1. Welcome to Phasmophobia
   
2. The Garage
   
3. Map and Difficulty
   
4. The Truck
   
5. The Starter Items
   
6. Types of Evidence
   
7. Types of Ghost Activities
   
8. Tips for the Investigation
   
9. The Aftermath
   
10. Conclusion
    
11. Credits and References

Phasmophobia is a ghost investigation game, for one to four players, where a ghost-hunting team investigates a haunted location and completes multiple objectives including identifying the specific type of Ghost. The team is rewarded with in-game money which they can invest in purchasing additional equipment. However, under certain circumstances, the Ghost can enter a hunting phase where it can search for and kill players who will then get less of a reward payout and possibly lose equipment. If the entire team is eliminated the investigation is a failure, although some rewards may still be possible.

It was developed by Kinetic Games, a British independent game studio, and was released as an early access game on Steam on September 18th, 2020 where it quickly became an extremely popular game, especially among streamers. It became one of the best-selling independent games within a month and was widely praised by critics as the “perfect Halloween game” the following month.

It relies mostly on psychological horror instead of gore, although ghost models and, arguably, the death of players can be suggestive of violence. The ghost can interact with the surrounding equipment including throwing objects, opening and closing doors, flickering the lights, and other common sightings during ghost investigations.

The game can be played with a single investigator or up to three other players can join them for a mostly cooperative multiplayer experience. There are ways for players to harass or grief other players on their team but there is currently a system for reporting these problematic players to the developers which can result in a ban from the game.

The garage serves as the home base for the investigating team, possibly for an investigation company. It houses the game’s main menu and other menus as well as numerous easter eggs and secrets for players to explore while waiting before the beginning of loading the investigation. The developers keep adding new easter eggs and secrets with each major patch; some can even be used to test your system.






The game’s main menu includes options for Single Player, Multiplayer, Training,Options, Credits, Twitch Drops and to Quit the game. The Training mode gives you a complete tutorial on the basics of the game in a controlled environment, introducing you to the different types of evidence and much of the Tier I equipment. If you are a brand new player, I highly recommend running the training course at least once so you know what to expect from an investigation.






This guide will focus on playing Single Player but most of the information can be just as easily be applied to Multiplayer games or even to assist you during the training tutorial.

Both the Single Player and Multiplayer modes place you in the server lobby with the difference being that another player can’t join you in Single Player mode. This is also where you can pick your character model from a limited selection, the character model is purely cosmetic and currently has no actual effect in the game.

Once inside the server lobby with either Single Player or Multiplayer you can choose or vote on the contract, also known as the job, which starts with selecting one of the maps from the contract selection menu which is to the left of the Main Menu or Server Lobby screen.


The contract or job can be selected at this point and starts with selecting a map, this guide will focus on 6 Tanglewood Drive. The screen will tell you the number of rooms and floors at the location with the two smallest being 13 Willow Street with 10 rooms and 2 floors while 6 Tanglewood Drive has 11 rooms and 2 floors.


Next is the difficulty selection screen which allows you to choose from a number of difficulty settings including the ability to set custom difficulty. The classic difficulties are Amateur, Intermediate, Professional, and Nightmare with newer difficulties including Insanity, Challenge Mode (which changes from week to week), and the ability to set up three different custom difficulty presets.

This guide will focus on Amateur difficulty which has:

• 1.0x Rewards
  
• 5 minute setup time
  
• Frequent ghost activity
  
• Short hunt time (15 s on Small Maps)
  
• All doors start closed
  
• 40% Sanity gain from Sanity pills
  
• 50% refund of lost equipment value due to player death

While most of this information won’t immediately make sense I will explain it throughout this guide. You will receive the base amount of money and the base amount of experience points for Amateur difficulty.

Once the team, contract, and equipment are set and readied the investigation begins in the Truck, sometimes called the van or lorry, which acts as a moblle base for the investigation. The team disembark from the Truck by clicking on a keypad and likewise disembark from the investigation by assembling the surviving team into the Truck and clicking the keypad again.



