Being reminiscent of horror series like Ghost Hunters, Phasmophobia has players investigating a haunted site for paranormal activity. Players are expected to investigate a building using a variety of tools like crucifixes, mics, and salt in order to determine what type of supernatural entity is haunting the location.
During the investigation, there comes a point when the resident ghost gets agitated and initiates what is known as a “hunting phase”. In this phase, the ghost will begin aggressively tracking down and killing any player inside the house. Below are some tips on where the player can hide and how to avoid the angry entity.
The Hunting Phase in Phasmophobia
Players can tell when this phase starts when all the lights in the house, including the flashlight, begins flashing. It is also not uncommon for players to hear heartbeats when it starts. Once the hunting phase triggers, the player has about 5 seconds to begin running or hiding.
The player’s first instinct may be to exit the house by running through the front door. But this is not a viable option because the front door is always locked when this phase is triggered. So the player’s next best option is to hide. Look for closets, wardrobes, and bathrooms. For whatever reason, supernatural entities don’t like looking in these locations. As such, players are recommended to take note of any of these areas when they are first exploring the map, that way they are easier to find when the hunting phase initiates.
However, it is not out of the realm of possibility for a player to not locate any of these hiding spots. It is certainly understandable. The building is dark, its creepy, and the player can be panicking due to recently seeing paranormal activity. In which case, the player should prioritize getting as far away from the hostile ghost as possible. Do not look at it, and always try to hear for its footsteps. Unless it is a poltergeist, which can fly, the entity should be making some noise as it moves around.
But above all else: be quiet. It doesn’t matter how well hidden the player is, the supernatural entity has the ability to track players down based on how much noise they are making. So don’t talk and be sure to turn off the mic. Don't forget to crouch as well in order to muffle any noise made from moving.
If the player needs to buy themselves some time, they can light a smudge stick to scare the ghost away from the area. But be careful when using it while in a group though. While the smudge stick can prevent the ghost from chasing the one who used the item, the same cannot be said for any teammates who are also inside the building.
Phasmophobia is available as an early access game on PC