Phasmophobia is a realistic and challenging ghost-hunting game that puts you to the test. It’s the kind of game you get better at over time, but it’s also one where there are tons of tips and tricks that can make it so much easier right away.
The clock is ticking, ghosts are eager to hunt, and all that’s standing between you and a ton of experience and cash is the ability to successfully recognize what kind of ghost is present. Identifying the ghost is no easy task, so here are the best tips and tricks for Phasmophobia to help make this process easier.
Best tips and tricks for Phasmophobia
Go in with a plan
You should have a specific order and plan you tackle every contract in. This looks a bit different for every Phasmophobia player, but overall, it’s just about having a solid plan in place so you can make the most of your time and not waste a single second.
The way I tackle every single contract I set out on is:
- Check the board and screen in the truck for objectives, ghost intel, grace period timer, fuse box location, and sanity level.
- Grab a Flashlight and Thermometer. For the third item slot, my go-to is usually a Video Camera but can also be a Ghost Writing Book, EMF Reader, or Sound Sensor depending on the specific map and contract.
- Pick up the key for the map.
- Head inside and immediately proceed to turn on the fuse box if it’s off.
- Check each room’s temperature until one has a reading below 10°C or the temperature noticeably drops compared to other locations, which is indicative of the ghost room.
- Place down all equipment except the Flashlight then head back to the truck to grab more. I usually prioritize Crucifixes on my first trip back to the truck so I can prevent hunts, but you can grab whatever you want to place first.
- Continue making trips between the truck and the ghost room until all of the stationary equipment is down. This generally includes Video Cameras, Ghost Writing Books, DOTS Projectors, Salt, and Tripods. Extra equipment I sometimes use here is Sound Sensors, Motion Sensors, and Firelights.
- Check the feed in the truck for all placed Video Cameras to look for DOTS and Ghost Orbs.
- Check for EMF level five, Ultraviolet, and Spirit Box.
- Check if the Ghost Writing Book has been written in or moved to either mark it or rule it out.
- Recheck the temperature for freezing temps.
- Take Sanity Medication as needed to keep sanity above 80 percent.
- Continue checking all evidence until the ghost type is identifiable.
- Before heading out, I always work on any objectives I can tackle, take photos, and find the bone for extra money if I feel safe enough to do so.
If I’m playing with friends or on a bigger map, this process changes slightly. On a bigger map, I usually prioritize placing Sound Sensors and Motion Sensors first to try and find the general area with the ghost this way instead. And when I’m playing with friends, we usually divide and conquer since a lot more can be accomplished at once.
Make sure the fuse box is on
Your temperature readings will be all messed up if the fuse box isn’t on, so be sure to turn it on first thing if the difficulty you are playing on starts with it off. The ghost can also turn it off during a contract, so check whether the power is on regularly to ensure your readings are correct.
Recheck the ghost room regularly
Depending on what difficulty you are playing on, it’s possible and even likely the ghost might move rooms at least once. Because of this, you should always recheck that the room you’re setting up is still the ghost room as you work through your investigation.
I usually use the Thermometer for this. If the temperature has gone noticeably up and exceeds 10°C, then the ghost has probably changed rooms, which means you need to move your equipment once you find it again.
Place Crucifixes down to avoid hunts
One of my top priorities in any contract is placing down Crucifixes to avoid hunts as soon as I know where the ghost room is. Hunts can be useful if you excel at identifying the ghost through hunt patterns, but I always prefer to first try and identify them with evidence and only confront them in a hunt if absolutely necessary.
Crucifixes are notoriously tricky to use, but the absolute best and most reliable way to make use of them is to place them down in the ghost room. You need this item to be close to the ghost to actually stop it, so placing two down in the ghost room generally works about 90 percent of the time.
Test every type of evidence multiple times
Obtaining evidence can be very finicky and unreliable in Phasmophobia, so you always want to check for all types of evidence many times before you rule them out.
There have been times where I’ve done Spirit Box 10 times and gotten no response but then tried again later and got a reply right away. I’ve also placed a Ghost Writing Book and got nothing but then placed a second one and got some writing immediately.
Ghosts are unpredictable, so the process for obtaining evidence is too. The likelihood of a reply can depend on numerous factors like the Tier level of the equipment and whether the ghost will respond to everyone or only those who are alone, so just be sure to check as much as you can so you don’t accidentally miss evidence.
Don’t forget about Salt
Salt is an easy tool to overlook or forget about, but it is a very powerful piece of equipment you should always use. Many players don’t know or forget that Salt can be used to obtain Ultraviolet evidence, which can be some of the toughest evidence to get otherwise.
Finding fingerprints can take forever depending on where the ghost room is, but with Salt, you can find Ultraviolet just seconds after a ghost steps in it. Using an Ultraviolet light, you will always see footprints by the salt piles after a ghost steps in them if Ultraviolet is one of their evidence types.
Salt can also be used to definitively rule out or identify the Wraith since this ghost will never step in it. And if you have higher-tiered Salt, it can even deter a ghost during a dangerous ghost hunt.
Lastly, taking a photo of some stepped-in Salt grants you some extra cash. It’s not a lot, but if you do it every time it happens then it will quickly add up.
Learn ghost behaviors
Evidence is the most reliable way to identify a ghost with certainty, but you should also know about general ghost behaviors to make catching them even easier.
Examples of this are the Shade, which is a very shy ghost that won’t perform interactions or hunt while someone is in the same room as it, the Demon, which has the special ability to hunt at any time, the Banshee, which sings more often than other ghosts and has a special scream, and the Obake, which shapeshifts once during every hunt.
Only use Cursed Possessions if you’re ready for a hunt
Cursed Possessions are powerful objects you can use to make identifying the ghost easier, but they are also very deadly since using one always results in a cursed hunt. So if you plan on using these items, make sure you are prepared to run or hide immediately after.
Play with friends or use matchmaking
Phasmophobia is not only much more fun with other players but also so much easier. With at least one other player at your side, your work is immediately cut in half, and finding the ghost becomes a much quicker process.
If someone on your team does end up failing to escape a ghost during a hunt, they can still continue to investigate and mark the right ghost as long as at least one player is still alive. This buys you and your team much more time than you have on your own, so invite some friends to play with you or use the game’s matchmaking feature to compile a ghost-hunting squad.
Check your sanity
All ghosts have their own sanity threshold at which point they can initiate a hunt, so keeping your sanity high or at least being aware of what your sanity looks like is a must.
If you want to avoid all hunts, keep your sanity above 80 percent at all times. But remember that the Demon has a special power to hunt at any sanity, so you can’t avoid it with certainty unless you have a Crucifix in the right spot or in your hand if it does try to hunt near you.
Learn to loop
You can get away from most ghosts with ease using the looping strategy, which is essentially just you finding a way to continue running and circling either a portion of the map or an object until the ghost stops chasing you.
An example of a great place to use this strategy is Camp Woodwind, which is one small circular map you can just keep running around to escape the ghost. As long as you know the path and the ghost isn’t unusually fast, your best bet is to just keep looping around to stay alive.
This strategy can also work around kitchen counters, tables, and other such objects on smaller maps.
Memorize the maps
Getting to know each map in Phasmophobia will help you be more successful during all investigations. You’ll know where the hiding spots are, where you can run to in the event of a ghost hunt, and have a clear idea of how to get around so you can find the ghost more quickly.
If you know the map, you can be prepared for anything that happens in a contract, which means your odds of success are much higher.