The layout of the Truck has changed several times since the first launch of Phasmophobia but is currently dominated by a set of two equipment pegboards on one side, a set of four monitors on the other, the objectives board, and finally a computer setup to monitor video cameras on the near end of the Truck (opposite the door).




The objectives board has the name of the Ghost (which can be invoked during the investigation), who it responds to (alone versus everybody), the optional objectives, and media that has been recorded.





The computer is used to monitor cctv cameras, video cameras, and head cameras through separate tabs with individual feeds indicated and selectable on the right side of the computer interface. A camera's night vision can be toggled and, if it's capable of, can be panned and zoomed. Multiple individual feeds can be monitored at once and individual ones brought to the main focus by selecting them. Lastly, the computer can be used to record video footage that can be saved in the Media tab of the journal.






There are four monitors on the wall opposite the equipment and this guide will focus on three of them. The first is a map of the location with buttons to move between floor plans. The map will also display an icon to illustrate where the power box is, where players are, the location of sensors, and the radii of sound sensors.


The next monitor, below the Map Monitor, displays the sanity of each member of the team as well as the average sanity of the entire team. Sanity is currently the only statistic assigned to players and affects the relationship between the ghost and the team. If you are playing Single Player then the average sanity will match the sanity of the only player.


Lastly we'll focus on the Total Activity monitor which displays the total of all EMF activity in the location on a time-lapsed graph. You can see any electro-magnetic field (EMF) activity within the last 60 seconds that has occurred inside the location. This can indicate what the ghost has been doing within the last minute such as manipulating doors, interacting with the environment, or conducting ghost events by manifesting in some form.

There is also a fourth monitor for sound sensors which will be discussed in a future guide but isn't necessary for an introductory investigation.






Lastly we have the keypad which opens the truck to allow for the team to disembark to the location and to close it up again to conclude an investigation. The entire surviving team must be in the truck before it's allowed to be closed up again. There is also a key to the front door of the location next to the keypad which the team needs to pick up in order to start the investigation.

1. EMF Reader 2. Spirit Box 3. Thermometer 4. Flashlight 5. D.O.T.S Projector 6. Video Camera 7. Ghost Writing Book 8. UV Light


The starting equipment is available to an investigation free of charge so that a basic investigation can be conducted without the need for players to make their own contributions. It’s important to note that this is for the entire investigation and not each player. This means there will be a single instance of each piece of starting equipment for the entire team instead of one per player.

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The Electromagnetic Field (EMF) reader allows an investigator to see unusual EMF signatures generated by the ghost within approximately 1.7 meters of the reader. It can temporarily be disrupted by the ghost during ghost events and being within 9 - 10 meters of the ghost during a hunt.

The basic Tier I model of the EMF Reader is analog and imprecise so look for readings that push the needle past a number to determine the actual EMF signature level. The typical Ghost Interaction leaves an EMF signature for approximately 20 seconds so you may need to be quick for the signature to register on the reader.




The Spirit Box is a device that scans radio frequencies looking for a vocal response from the ghost. The investigator turns on the spirit box, asks one of a number of questions, and looks to see if there is a vocal response from the ghost. A vocal response from the ghost indicates a piece of evidence but responses can yield small bits of information such as whether or not the Ghost is near you, in the same room, or the approximate age of the Ghost.

The basic Tier I model is imprecise with a range of 3 meters and a positive response from the Spirit Box will use seemingly random radio chatter to answer the question. You may need to attempt to use it several times when the Ghost is within range to get a successful response.

The game currently allows for either voice recognition with the Spirit Box or a series of text-based questions. You can now use voice recognition with consoles too. If you are unfamiliar with valid Spirit Box questions, it's suggested you start with text-based questions.



The thermometer allows the player to determine the current temperature in one of the rooms at the location. This can indicate the current ambient temperature, recent Ghost presence, and the Freezing Temperatures evidence if the Ghost lowers the temperature in a room below 32 F / 0 C.

The basic Tier I model is an old-style mercury thermometer and can require several minutes to settle at the current temperature in a room. The presence of the Ghost will probably lower the room temperature below 41 F / 5 C in which case the player may see their breath in front of them but isn’t an indicator in itself of Freezing Temperatures. It also benefits from not being an electronic device, unlike the other tiers of Thermometers, which may be to the player’s advantage as it can’t be disrupted or detected by the Ghost.



