We’ve all watched ghost-hunting shows on TV and YouTube and thought, I could do that, well now you can! Phasmophobia is an award-winning indie horror Ghost-hunting game developed by Kinetic Games and released in early access in 2020. The game has you seeking out the species of ghost haunting various terrifying locations. From nice suburban homes to dilapidated schools and abandoned sanatoriums, each just as horrifying as the last.
Use your gadgets to find out which species of ghost it is, and try to complete as many objectives as possible to gain the most rewards. Play alone or with up to 3 additional friends online, there are even public lobbies if your friends get scared. There is also a VR setting for complete Ghost-hunting immersion… No, I haven’t played the game in VR, I’m too scared. Phasmophobia is an indie horror gem and well worth a play. In early access until the end of 2024, you can expect many more updates to come!
So what’s the story with these ghosts?
This game is map and challenge-driven, so no real story to progress through, just new maps and new items to unlock as you improve. When you start the game you get the basics, one map, the starter items include a flashlight, a video camera, a UV torch for ectoplasm, and a few other goodies. As you correctly identify more of the ghosts you’ll level up. This allows you to unlock more maps, harder difficulties, and new and improved items. This is the main progression of the game, you unlock a map and play it because it’s new and exciting. As you level up more you get additional tools to take with you, like a photo camera, motion sensor, and crucifix to name but a few.
These additional items help you spend longer in the location before the ghost hunts… Did I forget to mention that this Ghost will try to kill you?
Don’t think it’ll be as easy as spending 15 minutes standing in a dark room, You’ll be killed. The game aims to correctly identify the ghost and survive at the same time. Having items like incense and a crucifix will give you an edge to help you survive longer and correctly identify the ghost.
Time to be terrified!
Single-player and multiplayer games work in exactly the same way. You enter a location to identify the ghost. Alone, this may take a bit longer but is generally cheaper since you don’t have to bring as many items with you. You earn money by completing the daily and weekly tasks (which also give you EXP as well). With the money earned, you buy new items. You’ll only need one camera for a single player but you might want four for 4 player Co-op. You don’t earn more money for playing with others, but they’ll be able to help you set up quicker.
Figuring out the species of ghost isn’t as easy as you might think. You may need to stand in the room using a Spirit box to try and get the ghost to talk to you. Obviously, the risk is, that the ghost won’t talk to you, but will kill you instead. Unfortunately, this might be the only piece of evidence you need to prove what type of ghost haunts this farmhouse.
The teamwork that comes with playing with others shows why this is such an incredible indie horror game. You can have one person stationed in the van watching for the ghost’s movement via the Dots projectors and looking for Ghost orbs. Another player can keep tabs on the salt to see if the ghost leaves any ectoplasm in the shape of footprints behind. All the while the third player is checking for freezing temperatures. All of these mechanics play well alone but are much more enjoyable with friends or even strangers.
What else should you know?
Phasmophobia is a perfect game for solo or multiplayer play if you only have 20 minutes or 3 hours. Each level takes, on average, no longer than 30 minutes unless you have a really boring ghost. The game has adaptability settings as well for people who need them. Not only are there different level difficulties that can be used on any map. There are also custom difficulties that you can create yourself. Some features that individuals may find useful are;
- Friend ghost: the ghost will never hunt. (this could be good for newer players trying to learn more about ghosts. You won’t get any money or EXP when you have this on, unfortunately)
- Player and ghost speed: You can alter the speed of the player and ghost by 25% intervals. (this will help you get away during ghost hunts and also set up quicker)
- Keybinding: You can rebind all keys to fit with any adaptability controllers you are using.
These adaptability features make this game suitable for anyone who likes a good Indie horror game. The game also features seasonal events with customisables to win. Past events have been for Halloween and Christmas. Both offered limited-time challenges to maps and provided some fun customisation options for your player ID card. You might think it sounds a bit repetitive, but that’s where the daily and weekly tasks come in. Every 24 hours new daily tasks are added for you to complete. These range from playing a medium map to taking 5 photos of the ghost. Every 7 days the weekly tasks are changed. These include a challenge which we’ll cover shortly, and tasks like taking 15 photos of footprints.
The challenges are a great addition to the game, adding effects that change the gameplay elements and make the task of identifying the ghost that much harder. One very difficult challenge removed any of the evidence for identifying the ghost and made the player rely solely on the ghost’s behaviour. These challenges keep the game more interesting for even the most advanced players.
The good and the bad
Pros:
- Cheap, as the game is an Indie early access game you can pick it up on Steam for just $10
- Co-op online with friends
- Single player with the same maps and gameplay as Online Co-op
- Public lobbies for when you want to investigate with others
- Coming to consoles October/November 2024!
Cons:
- Early access, some things need work and polishing before the game is out of early access
- Glitches with some of the equipment not always working ideally
- Ghost behaviours not always working as intended
- The photography system needs a full overhaul (coming in the 2024 update)
Summery – should you be hunting ghosts?
Yes! Phasmophobia is an indie horror game that really shows what a good indie horror game can be in a space filled with poor attempts at making something new. Having infinite replayability and a good levelling system, you’ll be able to enjoy Phasmophobia for a long time. Being able to adapt the difficulty setting to make the game more accessible is just the icing on the cake. Phasmophobia shows you don’t need to completely rework a game to make it more user-friendly and even little edits can make a big difference.
Don’t sleep on this game, indie horror lovers! It has won so many awards for a reason.
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