Phasmophobia is a game played in a team of 1 to 4 players trying to complete a series of objectives in a location haunted by a ghost, the objectives, and ghost types change every contract, so every match is different.

• Preparation before your first game
  
• The Van
  
• Items
  
• Objectives
  
• Ghosts
  
• The Hunt and Sanity
  
• Spirit Box and Ouija Board
  
• Maps and Difficulties
  
• Common Misconceptions
  
• Tips and tricks

Just some important stuff to do before you play your first contract:

Test your voice recognition in the audio section of the menu, if your mic is not working the ghost will not understand your voice and give no answer to your questions.

Kinetic Games published this to try to help people having problems with voice recognition

Test the in-game voice chat if you are playing with friends and want the immersion that this game provides, if the voice chat is not working just close and open the game again. The default voice chat keys are "V" for local voice chat that can be heard by anyone close to you, and "B" for radio chat that can be heard by anyone anywhere on the map, but it stops working during The Hunt

Remember that Phasmophobia is an Early Access game so bugs can happen sometimes

The Van is your center of operation, you will always spawn in it along with your friends and your items


Inside The Van there are 2 shelves where the items your team brought to the mission will spawn, a Computer that can be used to watch every camera that is turned on, a White board where the objectives and general information about the ghost are written (Objectives and Ghosts for more detail), and Four TV's that show useful information:

• One with a map of the location and position of the players
  
• One that shows the amount of sound near sound alarms
  
• One that shows everybody sanity
  
• One that shows the intensity of the paranormal activity in the whole location

EMF Reader:

• When used near a ghost or something that they interacted with it will light up and make a sound
  
• Don't need to be on your hand to be active

Flash Light and Strong Flash Light:

• Both produce a light source of different intensities
  
• Can be used while holding other items and on the ground

Video Camera:

• Can be placed inside the haunted location and be monitored by the monitor in the van
  
• Needs to be turn on, red light means turn off - green light means turn on

Thermometer:

• Shows the temperature of the room you are in

Lighter:

• Used to light up Smudge Sticks or Candles

Candles:

• When lit up can illuminate a place
  
• Doesn't blink during The Hunt
  
• Can light up other candles and smudges sticks
  
• The ghost can blow it out

Smudge sticks:

• When lit up reduces the ghost activities calming it down
  
• Does NOT prevent The Hunt from starting

Crucifix:

• Prevents the ghost from starting The Hunt in a small radius
  
• Needs to be on the ground
  
• After preventing 2 hunts it disappears and no longer has an effect

Salt:

• Used to track the movement of the ghost
  
• Footprints that can be seen with the UV Light DOESN'T count as fingerprints

UV lights:

• Flash light used to see footprints and fingerprints

Glowsticks:

• Emits light that can be used to see footprints and fingerprints in a circular radius

Ghost Writing Book:

• If placed can be used by the ghost to leave a message(Objectives for more detail)

Spirit Box:

• Used to talk to some types of ghost (Objectives and Ghosts for more detail)

Sanity Pills:

• Consumed to restore sanity

Tripod:

• Used to place a video camera

Photo Camera:

• Used to take photos of supernatural and odd stuff to make money (Tips and Tricks for more information)

Head-Mounted Camera:

• A video camera that can be mounted on your head and monitored from the Van

Sound Sensor:

• Used to detect sound in the area it is placed, can be monitored by a TV in the Van
  

Parabolic Microphone:

• Can detect sound coming from the direction the player is pointing it
  
• Items throw by the ghost or the player produce sound

Infrared Light Sensor:

• Lights up when detects movement
  
• Cannot be monitored in The Van

Motion Sensor:

• When the ghost or a player passes in front of the sensor it will turn on a green light
  
• Can be monitored in The Van

When choosing a contract and adding items the game will always add the Default Loadout that consists of:
1 EMF Reader
1 Flashlight
1 Photo Camera
1 UV Light
1 Video Camera
1 Spirit Box
1 Ghost Writing Book

On the Whiteboard inside The Van, there are a list of 4 objectives that you can complete to gain cash, the first one is always the same while the other 3 vary

The first one is always;
Discover what type of ghost we're dealing with

• Find the evidence and choose the correct type of ghost in the journal
  
• More information in the section about the Ghosts

The other objectives can be:


