Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia

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The Simplicity Guide to Phasmophobia
By GoldSAW
Item Explanation, Progression, Strategies, Ghost Commands/Questions, Ghost Weaknesses, Tips & Tricks
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The Tools of the Trade


This is a basic accounting of what each tool does in my experience of using them.


EMF Reader - Will detect a ghost's interaction points with various levels of severity, a level 5 is noted as a research point. You can tell the difference between a EMF 5 ghost and a non-EMF 5 ghost by the interaction level in the truck at the same time as the EMF reading.

UV Flashlight/Glow Sticks - Used to find hand prints left by ghosts on doors, switches, and windows.

Video Cameras/Head Cameras - Used for detecting ghost orbs, the room must be dark for this to work, and you generally need to be in the ghost's room. Though a ghost can roam from it's primary room to interact with a player in a different room.

Spirit Box - A ghost voice needs to be heard through the box to count towards investigation. A ghost throwing stuff/flickering lights in response to speech does not count as spirit box research. The bandwidth numbers cycling on the spirit box are purely cosmetic and do not have any affect on ghost speech.

Writing Book - Used to detect evidence, like fingerprints. Needs to be placed in the ghost's room. It's kinda funny when the ghost casually uses it as a Frisbee.

Super Flashlight - A weapon of immeasurable destruction, cast upon the impure grounds we mortals stride by God himself whom seeks to rid the world of the lost apparitions whom inhabit it. Its holy beam shall light the path of any who hold its textured grip. Just kidding, it's a brighter flashlight.

Flashlight - Use the Super Flashlight as soon as possible.

Thermometer - Used to find the ghost's room as a portion* of ghost rooms are typically 10-20 degrees cooler than any other room. After that it's pretty much useless.

Crucifix - Used to prevent the ghost from entering into a hunt within a certain diameter. It has 2 uses before it's consumed and will disappear. If you are holding the item, it will not work. If a ghost is already hunting, it will not save you. It works as a preventative, not as a response.

Smudge Sticks - Can be used to make a ghost retreat from an area for a few seconds. You need a lighter equipped as a second item to activate it.

Lighter - Used to burn smudge sticks and as a light source.

Sanity Pills - Used to raise sanity by 40%. A sanity below 50% is the typical ghost hunting-range. Your sanity will gradually drop inside the building, especially when the ghost interacts with you.

Candles - Used to preserve sanity, as a lit candle will prevent sanity drain. The ghost can blow out candles, though, and it often will.

Salt - It is used primarily to detect ghost footprints in combination with the UV light/glow sticks. Taking a picture of salt with green salt-related footprints in it will earn you extra money at the end of the round. You can take one photo per green footprint.


Note: There are multiple types of ghosts in this game, and each one has a specific response to each stimuli. Each ghost type has its preferred regulated research items, and the items it simply won't respond to. This is a investigative* game, as each method is to be used to research what the ghost responds to.



Small Houses, Big Problems



Starting off, I should mention that if you die during a match playing solo (or if your team gets wiped) you will lose all of your purchased items that you brought along with you. If you're playing on amateur or intermediate difficulty, you'll be refunded a certain amount via insurance. But if you're playing on professional, you'll be refunded nothing.






You'll be refunded a certain about of insurance on amateur and intermediate, but it still won't equal out to the original amount you spent on the gear you brought along. On professional you get nothing from death.










When the game starts, you'll want to listen to the radio. He'll say if the ghost has violent tendencies, or if the ghost is a more quieter/shy type. It may also note specific patterns or actions such as flickering lights. Nothing is definitive it seems, but it's a decent hint. Note: You don't actually interact with the radio, the dialogue automatically plays at the start of any match.










After that you'll want to look at your board. It'll give you insight into the ghost you're researching. If there's a reliance upon smudge sticks and crucifixes it may indicate towards a more violent ghost.











