A lot of survival horror video games base their scariness around the notion of player isolation, but both Phasmophobia and the stylistically similar Demonologist deftly meld first-person horror storytelling with co-op gameplay where the teamwork of player groups is tested by terror. Both Phasmophobia and Demonologist are games where players and their characters explore a haunted house, search for paranormal activity, and influence the environment through voice commands (intentionally or otherwise). Thematically, Demonologist distinguishes itself from Phasmophobia by adopting tropes from gothic horror/urban fantasy tropes, cataloging player characters as exorcists of the paranormal, rather than just catalogers.

The core multiplayer gameplay loop of missions in Phasmophobia and Demonologist are broadly the same (and as the newer game, Demonologist is clearly heavily inspired by Phasmophobia). Players meet in a small hub world and choose one of several possible missions maps, and equip useful items such as cameras, electromagnetic scanners, seance tools, or protective talismans. Upon starting a mission, players explore a haunted house and try to identify the paranormal entity haunting it based on its observed characteristics. Within this general gameplay template, Phasmophobia and Demonologist distinguish themselves from each other in two general ways.

Demonologist Has A More Gothic, Occult Feel Than Phasmophobia

Aesthetically, Phasmophobia, where players identify haunted rooms, seems to draw from reality shows like Ghost Hunters, where paranormal investigators try to prove or disprove the existence of ghosts with cameras, EMF readers, and trash talk designed to "rile the spirits up." Demonologist, in contrast, draws its aesthetic from more old-fashioned occult stories where the ghost-hunting protagonists investigate and banish magical, dangerous spirits. The EMF reader tool, for instance, has a living cockroach built into it and looks like it hails from the 1930s, while the ESG tool is a steampunk-adjacent Wimshurst machine that could have come from the early 20th century Carnacki the Ghost Finder stories by William Hope Hodgson.

Phasmophobia Is Ahead Of Demonologist In The Early Access Race

In general, the current Early Access of Demonologist gives the haunted house investigation co-op gameplay introduced by Phasmophobia some fun new twists, with creepy gothic-style maps, new kinds of spirits, and new gameplay mechanics such as detecting ectoplasm or exorcizing spirits. Phasmophobia, however, has been in Early Access for much longer than Demonologist and is much more refined as a result. Phasmophobia, thanks to the Apocalypse update, currently has many more maps with multiple selectable gameplay modes, "paranormal entities" with more variety in their behavior, and VR support. It's also currently easier for Phasmophobia players to get certain ghost-hunting tools than in Demonologist, which locks certain items behind grinding mechanics.