Detect a room below 10 Celsius with a Thermometer

• Self-explanatory
  
• Use a Thermometer to sweep the haunted location, the room below 10 degrees Celsius will often be the ghost's room

Capture a photo of the ghost

• Self-explanatory
  
• Use a Photo Camera to take a picture of the ghost, to be sure you can see in the journal if the picture was of the ghost

Witness a ghost event

• Normally completed when you see the Ghost
  
• The Ghost must NOT be in The Hunt
  
• Important to know that The Hunt does NOT as a ghost event

Detect a ghost's presence with a motion sensor

• Place a motion sensor in the room the Ghost is in

Cleanse the area near the Ghost using a Smudge Stick

• Light up a Smudge Stick and walk inside the room the Ghost is manifesting

Take a photo of dirty sink water

• Self-explanatory
  
• If the room the Ghost is in has a sink it is easy, if not there is a chance for the ghost to manifest in another room and get a sink dirty
  
• You can fill the sink yourself or the ghost can do it
  
• Sometimes it is good to let the ghost alone for a few minutes so it can dirty the water

Find evidence of the paranormal with an EMF Reader

• Walk with the EMF Reader inside the location until it detects 2 or more dots

Prevent the Ghost from hunting with a Crucifix

• Place the Crucifix in the room the ghost is in
  
• Try to cover the entire room with multiple crucifixes to maximize the chance of completing the objective

How to identify the ghost type:

6 main pieces of evidence show what type of Ghost you are dealing with:

• EMF Level 5
  
• Ghost Orb
  
• Spirit Box
  
• Ghost Writing
  
• Freezing Temperatures
  
• Fingerprints

How to find each type of evidence:

EMF Level 5

Can be identified using an EMF Reader
When it reaches the maximum level of paranormal activity and all the lights in the Reader are on one of the pieces of evidence is EMF Level 5
--EMF Reader required--

Ghost Orb

Can be identified by placing a Video Camera in a room where the ghost is in and only can be seen in The Van's Computer
After placing the Video Cameras it is important to have someone watching the cameras to look for Ghost Orb
--Video Camera required--

Spirit Box

Ghosts that have the Spirit Box evidence will talk back to you in the Spirit Box
Find the room the Ghost is in and try asking some questions (Spirit Box and Ouija Table for more information)
If having problems try turning off the lights or being alone in the room
--Spirit Box required--

Ghost Writing

Ghosts that have the Ghost Writing evidence will write massages in a Ghost Writing Book
Place the Ghost Writing Book in the room the Ghost is in and wait
If the Ghost happens to leave a message a writing sound can be heard
--Ghost Writing Book required--

Freezing Temperatures

If any room in the locations is under 0 degrees Celsius (32 degrees Fahrenheit) one of the Ghosts pieces of evidence is Freezing Temperatures
The temperature can be monitored by a Thermometer but a Freezing room can be identified without a Thermometer
If you can see your Cold Breath it is a Freezing Room, but you can't complete the Thermometer Objective

Fingerprints

Fingerprints can only be seen using a UV light or a Glowstick
Objects touched by the Ghost like doors and lights switches can have fingerprints
It is easy to see the evidence in the dark
--UV Light or Glowstick required--


Every Ghost shows 3 out of the six pieces of evidence and that is the main way to identify the ghost type, sometimes it is hard to find some evidence and some can be easier to find during The Hunt, If you narrow the number of possible Ghost Types down to a few and can't get the last evidence there are some ghost specific information that can help.



In the current update of the game (I'm intending on updating this guide when a new updates come) there are 12 types of ghost, when you start a contract a ghost will be chosen to hunt the location you are going to, the list below shows the 3 main shreds of evidence that each ghost manifest and some characteristics that are exclusive to a ghost type, you shouldn't try to guess the ghost type just by using this but if you can't get all the main evidence they can come in handy.