Note: That clock over the monitor is the timer for counting down until the ghost's path-finding will switch from idleness to attempting to drain the team's sanity and/or the sanity will drain faster from that point onward. But if you're playing on Amateur I wouldn't worry about it. Unless you somehow land on a really hostile ghost, in which at that point you're basically playing on Intermediate. On Amateur you can pretty much ignore that garble. That's mostly for intermediate and professional difficulties.


Preparation:

Every player should equip a Thermometer, Flashlight, and Research Item.

Make a note of where the breaker is early on. You can find the breaker using the map monitors inside the truck via a green square, if it's not visible you can cycle the overview using the button to the left of the monitors. The ghost will probably eventually flip the breaker in an attempt to drain your teams sanity faster, especially if it is aggressive. Once the sanity reaches a 50% average across all players it will begin hunting.




Entering the House:



Finding the Ghost's Room:

Everyone should travel around the house going room-to-room scanning each room's temperature. You do not need to go into a room to check the temperature, you can aim the thermometer at the door. The ghost's room will be between 40-50 ℉/4.4-10 ℃. There are some greater negative exceptions, but that's the typical range. If it's a particular kind of ghost you'll also encounter frosty-breath in that same room. The normal rooms in the house will be around 61-65 ℉/15-18 ℃.




After you find the Ghost's Room:


Place a glow stick near the ghost's room door. If the ghost leaves hand-prints during the match, it'll be seen on that door. I'd also place one near the closet doors and windows, if the ghost's room has them. You can also place one near the front window, as the ghost may press their hand on the glass when the players leave the house.










Setting up your Research Point:




You'll be doing this a lot. It's a repeat of delivering items and getting the ghost to interact with the items you bring it.

Oh, and try to avoid death.


That's basically it for the houses. But remember that the objectives are optional. If you get greedy and die, you'll lose everything you brought with you. Then you'll get to spend your optional objective bonuses for the next few games on the gear you lost when you died on this one. When your sanity reaches a certain threshold (and you don't have any more pills) it's better to get outta' Dodge to live another day.


Q and A:

Q: How do I complete the "defend yourself with a crucifix" objective?
A: Turn off the lights and stand in the ghosts room by yourself in the dark with the crucifix thrown on the ground in the center of the room. You could repeat the ghost's name over and over to instigate violence.

Q: How do I complete the "have a team member witness a ghost event" challenge?
A: This objective is incredibly easy, just stand in the ghost's room together and you'll probably knock this one out without even trying.

Q: What is the "smudge stick" objective?
A: There's a peeled potato bundle of herbs you can buy called a smudge stick for $15. You just burn it in the ghost's room using a lighter, which you also purchase. Probably the second-easiest challenge to complete.


Tips for Survival:

· You can toss a crucifix on the floor of the room you're investigating to prevent a hunt. But it only protects you twice in a short radius. A hunt can be identified by a flickering flashlight.

· You don't need to hold the spirit box for it to count, you can turn it on and toss it on the floor.

· Avoid saying the ghost's name unless you know what you're doing. If it's hostile it may provoke it into attacking regardless of your current sanity.

· You can hide behind certain doors. If a door folds inwards toward a wall, you can tuck yourself in that corner and pull the door close to you, and even if the ghost looks in that room, it won't see you.





A High School of Horrors



For this one I utilize a different yet similar method to the house. Though I'd recommend at least two people, with High School on Professional I'd recommend at least three people.

The larger maps, especially with a limited crew, is a game against time. The longer you spend inside the building the more sanity you will lose, the more aggressive the ghost will become, and ultimately the more you will be hunted. Sanity pills are your friend, as they postpone the chain-hunting and grant you more research time.

Note: This game is subjective to the player's play style, there are several methods to progression. But this is my method.


Required Items:
  • x4 Sound Sensors
  • x3 Thermometers
  • x2 Video Cameras
  • x4 Sanity Pills
  • x2 Glow Sticks
  • x2 Crucifixes
  • x2 Super Flashlights
  • x1 Writing Book
  • x1 EMF

Optional:
  • Light Sensors
  • Motion Sensors

Starting off, listen to radio. Do we have a hostile ghost or a calm ghost? There's no definitive answer yet (and the ghosts can be a bit random) but it's tip in the right direction.

