Phasmophobia

About Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia is a paranormal investigation game made by the small British studio Kinetic Games, released into Steam early access in September 2020. It became one of the best known co-op horror games almost at once, helped by its use of voice recognition: the ghost can hear what you say through your microphone and react to it.

A round begins in a van parked outside a haunted location. You pick your equipment, step inside, and start looking for the three pieces of evidence that identify the ghost. Tools like the EMF reader, spirit box, thermometer, UV light and video cameras each reveal a different clue, and a journal lets you narrow a long list of ghost types down to one. You can work inside the building or stay in the van watching the cameras and sensors.

The fear comes from being in the dark while something is aware of you. The ghost grows more active as the house's sanity drops, the lights flicker and cut out, and eventually it begins a hunt. During a hunt you cannot fight back. You turn off your light, hide in a closet or behind furniture, and keep quiet, because it can hear you speak.

Phasmophobia is played by one to four people with cross-play across PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles, and it supports VR on PC and PlayStation VR2. It suits players who like tension and teamwork more than action, and who enjoy piecing together a puzzle while trying not to draw attention to themselves.

How to play Phasmophobia

1. In the van, read the contract and load out with ghost-hunting equipment such as an EMF reader, a thermometer, a spirit box and a video camera.
2. Enter the building, find the ghost's room, and place sensors and cameras to watch it.
3. Use your tools to collect the three pieces of evidence, and match them against the journal to name the ghost type.
4. When the lights flicker and a hunt starts, turn off your flashlight, hide or run, stay silent, and wait for it to pass before you finish the contract.

Screenshots

Tips

• Keep an eye on the team's sanity; the lower it gets, the more often the ghost hunts.
• Learn each ghost's tell, so three pieces of evidence point you to one type quickly.
• During a hunt, drop your sprint early and break the ghost's line of sight rather than running in a straight line.
• Set a camera and the sound sensor in the ghost room before it gets angry, so you can watch from the safety of the van.

Questions