Phasmophobia is a work-in-progress, multiplayer/single-player horror quiz game that offers an immersive experience through realistic graphics, sounds, and minimalist user interface. Players utilize ghost-hunting equipment to investigate over 20 unique ghost types, identify their traits, and gather paranormal evidence across various haunted locations, game modes, and difficulties. Explore over 10 different locations with unique hiding spots and layouts, participate in daily and weekly challenges, and discover cursed possessions to aid in your investigations or test your sanity.
The humor in *Phasmophobia* creates a unique blend of horror and laughter, especially when played with friends, leading to memorable and chaotic moments.
The game's atmosphere is exceptional, with chilling sound design and immersive environments that effectively build tension and dread during ghost hunts.
Phasmophobia offers high replayability due to its randomized ghost types and varied locations, keeping the gameplay fresh and engaging even after many hours.
The game suffers from technical issues, including bugs, glitches, and performance problems, which can disrupt gameplay and immersion.
Many players find the gameplay repetitive over time, particularly as they become familiar with the mechanics and the core loop of ghost hunting.
The character designs and graphics have received criticism for being outdated and lacking polish, detracting from the overall visual experience.
gameplay
20,824 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
62%
5%
The gameplay of Phasmophobia is characterized by its cooperative ghost-hunting mechanics, requiring players to gather evidence and identify various ghost types using a range of tools. While the game offers a thrilling and immersive experience, especially when played with friends, many players note that the gameplay can become repetitive over time, particularly as they become familiar with the mechanics. Despite some technical issues and a steep learning curve for newcomers, the game's unique features, such as voice recognition and diverse ghost behaviors, contribute to its appeal and replayability.
“The gameplay nurtures and rewards personal skill development and has a fantastic custom challenge function.”
“With its unique gameplay mechanics, immersive atmosphere, and focus on co-op play, Phasmophobia is a must-try for horror fans looking for a fresh and exciting experience.”
“The gameplay mechanics are interesting, especially with the voice recognition system that allows you to communicate with the ghosts.”
“While the game has improved a lot with updates, it still has some janky mechanics and occasional bugs.”
“The gameplay gets incredibly repetitive!”
“The core gameplay loop is very simple: you enter a haunted house, locate the ghost room or the ghost itself, and try to identify it using the available equipment.”
humor
18,840 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in *Phasmophobia* is a standout feature, with players frequently noting that the game transforms from a terrifying experience into a hilarious one when played with friends. Many reviews highlight the comedic value of witnessing friends scream in fear, the absurdity of character animations, and the unexpected chaos that ensues during ghost hunts, making it a perfect blend of horror and humor. Overall, the game is highly recommended for those looking to enjoy a mix of scares and laughter, especially in multiplayer settings.
“It's a brilliant horror game that delivers genuine scares and hilarious moments.”
“Definitely some funny moments, would recommend for someone looking for a funny and scary multiplayer game.”
“It's hilarious to see your friends get spooked, but it's also terrifying to be alone in a dark room while your friends are hiding in the van.”
“One of you is screaming, 'where is the light switch?' while another keeps saying, 'say their name, it’ll be funny.' Spoiler: it’s not funny when the ghost runs at you faster than the Family Guy death pose meme.”
“Play it if you want to waste your time... not funny at all, and my dog died because of the cringe in this game!”
“Not funny when you play alone >_>”
graphics
9,026 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
56%
7%
The graphics in "Phasmophobia" receive mixed reviews from players. While many appreciate the game's atmospheric visuals and sound design that enhance the horror experience, others criticize the graphics as outdated or lacking polish, often comparing them to early 2000s titles. Despite these criticisms, players generally agree that the graphics serve their purpose in creating a spooky ambiance, and the game remains enjoyable, especially when played with friends. Overall, while improvements are desired, the graphics do not significantly detract from the fun and immersive gameplay.
“10/10 game, amazing attention to detail and great graphics and a lot more.”
“The realistic graphics and immersive sound design make you feel like you’re truly exploring haunted locations, and the use of voice recognition adds a whole new layer of interaction with the spirits.”
“The graphics are amazing, and the experience is something different!”
“The game is very glitchy and the graphics are terrible.”
“The game graphics are hard to look at and the game has audio bugs now.”
“Boring dated graphics and slow as hell......”
atmosphere
8,896 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
56%
43%
1%
Phasmophobia is widely praised for its exceptional atmosphere, which effectively creates a sense of dread and immersion throughout the gameplay. Players highlight the game's ability to build tension through ambient sounds, eerie environments, and the unpredictability of ghost encounters, making each investigation feel unique and terrifying. While the game can become less scary over time as players become accustomed to its mechanics, the atmospheric elements remain a strong draw, especially when played with friends or in VR.
“The atmosphere is incredible—walking through dark, haunted locations with only a flashlight and hearing whispers in your ear never stops being terrifying.”
