New scary game to play with your friends, Phasmophobia

It is officially October, and you know what that means. Scary movies, scary stories, and scary games; a full month of horror to get the hairs on the back of your neck to stand on end and make you want to jump out of your seat. To that end, Phasmophobia is a newly released 4-player online co-op game that has been making waves online.

What is Phasmophobia

I’m pivoting main game to phasmophobia https://t.co/enm5wMPC3I

— eaJ (@Jae_Day6) September 30, 2020

If you’ve never heard about Phasmophobia then take a moment to check out some gameplay or read on. Phasmophobia is about a team of up to four players being tasked with identifying what kind of ghost is haunting a specific location. You bring the tools, investigate the area, gather clues, and try to narrow down the type of ghost all before going insane.

Phasmophobia plays into all the common tropes of ghost stories, EMF detectors, Ouiji boards, mysterious writing, objects being thrown about, crucifixes, and haunting apparitions. If you’re a fan of the Poltergeist, The Conjuring, The Exorcist, or any number of well known ghost movies, you’ll relish the chance to be trapped in a house in what feels like your very own haunting.

What makes Phasmophobia unique

phasmophobia when the ghost hunts youwhat people should do: stay quiet and lose the ghost's line of sightwhat people usually do: pic.twitter.com/H4JLfMgRNr

— KoyoRed (@KoyoTheRed) September 28, 2020

Perhaps the biggest thing that sets Phasmophobia apart from other horror games is that it has a commitment to theme and flavor that cuts through the multiplayer aspect of the game. Usually, multiplayer horror games can fall flat as the scares become predictable and the presence of other people makes it less scary.

However, your team in Phasmophobia doesn’t feel like they make the game less scary, rather it can feel like your team is the only thing keeping you barely sane in the scary environment.

One part that really sells the terrifying environment is the way the game responds to your voice. The ghosts can “hear” you call out to them, and might even get angry when you do.

Lastly, for those of you fortunate to have a VR setup, you’ll be pleased to know that Phasmophobia does support VR in addition to traditional play. If you think you can handle it, then get some friends together, throw on your headset, and see if you can survive a haunting or two.

How do I identify the ghost in Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia got big real quick

— cae (@caelanology) September 28, 2020

Figuring out exactly what kind of spirit you’re dealing with is the core part of the game. According to the game’s description, there are at least 10 types of ghosts, each with their own unique tells and behaviors. Your task as a spectral investigator is to gather the clues and see if you can identify what kind of ghost it is.

Once you have enough clues, cross reference it with your guide book and see if you can solve the mystery before succumbing to the ghost yourself.