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Maker Zack Freedman recreated three Among Us minigames as physical props: Swipe Card, Upload Data (also labeled File Transfer), and Start Reactor. Each turns a familiar game action into a different hardware problem—measuring a card’s speed, detecting a nearby NFC tag, or entering a displayed button sequence. The Hackster.io feature offers a component overview, not a complete set of plans for reproducing the builds.
What the three real-life Among Us tasks recreate
The builds preserve the core interaction of each game task rather than reproducing an entire game environment. Swipe Card tests timing; Upload Data/File Transfer uses a short-range phone interaction; Start Reactor asks the player to remember and repeat a sequence.
| Game task | Physical interaction | Main sensing or input approach |
|---|---|---|
| Swipe Card | Swipe an ID card at the target speed | Two optical interrupters measure the time between activations |
| Upload Data / File Transfer | Place an NFC tag in a transfer pad near a phone | An Android device detects the tag and plays an upload animation |
| Start Reactor | Repeat a sequence shown on a screen | A separate button panel sends player input to the display system |
How the Swipe Card recreation works
The card reader uses two optical interrupters. As the card passes each one, the program can estimate swipe speed from the interval between their activations. A Teensy 3.2 runs the program, while I2C OLED segments styled to look like a seven-segment display show the result; two LEDs provide status feedback.
The program chooses a target speed and allows some tolerance, so the aim is to match the reader’s timing window rather than simply pass the card through. Hackster.io reports that this particular recreation rejects a perfect swipe 20% of the time. That figure describes the prop’s reported behavior; it is not an independently measured success rate or a general property of card readers.
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How Upload Data and File Transfer use NFC
The feature calls this minigame “Upload Data” in its overview and “File Transfer” in the section heading. In the physical version, an NFC tag is placed in a transfer pad, and an Android device held inside a 3D-printed phone holder detects it and plays an uploading animation.
Hackster.io says the design uses NFC instead of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi because the desired interaction is close range, and describes the phone and tag as needing to be within 2 cm. Treat that distance as the article’s description of this build, not as a universal NFC range specification.
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- IMMERSIVE DEDUCTION EXPERIENCE – Step into a tense village mystery where players take on hidden roles and work together to uncover the Werewolves through logic, discussion, and quick decisions
- QUICK 10-MINUTE ROUNDS – Fast gameplay makes it ideal for classrooms, family gatherings, and mixed-experience game groups; easy setup and simultaneous play allow for multiple back-to-back sessions
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How the Start Reactor recreation plays
Start Reactor becomes a Simon-style memory challenge: the screen lights a sequence of rectangles, and the player presses matching buttons in the same order. The feature says the sequence requires five presses, is randomized, and restarts after a mistake.
The display unit combines a Raspberry Pi 3, a 3.5-inch TFT display, and Pygame. The input is physically separate: a 3×3 panel of mechanical keyswitches, with a buzzer and LEDs, sends button input through another Teensy 3.2. This split between display and controls is a notable part of the design, rather than a single all-in-one controller.
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- A mystery game of social deduction and bluffing
- 40 mins to play
- 2 mins to learn
- Players 3-16
- Ages 8+
What you need to know before trying to build them
The feature names components and explains the interactions, but it does not provide enough detail to reproduce the exact builds from the overview alone. It does not identify exact models for the display or other components, nor does it provide a full parts list, wiring diagrams, or complete build instructions.
For a new project inspired by these props, plan around the interaction you want to recreate:
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- AMONG US GIFTS WITH THE TOTAL OF 16 FOR YOU TO COLLECT. Find all these Among Us toys for boys and girls including the four rarities: the purple Punkin head, the cyan Floaty Flamingo head, the red Chop-chop head, and the lime one wearing the Great Goalie (the Jason mask?)—and he’s running! Two of the characters in each deluxe box are hidden impostors whom you can’t see before you open the pack, so the whole deal with collecting this AmongUs stuff turns into a real quest. Collect them all!
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- PERFECT AS AMONG US GIFTS. A whole pack of Among Us merch is a great gift idea, especially if your or your friends’ children have tried out and liked the game. The pack will also come in handy if you’re looking for simple Among Us birthday party supplies, and it can even be used as Among Us birthday decorations. Get the right pack to help a young enthusiast complete their collection or start one from scratch. Perhaps, an adult AmongUs small toys collector will appreciate the gift, too.
- Card swipe: choose a sensor arrangement that can detect two events reliably, then decide how to display feedback and tune the acceptable speed range.
- Close-range transfer: confirm that the chosen NFC tag and Android device work together at the intended distance, and design a holder or pad that positions them consistently.
- Sequence challenge: check controller compatibility with the display and input hardware, and plan the panel, enclosure, sound, and visual feedback as parts of the same interaction.
These are build-planning considerations, not additional specifications or tested recommendations from the feature. Its value is the concept: three recognizable tasks translated into optical timing, NFC detection, and button-sequence input.
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