Two people need to grab a flashlight and a 2 sound sensors each (those are the white squares.) The remaining crew are gonna be tasked with thermometers in locating the ghost's room (preferably as quickly as possible.)

Remember, when you enter the school you want to listen very closely. If you hear a faucet or a phone ringing those are pretty much striking gold on this map. If you find that sound, you find the room.





Sound runners are going to want to enter the school from the side entrances and place sound sensors in the directions seen in the image. If you place them on the wrong side it won't have an efficient coverage. The goal here is to create a coverage that can effectively eliminate at least one floor. Which means only the center rooms, and remaining floor will remain.

You're also going to want to turn on the breaker* as a first-priority, and turn on the primary lights but no more than six (as it flips the breaker). Turning on the breaker will elevate the temperature in each room, which is essential for using the thermometer.

If you have only two people and haven't heard a phone or sink yet, return to the truck and swap out for thermometers. One person can stay in the truck and watch for audio detection on the floor using the sound sensor.




The other people should be in the school with thermometers looking for the ghost's room. Entering each room and checking

Once you find the room it's the usual investigative recipe: bring stuff to the room, instigate, get the research, and get out.

Good luck.



General Tips and Tricks

1. You don't need to say the ghosts name to ask it to do something, nor do you need the spirit box.

2. Make sure to place motion sensors lower to the ground, if the ghost is a child an eye-level motion sensor won't detect it.


3. You are safe the moment you step outside the front door. If you can hear the hollow echoing ambient noise you are not safe. You can actually step inside the door, instigate, and step back outside to observe. It also works well with the Ouija boards. But you need to make sure you back away from the threshold if a hunt begins otherwise the door could potentially push you inside when a hunt initiates.







4. You can toss a crucifix on the floor of the room you're investigating to prevent a hunt. But it only protects you twice. A hunt can be identified by a flickering flashlight.

5. You can hide in lockers/closets during a hunt to avoid being killed.


6. You can place salt in front of every door to track where a hallway ghost frequents. Though light sensors and motion sensors generally work much better. A hallway ghost may also reach through the wall to interact with certain items.













7. You don't need to hold the spirit box for it to count, you can turn it on and simply toss it on the floor.

8. Avoid saying the ghost's name repeatedly. If it's hostile it may provoke it into attacking.

9. Certain ghosts may attack at higher sanity levels.

10. Each ghost has a various level of hostility. You may encounter a mild demon, or an aggressive mare. It is randomly generated at the start of each match.


11. You can place tripods on window sills.
















12. You can flip through the map inside the truck on the informative panel to find the breaker.

13. You can use local talk and radio-talk to speak with team members.

14. There are multiple optional photographs you can take to gain extra cheddar. It will only recognize a photo within 5 meters of taking the shot. You can take pictures of: The ghost itself, the ghost's bone, a sink filled with dirty water, a ghost hand print/footprint, a teammate's corpse, and various interaction points such as the phone/light switch/clock.



A Dance with the Damned


Phasmophobia (noun)
fas′mō-fō′bē-ă
1. The morbid fear of ghosts.

Types of Ghosts:
  • Spirit
  • Wraith
  • Phantom
  • Poltergeist
  • Banshee
  • Jinn
  • Mare
  • Revenant
  • Shade
  • Demon
  • Yūrei
  • Oni
  • Yokai
  • Hauntu


Note: The model for each Ghost is randomized among various preset models. There is no definitive model for each Ghost.

A Spirit is a the most common spectral, usually discovered at one of their hunting grounds after an unexplained death.
Unique Strengths: None.
Unique Weaknesses: Using Smudge Sticks on a Spirit will halt attacks for a long period of time.
Evidence: Spirit Box, Fingerprints, Ghost Writing.


