A co-op ghost-hunting horror game for up to four players, where you gather evidence with cameras, thermometers and a spirit box to identify the ghost, with optional VR on PC and PS VR2.
Phasmophobia is a psychological horror game from British studio Kinetic Games, in which a team of paranormal investigators explores haunted places to work out what kind of ghost is there. It entered early access on Steam on September 18, 2020, and is still in early access today, with a full 1.0 release planned but not yet dated. It can be played on a flat screen or in VR, and the studio says it has passed 30 million sales across PC and consoles.
How it plays
Each contract sends you to a location such as a suburban house, a campsite or an abandoned asylum. You take equipment from your truck, including EMF readers, thermometers, cameras, UV lights and a spirit box, then search for signs of activity. Finding the right pieces of evidence narrows down the ghost type from dozens of possibilities, and a correct identification earns money and experience for better gear.
Ghosts respond to your voice: the game uses speech recognition, so you can ask questions out loud. The longer you stay, the more dangerous it becomes, because the ghost can start a hunt and kill investigators who fail to hide. In VR you pick up and use each tool with motion controllers.
Multiplayer
Up to four players can investigate together online, and you can also play alone. Players with and without headsets can share a game, and the console versions let you join friends on other formats. On PlayStation, online play requires PlayStation Plus.
Comfort
You walk through dark buildings with artificial movement, so it can be demanding for people who get motion sickness easily. The pace is mostly slow and tense, broken by sudden scares and chases when a ghost starts hunting.
Platforms and what to know before buying
- On SteamVR it costs $19.99. VR is optional on PC, with tracked controller and OpenXR support.
- On the PlayStation Store the PS5 version costs $19.99. PlayStation VR2 support is optional and needs the PS VR2 Sense controllers.
- It is not sold on the Meta Horizon Store; Quest owners can play the Steam version from a PC. An Xbox Series X|S version has no VR mode.
- Because it is in early access, maps, ghosts and systems still change with updates.
- It is rated PEGI 16 and ESRB Teen.