“The game's focus on realistic ghost hunting, with its wide array of ghost types, evidence gathering, and investigation tools, creates a tense and unpredictable atmosphere.”
“The atmosphere is beautifully crafted, with haunting environments and chilling sound design that always keeps you on edge.”
“The atmosphere is thick with dread, the sound design is bone-chilling, and the jump scares are genuinely effective.”
“The atmosphere is chilling, with realistic sound design and eerie visuals that create a truly suspenseful experience.”
“The atmosphere is genuinely terrifying, and ghost-hunting mechanics make every session feel unique.”
story
8,230 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
10%
79%
11%
The game's story aspect is largely absent, with most players noting that Phasmophobia lacks a traditional narrative or overarching storyline. Instead, the gameplay revolves around completing missions to identify different types of ghosts, which can become repetitive over time. While some players express a desire for more lore or a story mode, the focus remains on the cooperative experience and the thrill of ghost hunting rather than a structured plot.
“It’s the perfect mix of horror and hilarious chaos, where one minute you’re a brave ghost hunter, and the next, you’re hiding in a closet, whispering, 'tell my story.'”
“What truly stands out is the storytelling. The plot is engaging, filled with unexpected twists and a deep sense of dread.”
“Every mission has a new and somewhat unique experience.”
“There is no overarching storyline and no long-term group work required, barring playing with friends.”
“But with that saying there is obviously no story and little to no lore at all so you might like to look for a different game if you want a story game.”
“After 10 missions, you pretty much seen it all there is and what to expect.”
stability
6,872 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
2%
1%
97%
The stability of "Phasmophobia" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many noting that the game is quite buggy, especially in its early access state. Common issues include glitches with ghost behavior, voice chat malfunctions, and occasional crashes, which can disrupt gameplay and immersion. Despite these problems, many players find the game enjoyable and entertaining, often attributing a certain charm to its quirks, especially when playing with friends. Overall, while the game shows promise and is fun, its stability remains a concern that players hope will improve with future updates.
“There's a definite learning curve as you reach these levels of difficulty, but thankfully because the mechanics aren't buggy, it always feels like a skill issue rather than the game sabotaging you.”
“The game puts horror to another level; it is such a blast once you learn the strings. The devs are really good at making the game bug-free; I've been playing for a few days now and haven't seen a single bug or glitch.”
“Despite the early access tag, this game has very few bugs and runs great.”
“This thing is a buggy mess right now, and it can be pretty frustrating at times.”
“Too many glitches that practically break the game to justify the current price.”
“The game is a buggy mess, and continually crashes despite 'fixes'.”
replayability
4,034 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
53%
44%
3%
Phasmophobia is widely praised for its high replayability, attributed to its randomized ghost types, varied locations, and cooperative gameplay dynamics. Players enjoy the unpredictability of each investigation, which keeps the experience fresh and engaging, even after many hours of play. While some users note that the game can become repetitive over time, especially for seasoned players, the continuous updates and community engagement promise to enhance its replay value further.
“The replayability of this game is enormous with the amount of variation every game has.”
“Every investigation is a new experience - making the game highly replayable and never stale - also, there are numerous amounts of equipment and tools at your disposal, always keeping things fresh, and the progression/leveling system provides a strong incentive to keep investigating.”
“Phasmophobia offers high replayability due to its randomization.”
“Very good ghost game but once you get good + do any optional challenges and achievements kind of fades on replayability.”
“The game is genuinely not that fun and there's not that much replayability to it after you play for 5 - 10 hours, they barely update their game too and their big updates just barely add anything like the whole update for a UI change and then we didn't get a big update for a while.”
“The game lacks content after a couple hours of play the 'scary' part of the game dies and what you're left with is a room finding simulator; my only real recommendation to make this game better is to add workshop content, custom maps, etc. because even if they add new maps or items all this game is is room finding simulator 2020 and the 'replay value' is nearly zero.”
grinding
2,882 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
1%
37%
62%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over the excessive time required to unlock equipment and levels. While some enjoy the grind as a means to enhance gameplay and camaraderie with friends, others find it tedious and detracting from the overall experience, especially after recent updates that have made progression feel more like a chore. Overall, the consensus suggests that the game has shifted from a fun, casual experience to a grind-heavy endeavor, which may not appeal to all players.
“The game is not too grindy, just enjoyable when not solo!”
“Although the unlock tree was changed in the past, it is not too grindy.”
“It is not tedious, nor is it repetitive.”
“It’s not rewarding, it’s just tedious.”
“The only thing is that the game is rather grindy to get better equipment but the gameplay is more than enough to keep you playing till you can get better equipment.”