The flashlight provides a directional light allowing the player to see in the dark or illuminate specific points in a room. It is electronic and thus can be disrupted or detected by the Ghost. The basic Tier I model has low intensity, a narrow spotlight and used to be called the “Weak Flashlight”.



If the Ghost provides D.O.T.S. evidence it may enter a D.O.T.S state briefly during which it can be illuminated by a D.O.T.S Projector. It may also walk towards the player holding the D.O.T.S projector but otherwise doesn’t manifest nor can it harm the player.

The basic Tier I model is a handheld pen-sized device, similar to a laser pointer, which casts a small matrix of green dots out to a range of 5 meters. While it can be held by a player it can also be placed on the ground or object such that it’s oriented towards a specific direction.



The video camera is a small portable camcorder allowing a live video feed for both the investigator through an attached screen and to the computer monitor inside of the truck. It can be set down or deployed on the ground as well as on top of other objects. It automatically turns on outside of the truck and automatically turns off while inside the truck.

The camera has two modes including a night vision mode and is primarily used to detect Ghost Orbs in a given location if the Ghost provides that piece of evidence. It can also be used for simple monitoring such as looking for D.O.T.S. images or activity in a given room from the safety of the Truck.

Lastly, the video camera is the only piece of starter equipment which can be used to collect Media, specifically video, by holding down the record when there's something noteworthy to record. You can record up to five video clips, and can delete up to three pieces of media.

The basic Tier I model has a small screen and can be difficult to see — it can also be disrupted by or, rarely, knocked down by the Ghost.


The ghost orb appears as a small mote or particle flying through the air when viewed through a video camera. The above video shows ghost orbs present in the Kitchen on 6 Tanglewood Drive and has been zoomed in for easier viewing. This is one example of video media that can be recorded.



The Ghost Writing book, often called the journal or book by players, is used to gather the Ghost Writing evidence from a ghost if that ghost has Ghost Writing as a possible piece of evidence. It’s usually laid out in the ghost’s favorite room and the ghost can then interact with it. It’s possible for the ghost to also interact with the item in other rooms when it decides to wander outside of its favorite room.

When the book is being written in it will also leave an EMF signature, usually 2.



The UV Light allows the player to illuminate both ghostly footprints and fingerprints, collectively known as Ultraviolet evidence, if the Ghost provides that evidence. The UV Light also "charges up" the fingerprints or footprints, which allows them to continue to glow for a short period of time so that the player can swap to a photo camera and take a photo of them.

The basic Tier I model is a small handheld flashlight which takes about 10 seconds to “charge up” Ultraviolet evidence. It counts as an electronic device which the Ghost can detect and disrupt.

The beginning of each investigation starts in the Truck with some information given by the narrator which is largely unimportant and is simply meant to provide flavor to the game. If you are playing multiplayer you have to wait for your entire team to load in before it begins; otherwise once you finish loading in the game the narration begins and you are free to move around the truck.

You should make sure to pick up the key that allows you to unlock the exterior door and begin the investigation. There is only one exit door on 6 Tanglewood Drive so no other exterior doors have to be unlocked.



Next you may wish to consult the Map Monitor to note the location of the Fuse Box which on Amateur difficulty will start ON at the beginning of the investigation. We are focusing on the 6 Tanglewood Drive map so in this case it will either be in the Basement or the Garage.




After that, you may wish to select what equipment to hold initially, and with only the starting equipment available you have eight options. You may carry three pieces of equipment or four pieces (including the flashlight) if you are playing with a VR headset.


You should bring in a source of light, usually the Flashlight or UV Light, along with two pieces of evidence-gathering equipment such as the EMF Reader, Thermometer, or Video Camera. You won’t have access to the Photo Camera during your first investigation as it has to be unlocked at Level 3.




Next, you can consult the truck’s board which lists the three other objectives of the investigation, the ghost’s name, and whatever or not the ghost responds to a single player (alone) or any number of team members (everybody).

