Phasmophobia - The Ultimate Beginner's Guide

Phasmophobia’s goal is simple, though achieving it is a little tricky. Here are some tips to get you started.

Ghost-hunting horror game Phasmophobia is rapidly gaining attention, and with Halloween just around the corner, it's a great option if you're looking to get spooked with some friends. As it's still in early access, it has its fair share of jankiness, but that's part of the fun. The only downside is that the tutorial is rather unhelpful (and that's putting it generously).

In this video, Jake Dekker gives you a proper tutorial to hunting ghosties in Phasmophobia. He runs down what the actual goal of the game is--to identify what kind of ghost you're dealing with--and then all the tools you'll need and how to use them. This includes the EMF reader, the tricky-to-use spirit box, and the all-important thermometer.

Jake also explains some of the optional tools at your disposal, including the crucifix (which works as expected, in a the-power-of-Christ-compels-you sort of way), smudge sticks for saging a haunted room, and more. If you're trying to get into Phasmophobia but having a hard time navigating its learning curve, he's got you covered.

We recently named Phasmophobia one or our best horror games to play for Halloween. You can also see our list of the best horror anime you can stream right now if you're looking for even more ways to get scared.