A Wraith is one of the most dangerous Ghosts. It is the only known Ghost that has the ability of flight, and can travel through walls at will.
Unique Strengths: Wraiths almost never touch the ground, cannot be tracked by footsteps.
Unique Weaknesses: Wraiths have a toxic reaction to Salt.
Evidence: Fingerprints, Freezing Temperatures, Spirit Box.


A Phantom that can possess the living, most commonly summoned by a Ouija Board. It induces fear into those in it's proximity.
Unique Strengths: Looking at a Phantom will considerably drop your Sanity.
Unique Weaknesses: Taking a photo of the Phantom will make it temporarily disappear.
Evidence: EMF Level 5, Ghost Orb, Freezing Temperatures.


A Poltergeist is known as a noisy Ghost that can manipulate objects around it to spread fear into it's victims.
Unique Strengths: Can throw huge amounts of objects at once.
Unique Weaknesses: Almost ineffective in an empty room.
Evidence: Spirit Box, Fingerprints, Ghost Orb.


A Banshee is a natural hunter and will attack anything. It is known to stalk it's prey one at a time until making its kill.
Unique Strengths: Will only target one person at a time.
Unique Weaknesses: Fears the Crucifix and will be less aggressive when near one.
Evidence: EMF Level 5, Fingerprints, Freezing Temperatures.


A Jinn is a territorial Ghost that will attack when threatened. It has also been known to be able to travel at significant speed.
Unique Strengths: A Jinn will travel at a faster speed if it's victim is far away.
Unique Weaknesses: Turning off the locations power source will prevent the Jinn from using it's ability.
Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Orb, EMF Level 5.


A Mare is a source of nightmares, making it most powerful in the dark.
Unique Strengths: A Mare will have an increased chance to attack in the dark.
Unique Weaknesses: Turning on the lights on around a Mare will lower its activity.
Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Orbs, Freezing Temperatures.


A Revenant is a slow but violent Ghost that will attack indiscriminately. It has been rumoured to travel at a significantly high speed when hunting.
Unique Strengths: A Revenant will travel at a significantly faster speed when hunting a victim.
Unique Weaknesses: Hiding from the Revenant will cause it to move very slowly.
Evidence: EMF Level 5, Fingerprints, Ghost Writing.


A Shade is known to be a shy Ghost. It will stop all paranormal activity if there are multiple people nearby.
Unique Strengths: Being shy means it'll be harder to find.
Unique Weaknesses: The Ghost will not enter hunting mode if multiple people are nearby.
Evidence: EMF Level 5, Ghost Orb, Ghost Writing.


A Demon is one of the worst apparitions you can encounter. It will attack without a reason.
Unique Strengths: Demons will attack more often than any other Ghost.
Unique Weaknesses: Asking a Demon successful questions on the Ouija Board won't lower the users Sanity.
Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Writing, Freezing Temperatures.


A Yūrei (幽霊) is from traditional Japanese beliefs, if a person dies in a sudden or violent manner such as murder, if the proper funeral rites have not been performed, or if they are influenced by powerful emotions such as a desire for revenge, love, jealousy, hatred, or sorrow. That person will transform in a Yūrei which can bridge the gap back into the physical world.
Unique Strengths: Yūrei's have been known to effect Sanity faster.
Unique Weaknesses: Smudging the Yūrei's room will cause it to not wander around the location for a long time.
Evidence: Ghost Orb, Ghost Writing, Freezing Temperature.


An Oni is a symbol in Japanese folklore when a truly wicked human dies and end up in one of the many Buddhist Hells, transformed into a type of demonic creature often of great strength and fearful appearance. They become more active around their prey.
Unique Strengths: Oni's are more active when people are nearby and can move objects at great speed.
Unique Weaknesses: Being more active will make the Oni easier to find and identify.
Evidence: EMF Level 5, Spirit Box, Ghost Writing.