The first, and unlisted, objective will always be to discover the type of ghost and circle it in your journal. The other three objectives will be randomized and listed on top of the board, although keep in mind depending on your equipment loadout they may not be achievable. The game doesn’t take your equipment loadout into account when choosing your objectives. However, it has been reported that it takes into account whether or not you have unlocked a given piece of equipment in the shop.

For example, in the screenshot provided, we don’t have a Parabolic Microphone so this objective isn’t achievable. We do have an EMF Reader as part of our base equipment and we can get our average sanity below 25% (if we so choose).

Lastly, we can use the ghost’s name in its presence to increase its activity which may result in a ghost interaction, ghost event, or ghost hunt. You can just use its first name or even a shortened version of the name and don’t actually have to speak the entire name. For example in the given screenshot we could call it “Karen” instead of “Karen Bailey” and it will work, as of the current patch.

Finally one of the team has to go up to the keypad and press it so the truck’s loading doors will open and the team can disembark. You should also pick up the key which is on a small hook next to the keypad so you can open the front door. There will be a varying amount of distance between the truck and the location’s exit depending on the map.

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When you approach the exit door, assuming it hasn’t previously been unlocked, you’ll notice a locked symbol. If you have picked up the key you can then unlock the door at which point the ghost will be generated inside the location, any setup grace period timers will start, and the active part of the investigation can begin.


You’ll generally have three more immediate goals to complete once you enter the location: find the ghost’s room, find the cursed possession, and find the bone.

We’ll be ignoring the cursed possession for the purposes of this guide; however if you find it you could play with it but keep in mind it might have deadly consequences.

The bone will be a randomized human bone found somewhere within the location such as a skull, hip, or entire foot. If you find it you should pick it up for an additional reward at the end of the investigation.

The first objective, to discover the type of ghost, requires you to consult your journal and select the Evidence tab. There are twenty-four ghost types, as of the current patch. There is a specific combination of three pieces of evidence that are unique to a single ghost type. There is also some flavor text that may give a clue to the ghost’s abilities and mention its unique Strength and Weakness. However, keep in mind how much of this is just flavor text, and how much is applicable in the game can vary from ghost to ghost.

The example screenshot shows the page for the Spirit which says its unique combination of evidences are EMF Level 5, Spirit Box, and Ghost Writing. The EMF Reader may sometimes read Level 5, the Spirit Box can get a ghostly vocal response, and writing may appear in a placed Ghost Writing Book.

A Ghost that gives D.O.T.S evidence may enter a D.O.T.S state from time to time during which it can be illuminated by a D.O.T.S projector. The duration of the state is fairly brief and it may take several minutes of waiting and watching to gather this evidence.

It also may be easier to see through a video camera or computer monitor using night-vision and in the case of the Goryo can usually only be seen through the video camera or computer monitor.

Lastly, it can be recorded through a video camera to provide a piece of Media for additional rewards.



If a ghost has the evidence of EMF Level 5 it will sometimes show EMF Level 5 instead of EMF Level 2 or EMF Level 3. This means any of the ghost interactions could register as an EMF Level 5. This is a random chance so you might go most of an investigation and not see it or you could see it immediately and frequently throughout the entire investigation.

This also might show up frequently on the Total Activity monitor but may otherwise be a combination of an interaction (Level 2) and event (Level 3) to show a Level 5 on the monitor (for example). You shouldn’t rely on the graph reaching or staying at 5 to determine EMF Level 5 evidence.



If the ghost provides Ultraviolet evidence it will leave fingerprints and footprints that can be illuminated by a UV Light. The fingerprints can be seen on many objects after a Ghost Interaction such as light switches, doors, or windows but footprints can only be seen after a Ghost has stepped in Salt and then stepped again afterward. The Salt isn’t one of the starting pieces of equipment and isn’t unlocked until Level 9.

There is one Ghost, the Obake, which has a chance to not leave Ultraviolet evidence all the time, and another Ghost, The Mimic, could also temporarily act as an Obake. You should make sure to check multiple Ghost Interactions before ruling out the evidence.



