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Getting Started in Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia drops you and up to three team members into haunted locations to identify paranormal entities. You are an investigator, not an exorcist. Your main goal is to locate the ghost room, collect three pieces of evidence, finish optional objectives, and escape in the van with your life.

This guide covers the core investigation loop, early equipment management, and basic survival rules for your first contracts.

The Core Investigation Loop​

Every contract follows a four-stage process from truck setup to final departure.

┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐     ┌─────────────────┐
│ 1. Setup & Load │ ──► │ 2. Locate Room  │ ──► │ 3. Gather Evidence│ ──► │ 4. Escape & Log │
│ Grab starter    │     │ Thermometer &   │     │ Test evidence,  │     │ Circle ghost,   │
│ items from van  │     │ EMF sweep       │     │ complete tasks  │     │ close van doors │
└─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘     └─────────────────┘
  1. Setup: Check the truck monitor for ghost info, optional objectives, and bone location hints.
  2. Locate the Ghost Room: Search the house for cold spots, opened doors, or thrown objects.
  3. Gather Evidence: Set up detection gear inside the ghost room to test for 3 evidence types.
  4. Escape and Log: Select the correct ghost type in your journal and close the van doors to complete the contract.

Phase 1: Truck Setup and Initial Sweep​

Before unlocking the front door, check the truck whiteboard. It lists the ghost name, whether the ghost responds to everyone or only people who are alone, and three bonus objectives.

Essential First-Sweep Loadout​

Grab three key items for your initial sweep into the building:

Item SlotRecommended ToolPurpose
Slot 1FlashlightMain light source during power outages
Slot 2ThermometerQuickest tool to locate the ghost room
Slot 3EMF Reader or Video CameraSecondary room verification or D.O.T.S. check

When you open the front door, your setup timer starts. On Amateur difficulty, you get five minutes before the ghost can initiate a hunt. Intermediate gives you two and a half minutes. Professional and higher difficulties offer zero setup time.

Phase 2: Locating the Ghost Room​

Ghosts spend most of their time in a single room designated as their favorite room. Finding this room fast saves your sanity and gives you a safe space to gather evidence.

Top Indicators of Ghost Activity​

  • Temperature Drops: A room dropping below 10°C (50°F) indicates ghost presence. Freezing temperatures (below 0°C or 32°F) count as official evidence.
  • Interactions: Doors opening, light switches flipping, or objects flying across the room reveal the ghost's position.
  • EMF Spikes: An EMF Reader placed near interactable objects will beep and show activity levels from 2 to 4.
  • Parabolic Microphone Audio: On larger maps, use a Parabolic Microphone to listen through walls for whispers or footsteps.

Turn on hallway lights as you explore to preserve team sanity. Keep room lights off inside suspected ghost rooms when checking for freezing breath or D.O.T.S. signals.

Phase 3: Setting Up Equipment and Evidence Testing​

Once you confirm the room, drop your initial tools and make trips back to the van to move equipment into the building.

Evidence Deployment Strategy​

  • D.O.T.S. Projector: Place on the floor aiming across the room. Stand outside with a video camera or look through the truck monitor.
  • Ghost Writing Book: Place in the center of the room. Drop a video camera pointing directly at the book to monitor it remotely.
  • Spirit Box: Turn off all room lights, stand in the room, and ask questions like "Where are you?" or "Are you close?"
  • UV Light / Flashlight: Scan doors, light switches, and windows recently touched by the ghost for fingerprints or handprints.
  • Ghost Orbs: View the room through a Night Vision Video Camera from the truck or holding the camera in your hand with lights out.
Recommended Room Setup Layout:
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐
│                 [Window]                │
│                                         │
│   [D.O.T.S.] ──►        ◄── [Camera]   │
│                                         │
│            [Writing Book]               │
│                                         │
│   [Crucifix]               [Crucifix]   │
│                                         │
│                 [Door]                  │
└─────────────────────────────────────────┘
tip

Always place a Crucifix near the center of the room early in the investigation. A Tier I Crucifix prevents two hunt attempts within a three-meter range.

Phase 4: Surviving Hunts​

When total average team sanity drops low enough (usually below 50%), the ghost enters a hunting state. Front doors lock automatically, lights flicker, and your radio static blocks voice communication.

Survival Checklist​

  1. Turn Off Electronics: Turn off your main flashlight, camera, EMF reader, and hand-held gear. Ghosts track active electronic equipment within eight meters.
  2. Break Line of Sight: Run around corners or into nearby rooms immediately. Do not run in a straight line.
  3. Hide Behind Objects: Enter closets, lockers, or crouch behind furniture. Do not hold doors shut manually in closets unless you hold both handles.
  4. Be Quiet: Stop speaking into your microphone. Ghosts hear player microphones during hunts.
warning

If a ghost sees you enter a closet, it will open the doors and kill you. Smudge the ghost with Incense before hiding if it spots you.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid​

  • Leaving All Lights On: Turning on too many light switches trips the circuit breaker, plunging the house into darkness and accelerating sanity loss.
  • Holding Flashlights During Hunts: Leaving an active flashlight in your hand reveals your position to the ghost instantly.
  • Talking on the Radio During Hunts: Global push-to-talk static alerts the ghost directly to your location.
  • Ignoring Sanity Pills: Manage average team sanity using Sanity Pills to delay hunting thresholds.