At FULLSYNC, we’re massive fans of horror games. The creepier, the better. But Kinetic Games’ Phasmophobia takes things to the next level by blending psychological chills with online co-op chaos.
There’s something uniquely terrifying (and hilarious) about hunting ghosts with your mates, only for one of them to get dragged off mid-sentence. Whether you’re a seasoned spirit sleuth or a nervous newcomer clutching the EMF reader, this guide is packed with tips to help you survive the hauntings, keep your sanity intact, and maybe even make it out with some solid evidence.
But before we dive in, here’s a little montage of our recent Phasmophobia hunts…
Our top 5 Phasmophobia tips
Communication is key
Whilst you can play Phasmophobia solo (brave but stupid if you do), a key element to the game is its co-op gameplay. But you must communicate, whether you’re with friends or randoms online, because if you don’t, you can miss out on so much.
One of the key times this is important is when laying salt traps to detect footprints. Sometimes, these can go off straight away, and if you don’t have someone in the van or nearby recording as you set the traps, that’s some missed evidence that can help you earn some extra money and XP to help you get equipment upgrades.
Be quiet!
Yes, we know that this is contradictory to our first Phasmophobia tip, but hear us out. In your settings, you can choose options to activate your mic automatically or use a push-to-talk feature. This is important to have switched on to use equipment like the Spirit Box and the Ouija Board. Although you can use in-game text chat to do this as well.
However, it’s so easy to forget that the ghosts can hear you. So, when the ghost activates a hunt, and you’re hiding in a cupboard, crying like a little baby, yep, it can detect where you are. Especially the Yokai, which has a unique ability to hear you, even if you have push-to-talk on. And that is why you need to keep quiet, no matter if your teammates are safe in the van, asking what is going on. Just keep quiet and remain calm until the hunt is over. Or until the ghost grabs you and takes you to the other side with it.
Don’t be afraid to use cursed items
Throughout Phasmophobia, you will find a series of cursed items. From Tarot Cards and Summoning Circles, and even a Monkey Paw that can grant you wishes. Now, using these items usually comes with some kind of risk, with the main one being your sanity dropping quickly. However, the benefits can outweigh the costs, especially with friends.
For example, the Ouija Board allows you to communicate with some spirits. You can ask it where and how it died, you can find out how it’s feeling, and even its age. This last one is handy because the Thaye ages as you progress through the mission. So, if you ask the age question early on and again a little later, its age will change.
Then, we have that Monkey Paw. Wish for knowledge, and it’ll tick off one piece of evidence and rule out spirits that it won’t be, from your journal. Although only the user sees this, so again, remember to communicate. You can also wish to revive a dead player, which can also happen with Tarot Cards. But, this does come with a chance of you dying yourself. Either way, if you’re together in a group, even the negative of dying isn’t that bad, because it gives people a chance to snap photos and record videos for additional evidence.
Don’t stop gathering evidence
In your journal, you can tick off evidence you’ve seen, and this will help eliminate spirits that aren’t haunting the property. You can also mark off evidence you haven’t found to help you do the same. Finding three pieces of evidence successfully will help identify the spirit. However, just because you think you’ve gathered all the evidence, don’t be so sure.
The Mimic is a spirit that is an absolute pain in my backside. It attempts to mimic other spirits by copying what evidence they would leave behind. Their weakness is that you also tend to see ghost orbs when they appear, but this isn’t actual evidence for The Mimic. So, always double-check to see if you can’t find additional evidence. Especially because some things will not be evident straight away. You may check a room’s temperature or even monitor EMF readings, but these can change throughout the game. So don’t rule things out too quickly.
On top of that, having extra photos, videos, and sound recordings will also help you complete in-game tasks, daily and weekly challenges, and thus earn you more money and XP. Leading us onto our final Phasmophobia tip…
Make the most of those daily and weekly challenges early on
I’ve mentioned cash and XP a fair bit, and it’s because they are important. Levelling up unlocks new and better equipment, and money helps you buy it. Purchasing bits isn’t too pricey, but upgrading can set you back a bit. Which is where completing the challenges in the game becomes important. Completing the weekly challenge mode task alone can score you $5,000 and 5,000 XP. This gives you a considerable bump early on in the game.
The best bit, though, is the fact that these rewards are unaffected by whether you die or not, unless expressly stated as part of a challenge. Because, if you do die, any cash and XP from each mission will be halved. You’ll also lose any equipment you used on that mission, although a silver lining is that they are insured, so you can get a little money back for them.
And that’s the lot on our top Phasmophobia tips. Well, there is one more little bonus one. Check out this Phasmophobia cheat sheet we found, which helps in learning more about each spirit, how to identify them, and their unique behaviours.
Phasmophobia continues to deliver spine-tingling moments, but with the right prep, gear, and teamwork, it’s just as rewarding as it is terrifying. Whether you’re playing to complete objectives or just want to scream your lungs out with friends, understanding the tools of the trade and keeping a cool head can make all the difference.
At FULLSYNC, we’ll always champion games like Phasmophobia that bring players together, especially when they scare the life out of us in the process. So grab your crucifix, check your sanity, and happy hunting. We’ll see you in the van… if you make it back.
If you want to grab yourself a copy of Phasmophobia, you can find it on the PlayStation Store, on Xbox, and PC. For even more helpful tips in some of our favourite games, click right here.