You hunt ghosts in Phasmophobia, a horror game played solo or with up to four people online. Your team takes on a contract at a haunted place, like a house or a farmhouse, and tries to work out which ghost is causing the trouble. Each ghost leaves its own mix of clues, and you usually need three of them to name the right one.
Before you go in, your team picks a contract in the Warehouse, the game's lobby, and buys and upgrades gear using money you've already earned. Once you're inside, you use that gear to find the ghost's room and gather clues. Each clue goes into your Journal, which helps you cross out ghosts that don't fit, so the list of possibilities keeps getting shorter.
Your sanity drops the longer you stay in the dark or watch the ghost act up, and low sanity makes the ghost more aggressive and more likely to hunt you. During a hunt, the exits lock, so the best move is to hide and stay quiet until the ghost moves on. Naming the ghost correctly and finishing objectives earns money, with bigger payouts on harder difficulties, and that money buys better gear for tougher contracts.
- Developer
- Kinetic Games
- Publisher
- Kinetic Games
- Release
- PC Early Access: 2020-09-18 · PlayStation 5, PSVR2, Xbox Series X|S Early Access: 2024-10-29
- Platforms
- PC (Windows, VR supported), PlayStation 5, PlayStation VR2, Xbox Series X|S
Game data
Ghosts
Each ghost type in Phasmophobia is identified by three clues from a shared pool of evidence types. Ghost types differ in speed, habits, and the average sanity level at which they start a hunt, and a few, such as the Demon and the Mimic, break the usual pattern. Learning each ghost's clues and behavior is the core skill of the game. Crucifixes and Incense give players ways to stop or delay hunts.
Evidence
Evidence types are the clues a ghost leaves behind in Phasmophobia, and they're how players work out which ghost is haunting a location. Each ghost has three of them, and players collect them with tools such as the EMF reader, thermometer, spirit box, UV light, video camera, Ghost Writing book and D.O.T.S. Projector. Matching clues in the ghost journal narrows the list down to a single ghost.
Equipment
Equipment is the set of tools players buy, upgrade and bring on each contract in Phasmophobia. It covers evidence tools for identifying a ghost, protective gear for hunts, and sensors and cameras for tracking activity. Each item comes in three tiers, and higher tiers unlock as your profile level rises. The starter tools come with you from the start, and the rest are bought in the lobby before a contract.
Maps
Phasmophobia's maps range from small houses to large institutions, and they come in small, medium and large sizes. Most open as your account level rises, so you won't have every map from the start. The map you choose sets how much ground your team covers and how a hunt plays out. Several maps also have Restricted versions, which offer quicker games in familiar places.
Cursed Possessions
Cursed possessions are special objects in Phasmophobia that can appear on a map and give your team a strong edge, such as locating the ghost or producing its evidence. Most of them drain sanity when used, and a careless move can set off a cursed hunt, a ghost attack that can start even when sanity is high. A Tier III Crucifix can stop a cursed hunt when it's in range, but lower tiers can't, so learn the risks before you grab one.
Phasmophobia gameplay tips
- Update your Journal after every clue. Tick off each clue you confirm and strike through any clue you rule out. Ruling out a clue removes every ghost that depends on it, so you test fewer suspects before you name one.
- Split the Thermometer and EMF Reader between different players. Each person covers a different part of the location, so the team finds the ghost's room faster. Colder readings mean you're getting closer.
- When a hunt starts, don't run for the exit. The doors lock, so get into a hiding spot, switch off any electronics you're holding and stay silent. Talking draws the ghost toward you, and looking at it drains your sanity faster.
- Leave once your sanity gets too low. Low sanity makes the ghost more aggressive and more likely to hunt, so staying longer makes each hunt more likely.