List of Ghosts:

Spirit

• Using a Smudge Stick to cleanse a Spirit will calm it and prevent an attack for a long period of time
  
• In the Journal is said that Spirit is the most common ghost, that is NOT TRUE

Evidence:

• Spirit Box
  
• Fingerprints
  
• Ghost Writing

Wraith

• Can go through walls
  
• Sometimes Wraith can float and not make a footprint
  
• Has a toxic reaction to salt, will stop attacking and increase activity

Evidence:

• Fingerprints
  
• Freezing Temperatures
  
• Spirit Box

Phantom

• Looking at a Phantom will decrease your sanity really quick
  
• Taking a picture using a Photo Camera makes the Phantom disappear

Evidence:

• EMF Level 5
  
• Ghost Orb
  
• Freezing Temperatures

Poltergeist

• Can throw many objects at the same time
  
• Don't have much power in an empty room
  
• Is the only type of ghost that can be identified with only 2 pieces of evidence (Fingerprints and Ghost Orb)

Evidence:

• Spirit Box
  
• Fingerprints
  
• Ghost Orb

Banshee

• The banshee focus down a player and tries to kill its target during the hunt, the target is decided in the started of the contract
  
• Crucifix radius is expanded when in the presence of a Banshee

Evidence:

• EMF Level 5
  
• Fingerprints
  
• Freezing Temperatures

Jinn

• Really territorial Ghost
  
• If you found the Ghost's room and every time you go in there the objects move, the EMF goes crazy or The Hunt starts, you may be dealing with a Jinn
  
• During The Hunt, a Jinn can reach their prey with incredible speed, but turning off the power source will disable the speed boost that this ghost has

Evidence:

• Spirit Box
  
• Ghost Orb
  
• EMF Level 5

Mare

• Is more active and aggressive in the dark
  
• Is weak in the light and tries to turn the light off to regain power
  
• A Mare can roam the map a lot and may travel long distances while roaming, so it is difficult to find this Ghost's room

Evidence:

• Spirit Box
  
• Ghost Orb
  
• Freezing

Revenant

• Gains a speed boost during The Hunt
  
• If players are hidden during The Hunt, Revenant will lose its speed and start moving at a very slow pace
  
• The Revenant doesn't have a target it will attack the closest player to it during The Hunt

Evidence:

• EMF Level 5
  
• Fingerprints
  
• Ghost Writing

Shade

• Tends to be a bit shy so it is harder to get some evidence, important to say that not all shy ghosts are Shade, any ghost can be shy
  
• Doesn't manifest much when around a lot of players
  
• It is Rare for a Shade to initiate The Hunt when there are many players near it
  
• During The Hunt this type of ghost tries to attack players that are alone

Evidence:

• EMF 5
  
• Ghost Orb
  
• Ghost Writing

Demon

• Aggressive Ghost that attacks many times and starts Hunts for no reason, don't need to be anger
  
• Asking questions to a Demon on an Ouija Board will not decrease your sanity

Evidence:

• Spirit Box
  
• Ghost Writing
  
• Freezing Temperatures

Yurei

• Makes the sanity of the players decrease at a faster rate than other ghosts
  
• Becomes more dangerous when sanity is low, starts more Hunts, and manifests more often
  
• Yurei try to stay away from Smudge Sticks, so it is a great way to protect from them

Evidence:

• Ghost Orb
  
• Ghost Writing
  
• Freezing Temperatures

Oni

• Becomes more active when there are people around, being more active helps to find evidence
  
• Moves objects with more speed, throwing things around

Evidence:

• EMF Level 5
  
• Spirit Box
  
• Ghost Writing

The Hunt is an event started by the Ghost and is the most dangerous moment to be inside the house, school, or asylum

During the event, all the lights in the location along with the flashlight starts blinking and the Ghost seeks players to be killed and instantly eliminated. At the start of the event, all doors to the outside will be closed and locked until the Hunt is over, so if you can't run away you must hide
Lockers and Wardrobes are easy to hide in but the Ghost can still kill you inside them, if none are near you when the Hunt starts try locking you in a random room away from the ghost's room
Remember that when hidden turning off the Flashlight and any items that emit sound is important because the Ghost can track you down using this
And finally, when trying to hide from the Ghost you need to stop talking, the ghost can hear your even if you are not pressing the push to talk button

An item that can help you during a Hunt is the Candles, Candles don't blink even during a Hunt or if the lights are out


Sanity

Sanity can be monitored in a TV in the Van


Sanity is decreased when near the ghost, seeing the ghost, being in a dark place for a long time, asking a question on the Ouija Board, and interacting with the Ghost in general.
And can be increased by being outside or in a place with the lights on and consuming a sanity pill

The lower the sanity of the team inside the house is, the more likely is for a Hunt to start or the Ghost to manifest
To discover if the sanity of the team is low and could be dangerous to stay in the house you have to take the average sanity level of everybody inside the location, people outside don't count, if it is a low number ask the people with the lowest sanity to consume a sanity pill or to switch out with the person outside