The Yōkai are a class of spirits in Japanese folklore. Not literally demons, but are instead spirits, whose behavior can alter between from malevolent or mischievous to friendly, fortuitous, or helpful to humans. The closest equivalent definition for yōkai in the Western world would be "spectre/specter".
Unique Strengths: Talking near a Yokai will anger it and force it to attack more often.
Unique Weaknesses: While hunting, it can only hear voices close to it.
Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Orb, Ghost Writing.


The word Hantu is the Indonesian word for spirit or ghost. It generally refers to spirits of the dead, but has also come to refer to any legendary invisible being, such as demons. In the traditional context it also refers to animistic nature spirits or ancestral souls. In Indonesian culture there are at least 8 different forms of Hantu, including both the benign and the malevolent.
Unique Strengths: Moves faster in colder areas.
Unique Weaknesses: Moves slower in warmer areas.
Evidence: Fingerprints, Ghost Orb, Ghost Writing.



General Tips for Ghosts in Phasmophobia:

· Avoid saying the ghosts name unless you know what you're doing. If it's hostile it may provoke it into attacking much sooner.

· Certain ghosts may attack at higher levels of sanity.

· Each ghost has a type but each ghost also has a various level of hostility. You may encounter a mild demon, or an aggressive mare. It's various and is randomly generated at the start of each match.

· The ghosts are a bit... glitched. They'll do whatever that want within their specific path-finding parameters. For example, a shy mare even though it's suppose to respond over the radio may not respond at all. Tricking you into thinking it's not a mare when it really is. Another example is that a jinn flipping the breaker off multiple times in a row, even though sitting in the dark dampens it's strengths.



Spirit Box Questions and Commands:





Note: All of the listed above spirit-box questions and commands have been tested and recorded working. All credit goes to Psycho and Nuzzgard on YouTube for testing all of these spirit-box responses!

If you found this guide useful please give an award and rate! Thank you for your patronage!



15 Comments
foss 11 Oct, 2020 @ 2:09pm 
great guide, found some answers, thanks!
nullpo 11 Oct, 2020 @ 6:47am 
I have a few questions:
1. Does instigating violence (calling name, bad mouthing the ghost) and placing crucifix in ghost room can make the ghost materialize for photo?
2. How long can hunt go? I once got this crazy demon that hunted me for literally 15 minutes even tho my initial sanity when hunt start is still 40%
Warhawx 9 Oct, 2020 @ 1:46pm 
How do you know when a hunt is about to happen, so you can drop a crucifix? Won't it be too late by the time you realize a hunt is happening?
Dator 9 Oct, 2020 @ 1:15pm 
My buddies and I never use local chat or radio chat to instigate the ghost and it still gets angry. You do NOT need to press v or b to communicate with the ghost (except for spirit box I believe).
A Random Canadian 8 Oct, 2020 @ 9:41pm 
One thing to note, it seems the mic is always active for the ghost. So you're not safe just by using discord instead of in-game chat.
TONIC 8 Oct, 2020 @ 7:26pm 
i said the ghost name for shit and giggles nothing happen so i left then came back slams the bathroom door on me scared the mess out of me
GoldSAW  [author] 8 Oct, 2020 @ 11:21am 
@Arkaedra well it was probably just one of the ghost's visual pretences, nothing to worry about. On amateur difficulty the ghost typically won't go into hunting mode for at least about 10 minutes or until your sanity drains to a certain amount, hostility varying. I wouldn't recommend saying the ghost's name at all, honestly. You can get plenty of reactions just by using commands/questions.
Arkaedra 8 Oct, 2020 @ 11:04am 
question- are you for sure safe assuming you dont say the ghosts name during the 5 minute window at low levels? 30 seconds into the 1 person house solo practicing, the ghost popped up in front of me blocking my escape. Jumped so hard I left session. Would I have been fine?
fragkitten 8 Oct, 2020 @ 6:57am 
I appreciate this guide. Thank you! :)
LuckyBuster 7 Oct, 2020 @ 11:52pm 
Do you need to have bought the items in that same game for insurance to apply or does it apply on any time on death?