How To Play Phasmophobia In 2023

Phasmophobia has been one of the most popular horror games in streamer circles for a few years since its Early Access release on Steam in 2020, and for good reason. It's uniquely horrifying and turns most people's dreams of ghost-hunting in various locations into virtual reality.

If you're new to Phasmophobia and wondering how to get started, you're in the right place. Let's go over how to play Phasmophobia, from the objectives you'll need to keep in mind, to the planning you should do before playing, to exactly what to do during a match.

April 17 2023 - We've checked for any changes to Phasmophobia's core gameplay mechanics and updated this article accordingly. 

How To Play Phasmophobia

The premise of Phasmophobia is actually more simple than it might seem. You and your friends will spawn into a map full of Ghosts, and your goal is to find out the identity of those ghosts and prove their existence using Evidence. You acquire Evidence by using numerous tools, like video cameras, Summoning Circles, and other unique mechanics.

Purchase The Right Items

Before you get started in a match, you'll want to bring some important items with you, all of which can be bought in the game's equipment store. If you don't have enough money to purchase all of these tools yet, you'll want to save up to purchase them as soon as possible, since they'll provide you with a great deal of help on your ghost-hunting adventures.

As a beginner, you'll want to purchase these items first:

• Spirit Box
• Photo Camera
• Flashlight
• EMF Reader
• Thermometer
• Lighter
• UV Light
• Crucifix
• Video Camera
• Ghost Writing Book

How To Hunt Ghosts And Win

Once you're stocked up with the items you need, it's time to dive into your first ghost-hunting adventure. As we mentioned, your goal in Phasmophobia is to identify the type of Ghost that is haunting your specific map. To do so, you'll need to venture out and gather Evidence - but ghost-hunting is dangerous, so you'll need to be careful.

You'll start out in the trailer, where you can see a map, some objectives, and several sensors and activity meters. Most importantly, there is the Sanity Meter, which shows the Sanity of your team. Your Sanity level is what determines the type of Ghosts that can actively hunt you, so it's important to keep track of it regularly. 

Once you're done in the trailer, it's time to venture into the map. Venture out using your tools as much as possible to identify any Evidence you can't notice with the naked eye. Evidence is different in each and every game, so we can't tell you exactly what to look for - you'll need to find out for yourself. Any noises, sudden flashes of light or movement, or odd readings on meters is likely evidence of a Ghost.

You should try your best not to instigate a Hunt with a Ghost, but if one does start, don't panic. Simply run away into another room and do your best to hide until the Hunt is over, and, whatever you do, don't look at the Ghost. This will cause your Sanity levels to rapidly decrease. Once the Ghost is off your back, you can continue hunting for clues.

That's all you need to know to get started as a beginner in Phasmophobia. As you play the game more, you'll get a better sense of the maps and be able to hunt Ghosts even more efficiently.

For more Phasmophobia news, guides, tips, leaks, and other content, be sure to check out our dedicated category!

Featured image courtesy of Kinetic Games.