Asking questions in the Spirit Box or the Ouija Board can assist you in finding the ghost's room, but can decrease your sanity depending on the Ghost



Ouija Board found on the Tanglewood Street House Map


There are a lot of different questions you can ask the ghost, just memorizing some of them is fine, but the list with some of the possible questions is HERE[prodigygamers.com]
Source: Prodigygamers website

Notice that in the list there are some phrases that will anger the ghost and make it more active like (I'm scared, scary, spooky, run, hide, etc...), avoid saying those

List of Maps:

Tanglewood Street House:

1 floor and a basement
Recommended for small


Edgefield Street House:

2 floors and a basement
Recommended for small or medium teams


Ridgeview Roadhouse:

2 floors and a basement
Recommended for small or medium teams


Bleasdale Farmhouse:

2 floors and an attic
Recommended for small or medium teams


Grafton Farmhouse:

2 floors
Recommended for small or medium teams


Brownstone High School:

2 floors, lots of rooms, and a basketball court in the center
Recommended for medium or big teams


Asylum:

1 floor and a basement
Recommended for medium or big teams



Possible upcoming maps:

• Prison
  
• Apartment Building
  
• Mansion

Difficulties:

You can play any map in all the 3 difficulties:

• Amateur
  
• intermediate
  
• Professional

There are 2 main differences between the difficulties

The amount of Setup time

Before the Ghost starts being more active and is able to start a Hunt there is a setup time that lasts
5:00 - Amateur
2:00 - Intermediate
0:00 - Professional


The multiplier of money after the contract

At the end of the contract, the amount of money gained by completing objectives, taking photos, and getting supernatural objects is multiplied depending on the difficult
1x - Amateur
2x - Intermediate
3x - Professional


The higher difficulties are unlocked at levels 10 and 15, and they also increase the amount of experience you gain with each contract

This section is a list of information people get wrong about the game:

• The appearance of the Ghost does not say what type of Ghost it is
  
• If you complete the Thermometer objective it doesn't mean one piece of evidence is freezing temperatures
  
• Ghost orbs cannot be seen without a video camera
  
• Crucifix only work on the ground
  
• EMF Level 5 cannot be tracked by the EMF in The Van
  
• You don't need to turn on the sink yourself to trigger the dirty water event
  
• Ghosts cannot be tracked using salt during the Hunt
  
• Footsteps do NOT count as a fingerprint evidence
  

This section will grow with suggestions in the comments, so if you know something that many people get wrong about the game I will be adding the information

• To activate the Flashlight while holding another item you just need to press "T" when not holding the Flashlight, but you still need it in your inventory
  
• Before taking Ghost Writing Books and Spirit Boxes inside the location try sweeping it with EMF Readers, Thermometers, and Parabolic Microphones and finding the ghost's room
  
• Taking Pictures of The Ghost, Glowing Ouija Boards, Dirty sink, Bones, Voodoo Dolls, Ghost Writing, Fingerprints, Footprints, etc...
  
• To light a Smudge Stick first light up the lighter, then switch to the Smudge Sticks and press "F"
  
• Some Ghost will become more active when angered and will give more clues, the easiest way to anger a Ghost is to say its name (the name is written on the whiteboard)
  
• Always plan an escape in case of a Hunt starting
  
• Turn the light off to better spot Ghost Orbs
  
• Instead of hiding during a Hunt, it is possible to dodge the Ghost running around a table
  
• In The Vans's computer clicking on the mouse cycles the camera and on the keyboard to toggle night vision
  
• A heartbeat means the Ghost is right on top of you
  
• Don't talk at all when hidden
  
• Ghosts can write in the Ghost Writing Book while it is in your hand
  
• Remember to always take the Key for the main door in The Van, and search for others inside the location
  
• If too many lights are on inside the house at the same house the fuse will trip and all lights will turn off, go to the fuse to turn it on again
  
• When playing in a big map, like asylum and school, just turning on the light on the hallways that lead to the ghost's room will help you maintain your sanity high
  Thanks Vintorez
  
• Taking a photo of a dead corpse will make part of the money spent return to the dead player if the items are lost, only works on the Amateur and Intermediate difficulty
  

This section will grow with suggestions in the comments, write down your tips and tricks