If the Ghost provides Freezing Temperatures evidence it will lower the temperature of its favorite room below 32 F / 0 C. There have been different reports of how low of a temperature a Ghost with Freezing Temperatures will exhibit — some claim it can almost be fractional and difficult to determine while others state it will be a very significant drop and extremely obvious to tell. However, keep in mind this drop requires the Ghost to be in the room for a considerable amount of time and may take quite a bit of time before freezing temperatures may finally register on the thermometer.

The temperature difference will be significant and not merely fractional, except for a considerable drop. The temperature of the room takes time to change so you may be waiting for several minutes for Freezing Temperatures to reveal themselves. While in the past the presence of freezing breath was an indicator of Freezing Temperatures this is no longer the case. The freezing breath now only indicates the temperature has dropped before 41 F / 5 C and you’ll need to independently verify the actual temperature with a Thermometer.



If a ghost has Ghost Orb as one of its evidences you can see a single ghost orb quickly moving through the room through a video camera or the computer monitor through a feed to an active video camera. This should only be apparent in the ghost’s favorite room and The Mimic will give false orbs in addition to its usual three evidences.



If the Ghost has Ghost Writing as one of its evidences it may interact with a deployed Ghost Writing Book, pick up the pen as an animation, and leave markings in the book. The markings, as of the current patch, have no actual effect or correlation to the investigation. The writing animation itself also gives off an EMF signature of a Ghost Interaction, usually a 2.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTbApVVQDgw&ab_channel=GhastlyGC1CEO

If the Ghost provides Spirit Box evidence it may respond to a player’s questions via a Spirit Box if within a certain range. This interaction isn’t guaranteed and it may take several attempts to get the evidence or rule it out. The game also provides a Text method if a player is unable or willing to use voice commands.

The ghost can interact with most of the objects in the location such as doors, random objects like dishes and toys, light switches, and even the occasional musical instrument. Some of the interactions can be recorded with the Video Camera while others can be recorded with the Photo Camera, unlocked at Lvl 3, or the Sound Recorder, which is unlocked at Lvl 4.

It can also turn on sinks and leave a unique form of water called Dirty Water.

The ghost might also step through placed piles of Salt, unlocked at Level 9, and while affected by Salt will leave Ultraviolet evidence in the form of footsteps and an audible footstep sound assuming it provides Ultraviolet evidence. The Wraith can't step or interact with Salt nor leave Ultraviolet evidence.

Most ghost interactions will leave an EMF Level 2 or 3 signature. If the ghost has EMF Level 5 as evidence, it may also "upgrade" these signatures to EMF Level 5.

Ghost interactions are often an early way for an investigating team to find the location of the ghost and to be able to follow it as it roams and does various interactions at the location. If you truly want to know if the ghost interacted with an object you should verify with the EMF Reader; keep in mind these interaction signatures disappear over about 20 seconds.



Ghost events are often triggered by ghosts but on occasion -- usually through the use of a cursed possession -- players can also trigger ghost events. They are categorized as manifestations of some description and may include other elements such as walking or floating towards a target player, singing, or otherwise colliding with a nearby player.

They can sometimes be mistaken for Ghost Hunts, especially by newer players, but Ghosts don't flicker during Ghost Events, nor can they lock the exit doors or harm the player.

They leave an EMF Level 4 signature either where they collided with a player model or where they began which lasts the usual 20 seconds. There are certain Ghosts that may be prone to specific types of Ghost Events such as the Banshee having a perference for singing events or the Phantom causing a potential sanity drain even when not colliding with a player model. Lastly there is the "air attack" or "ghost ball" event where the Ghost doesn't manifest per se nor does it physically travel to the player's location.

A collision between the ghost model and the player model during a Ghost Event may trigger a sanity drain of approximately 10% percent or higher in specific cases with specific Ghosts. This also includes the "air attack" event, and this sanity drain can be avoided by not letting it collide with its target.

There may be varying levels of sanity drain and sanity drain conditions depending on the actual type of ghost -- Phantoms drain considerably more when in line-of-sight and Banshees drain more sanity when colliding with a player during a singing event. Lastly, there are sometimes occurrences mistaken for events such as a candle naturally burning out, room light fading or dimming briefly.



