive tasks that no other player has. This eliminates one of the easiest ways that crewmates can tell if someone is an impostor.
Suddenly, it’s harder for crew to know someone is innocent, just by observing them perform a universal task. Rather, they need to be more mindful of the timing of alibis and conduct in meetings.
For impostors it provides greater opportunity to fit in, as there is no common checklist to reveal them. In fact, many groups with experience like this situation, as it requires more social deduction and lying, instead of using task tells.
This setting influences Impostor Strategy
Impostors never have any real tasks to do, so they are always pretending by standing near task locations and pretending to work. One of the easiest ways for crew to catch them was to have common tasks, but everyone was supposed to have the same ones.
With no common task impostors have an easier time looking legitimate since there is no universal benchmark for crewmates to compare against.
Smart among us impostors can take advantage of this by learning the popular task locations on each map and moving naturally between them. In the hands of good hosts, some mundane tasks are turned off intentionally when playing with expert friends.
It makes the game more balanced and interesting, as it takes away the luckiness of catching the ball and gives credit to the better deceptive and observation skills instead.
Does This Setting Impact Characters or Cosmetics?
This is not related to your Among Us characters skins, hats or pets. Those are all cosmetic and have no effect on gameplay whatsoever. There is no Common Task that is just a gameplay rule and does not impact anything else except task distribution.
It is important to reiterate that many newer players are confused about this. Your character may look cool, but it will have no effect on task roles or any strategic advantage. The only important things are the roles you’re given and the lobby settings you select for the host.
Should You Turn Off Common Tasks
The no common task setting is appropriate for certain groups, but not for others. It is great for advanced gamers who are looking for a harder more talky game. Taking away the easy task forces everyone to use social reads timing and smart discussions, which many veterans enjoy more and are more replayable.
It is generally advisable to keep at least one shared task turned on for beginners or casual groups. Those common tasks are used by new players as training wheels to learn how to detect impostors. It is good to begin with them on helps everyone develop confidence before progressing to more difficult settings. It’s always okay to try things out and tweak them as per your regular group’s style.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “No Common Task” the same as hiding the task bar?
No they are different. If you minimize the task bar, the progress bar will be hidden at the top of the screen. The shared tasks are not deleted from everyone list by No Common Task.
Does “No Common Task” setting impact win chances?
It can initially give games a slight advantage to the impostors as crew loses an easy verification tool. However, with practice, a skilled crew can adjust and the balance is evened out by better deduction.
Is it possible to change “No Common Task” setting during the game?
Once the game begins, there are no lobby settings such as common tasks that are locked. The decision must be made before you press the start button.
What is the best number of common tasks for beginners?
Typically, a common task is a good starting point. It provides a useful aid for new players while not being too easy for impostors.
No Common Task is a small setting that makes a significant impact in each lobby. It takes the Among Us game further into the realm of social deduction and away from task checking.
Use it with your usual group and observe how it affects your group play. If you are still getting the hang of the basics, our full how to play Among Us guide will go into detail about all the other settings and roles.