“You’re stuck doing the same repetitive tasks over and over again, grinding your way to that level, and by the time you get there, you’ll probably be so sick of the game that you won’t even care about the upgrades anymore.”
music
1,996 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
14%
81%
5%
The music aspect of "Phasmophobia" is primarily centered around the cursed music box, which players find both entertaining and terrifying. While the game lacks a traditional soundtrack, the eerie sounds and ambient noises effectively enhance the horror experience, creating a tense atmosphere. Players often use the music box to provoke ghosts, leading to chaotic and humorous moments, especially when played in multiplayer settings, where friends can be both scared and amused by the unfolding events.
“The visual style of the game also deserves attention: gloomy locations, realistic sounds and musical accompaniment perfectly convey the atmosphere of the game.”
“The music box is both a brilliant gameplay mechanic and a chaotic fun machine, making every investigation unpredictable.”
“Absolutely love how you can play the music box at the door, run out and watch your friends scream in panic.”
“I fucking hate the music box.”
“I wish the purchasable music box would have the full song :(”
“The music box: phasmophobia's ultimate friendship test.”
optimization
1,872 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
53%
23%
The optimization of the game has received mixed feedback from users, with many expressing frustration over performance issues, particularly in VR. While some players report smooth gameplay on lower-end systems, others experience significant stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, especially after recent updates. Overall, there is a consensus that the game requires further optimization to enhance performance and stability across various hardware configurations.
“I like how optimized it is and all the things you can do.”
“Other than that issue, the game is really fun, super well optimized, and very unique.”
“100000000% worth buying, well optimized for even potato PC.”
“From October 2024, the game is unplayable; micro stuttering is normal and I can't look at it, and my PC is not the problem here; every other and more demanding game works great.”
“The frame rate is garbage, it crashes for no reason, and the optimization is beyond terrible.”
“It's absurd that the performance of this game has gotten worse, with the most recent update making the game completely unplayable with single-digit frame rates.”
emotional
1,300 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of "Phasmophobia" is a significant highlight, with players frequently expressing intense feelings ranging from fear to laughter. Many reviews mention crying during gameplay, whether from genuine scares or the camaraderie experienced with friends, emphasizing the game's ability to create a profound emotional connection among players. The combination of horror elements, teamwork, and immersive sound design contributes to an emotional rollercoaster that resonates deeply, making it not just a game, but a shared emotional journey.
“This game made me cry. I downloaded Phasmophobia expecting a spooky night of ghost-hunting with my friends, but what I got was a heartbreaking journey into the fragility of human relationships.”
“The emotional investment you have in each other’s survival is profound. It's an emotional rollercoaster as you try to stay calm and work together, but the horror escalates with every failed attempt at communication.”
“Phasmophobia is more than just a game — it’s an emotional journey into the deepest recesses of fear and trust.”
“I cried.”
“I cried.”
“I cried.”
monetization
150 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
4%
33%
63%
The monetization aspect of the game has drawn mixed reviews, with many players expressing concerns about potential cash grab tactics, particularly with the introduction of microtransactions and advertisements. While some appreciate the absence of in-game purchases and view the game's pricing as fair, others feel that the developers have prioritized profit over quality, leading to a decline in the game's overall experience. Overall, the sentiment leans towards skepticism regarding the game's long-term commitment to its player base without resorting to exploitative monetization practices.
“It's being raised to $20 from $14 and honestly that is a super fair price considering how long the devs have been working on it with no crappy microtransactions or paid DLC.”
“It's constantly evolving with absolutely zero monetization, which is something to be commended.”
“At the time of this review, the game is still in early access; however, it is packed with more content than its competitors and best of all, there are no microtransactions.”
“The bugs that have existed for years are still there, and any potential new content just feels like a quick cash grab.”
“This game has gone so downhill so fast I don't even play it anymore. They keep making empty promises that never get filled and have basically abandoned PC players in favor of the console players, and now the only announcements I get are for their awful cash grab merch.”
“Game really feels like a cash grab, not fun at all.”
character development
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
70%
7%
Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players criticizing the character designs as outdated and unappealing, often describing them as "horrid" or "clunky." Despite these criticisms, some players appreciate the emotional depth and storytelling, noting that the character development adds to the overall experience, even if the visual aspects need improvement. Overall, while the game offers a fun mix of horror and humor, there is a clear desire for more customization and refinement in character design.
“The character development of the (unnamed white man) is impeccable.”
“It’s been difficult to tell by looking at its trailers, but this is a story-driven first-person adventure game with light puzzling and a surprising amount of emotional depth and character development, and manages to tell a solid story, complete with twists and turns, along the way.”
“I can not express enough how impressed I am with Phasmophobia; even with the janky character designs, I still love everything about this game and I cannot wait for what the future holds with this game and development team.”
“4 years of development and we still have the same boring character designs and can't create our own.”
“The character designs and animations are truly horrid and ugly.”
“The character design is deceptive; they appear skinny and fit, but really you're playing as a character from my 500-pound life.”