A Ghost Hunt allows a ghost to hunt down and kill members of the investigating team. This is the ONLY one of two times when a player can be killed and, in extreme circumstances, the team eliminated and the investigation concluding in failure.

Most ghosts can only hunt when the team's average sanity goes below 50%, with some ghosts getting to hunt earlier (or later), often depending on specific conditions. For example, the Demon can hunt below 75% sanity and in, rare circumstances, hunt at ANY sanity. An example of the opposite behavior is a Shade can only hunt below 35% sanity (sometimes reported as 30% sanity) and the Banshee focuses on a specific player's sanity to be able to hunt.

Your basic options for dealing with a ghost hunt are to run and/or hide behind objects that block most of the player's body, in closets or lockers, or behind some doors. The average speed of a ghost is just slightly faster than the player's walking speed so with enough distance you might be able to simply run from the ghost until the hunt ends. There are also some ghosts like the Hantu who are slightly slower than the player's walking speed under certain temperature conditions. Lastly, the Deogen has to be outrun and it'll slow to a crawl speed when close to its target.

The ghost can detect and disrupt any electronics bought in by the investigators within approximately 9 to 10 meters and can find a player holding a piece of electronic equipment that is currently on such as a flashlight, photo camera, or EMF Reader. It also disrupts location lights within that same range but can't use them to find the players. It will disrupt most investigation electronic equipment in the same range even if not currently being held by a player -- but it can't use that equipment to find the players.

Lastly, the ghost can hear investigator voices at a range of approximately 9 to 10 meters with one exception -- the Yokai has a much shorter vocal detection range. This also applies to trying to use the global radio -- even if nothing is said -- as it detects the radio's activation, but only for the player who used the radio.

The hunt will last a set amount of time or until it has killed a player (on most difficulties), which ends the hunt prematurely. There is a small time-out window for another hunt to be initiated, which is approximately 25 seconds in the case of most ghosts.

The investigation hasn't truly started until the exit door has been unlocked. This means you can take all the time you want to pick your equipment, talk to your team, and decide your overall strategy for the investigation.

Investigators are completely safe when outside of the location or in the truck; use this to your advantage for micromanaging your average team sanity (Multiplayer) or if you need to take a quick break from the game and be away from the keyboard.

You can conclude the investigation at any time by moving the surviving team into the truck and clicking on the keypad. An investigation that rewards any money is still some kind of success -- it might not be worth it to try and achieve a perfect game if its too much of a risk to the rest of the team. Dead investigators will still receive insurance (50% on Amateur) on equipment they lost and some of the money rewards as surviving investigators (about half).

You should keep your ears open from the moment you unlock the door as various sounds will give you a clue to ghost interactions and even a hint to the location of the ghost's room. This is often verified with the EMF Reader or using the UV Light which, at least, can check for fingerprints. This also means you can often detect EMF Level 5 or Fingerprints early in the investigation and save yourself a bit of work later in the investigation.

You should be wary of using the Cursed Possession as it often comes with a risk and/or sanity drain which can make the early part of the investigation more difficult and put your team at unnecessary risk. An investigation can be successfully conducted without using them.

There is a constant passive sanity drain for investigators operating in the dark so try and keep a path of lights on while investigating so you minimize your time in the dark. The presence of the "main lights" being on in a room may either completely negate this drain or, in some cases, only reduce but not eliminate this drain.

This is 0.09% Sanity point per second in the dark on Amateur difficult on Tanglewood during the setup grace period. This increases to 0.12% Sanity points per second after the setup grace period is concluded. The use of a flashlight doesn't negate this passive sanity drain but there is one item that reduces this drain which will be covered in a later guide. In addition, playing single player will halve this drain to account for needing more time for a single player investigation.

Evidence may not always be forthcoming or easily detected because of random chance, so always check multiple times for each piece of evidence. The ghost may not give a Spirit Box response if multiple investigators are in the same room, so always check with a single investigator. There are special tells, outside of the evidence, for each ghost which will be covered in a later guide.

The investigation concludes when all surviving members are in the truck and the keypad has been pressed. The first screen you see is Contract Payment which outlines your rewards both with each category and the total. The rewards are multiplied by the difficulty modifier which is x1.0 for Amateur up to x6.0 for insanity and can be anything depending on the specifics of a custom difficulty setting.

The first objective, to find the Ghost Type, gives $100 to $200, depending on the map size, if successful. The other three objectives give $25 to $30, depending on the objective. There is also a bonus for picking up the Bone, ranging from $25 to $50 depending on the map size.

There is also an investigation bonus that you can achieve if you correctly identify the Ghost Type and survive the investigation. This effectively doubles the rewards for each of the objectives you complete. If you achieve a perfect investigation bonus, it gives you an additional $50 on top of the investigation bonus.

These categories are totaled up and given a multiplier based on the difficulty which is only 1.0 times on Amateur difficulty.

Next are the Media Rewards, which are achieved through the use of the Video Camera, Photo Camera, and Sound Recorder. If you are playing with starter items only, then you'll only have access to recorded videos for this reward. The rewards for recorded videos range from $5 to $20 for unique videos and $1 to $4 for duplicate ones. There is also an additional bonus for using Tier II or III equipment.


The bottom of the Contract Payment screen also tells you what type of ghost it was -- useful if you got it wrong or couldn't decide on the ghost's type. This is an invaluable resource for honing your ability to determine the ghost type through special tells or evidence.

The amount of money you receive from the Contract Payment also results in the same number of experience points towards leveling -- a simplification of the previous experience system.

An example investigation on Amateur Difficulty on Tanglewood with starter items only could yield $100 (identifying the Ghost) and $75 to $90 for the optional objectives. The investigation bonus would double these values to $200 and $150 to $180 respectively. If the Bone is located and picked up that would yield an additional $25. Lastly, the video camera can record up to five clips which, if all clips are unique, could provide anywhere from $25 to $70.

While unlikely, a maximum reward of $475 is, in theory, possible. It's very possible that some of the optional objectives won't be achievable with starter items only, and the maximum Media reward would require a Hunting Ghost video to achieve $70.

The third screen, Statistics, gives you some useful information about the investigation. It tells you "Time in light" and "Time in dark" which indicates how much time you were under the effect of the passive sanity drain. However, it doesn't further subdivide that to indicate how much of that time was during the setup grace period (if any) so you can't precisely know how much passive sanity drain you had on Amateur difficulty.

The Game Summary and Statistics screen gives you hard data about your investigation including the investigation length, location of the Bone, how many hunts/events/interactions there were, and other important information.

Lastly, you can always consult your previous investigation's Statistics by clicking on the Debriefing button.

This guide should prepare you for some beginner hunts on 6 Tanglewood Drive on Amateur difficulty. If you are a new player I recommend replaying this type of hunt until you are comfortable with the game play basics including what to do during a ghost hunt. While the map is sometimes playfuily derided as "Tutorial House" it is actually one of the most played maps in the game and being one of the smallest maps allows for fairly quick games, especially on Single Player.

There is additional equipment you can unlock and purchase but there is an advantage to just using the starting equipment in that you can't lose it if you die during the investigation. This results in pure profit even if you just receive a small amount because you were killed by the Ghost. However, it is impossible to achieve a perfect investigation as, at the very least, you need to unlock and use the Photo Camera.

In conclusion, I've enjoyed this game greatly since it's release and look forward to the regular updates and content provided by the developers at Kinetic Game Studios. I hope thas a new player you'll come to enjoy the game as much as I have and learn to get over any initial frustrations.

Phasmophobia Wiki. (2022). Phasmophobia Wiki. Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://phasmophobia.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page

Marshall, Cass (October 14, 2020). "A janky ghost game is blowing up on Twitch". Polygon. Retrieved October 15, 2020.

Phasmophobia (video game). (2022). Phasmophobia_(Video_game). Retrieved July 13, 2022, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phasmophobia_(video_game)

Shout-out to theradiokid whom I introduced to the game (and many others) who can heard on Geneva Community Radio and some of my Phasmophobia videos!

Another shout-out to the land from down under and RuntyRaptor for getting me interested again in Multiplayer mode!