Summary
- Gamers in Phasmophobia face a variety of ghost types, each with unique traits, making encounters unpredictable and terrifying.
- Specific ghosts like the Hantu, Goryo, and Poltergeist exhibit distinct behaviors that challenge players with increased speed, invisibility, and object manipulation.
- Understanding each ghost's unique traits and weaknesses is crucial for survival, as encountering ghosts like Yurei, Onryo, and Demon can significantly affect gameplay dynamics.
Whereas other horror games usually pit players against monsters and creatures of various types at the same time, Phasmophobia allows players to take on the role of ghost hunters. When they visit a particular area, players will have no idea which of the game’s many ghosts are haunting their location. The objective of the game is for players to gather evidence pertaining to the type of ghost plaguing their surroundings.
Unfortunately, ghosts do various things on top of making their presences known, including scaring the socks off of players. At the worst, ghosts engage in Hunts, where they can actually kill players who have no means of fighting back. With that in mind, some ghosts in Phasmophobia turn out much scarier than players anticipate.
Updated February 26th, 2025, by Mara Cowley: Phasmophobia remains one of the most popular ghost-hunting games, continually surprising players with terrifying variants of undead entities. From the Jinn to the Demon, every ghost is frightening in its own right, and learning about the types of ghosts is a true test of courage, even when venturing into locations armed with equipment and allies. In the game's current state, there are over 20 types of ghosts players can encounter. As such, this article has been updated to shine a light on even more of the ghosts, with one rising as the scariest ghost in Phasmophobia.
24 Spirit
No Special Behaviors Leave its Presence a Mystery
- Evidence: EMF Level 5, Spirit Box, Ghost Writing
- Unique Trait: N/A
The Spirit, though still frightening to gaze upon, still might be the least scary ghost in Phasmophobia, due to the fact it doesn't really have any special behavior like the other entities in the game. Instead, it is just viewed more as the baseline to measure other ghosts against.
But this also does work in the Spirit's behavior, as it can be all too easy to mistake for another presence. When the Spirit is on the premises, the players have their work cut out in determining what exactly it might be, especially if they don't remember that the Spirit doesn't have any unique trait to help identify it.
23 Shade
This Shy Ghost Can Prove Difficult to Find
- Evidence: EMF Level 5, Ghost Writing, Freezing Temperatures
- Unique Trait: Lowers its presence in the company of multiple players.
Don't be fooled by the fact that the Shade is shy, as it is not something to be coddled or even sympathized with, as it will still kill players if given the opportunity. Traveling in packs is the best way to get around the Shade safely, as it will not be as active if the player has some living company by their side.
The sanity threshold for ghost hunts is very low, as players need to be at 35% or lower, which makes this a good entity for newer players to come up against, but if they are caught alone, players could be in for some deadly trouble. And even when it's not dangerous, the Shade is still rather frightening to behold, as it can manifest as a partially see-through shadow, like the creepy shadow men of modern folklore.
22 Hantu
Coldness is its Ally
- Evidence: Ultraviolet, Ghost Orb, Freezing Temperatures
- Unique Trait: A Hantu has increased speed in colder rooms.
Ghosts and colder temperatures often go hand-in-hand in many types of lore, and this is true of the Hantu in Phasmophobia. Not only are freezing temperatures one type of evidence that points to this particular entity being the one haunting this location, but it also works in the Hantu's favor, terrifyingly enough.
Now, players have more reason to be cautious when monitoring temperatures, as during a Hunt, the Hantu moves much more swiftly when surrounded by lower temperatures. This can lead to many unexpected scares and deaths for players who were just not careful enough. At least those who survive can take a pretty good guess at what the ghost is, for what little comfort that offers.
21 Goryo
Invisibility
- Evidence: EMF Level 5, Ultraviolet, D.O.T.S. Projector
- Unique Trait: A Goryo will only show itself on camera if there are no people nearby.
What is scarier than seeing a ghost? Not seeing one but knowing that there's one nearby. This is how the Goryo sets itself apart from the rest, as it is invisible to the naked human eye. Hunters will have to make clever, careful use of equipment to capture visual evidence of its haunting before falling prey to its machinations. Fortunately, the ghost will show up on D.O.T.S. Projectors or cameras, provided that no living people are nearby.
The Goryo will never travel far from the room it perished in. This makes it one of the easier ghosts to mitigate death from, but this doesn't guarantee players' survival. With this entity, it's still best to conduct the investigation and leave as quickly as possible.
20 Poltergeist
Interacts With its Surroundings
- Evidence: Ultraviolet, Spirit Box, Ghost Writing
- Unique Trait: A Poltergeist can throw nearby objects with force.
Everyone in the world knows what a poltergeist is, even outside the confines of Phasmophobia. They have appeared in multiple ghost horror movies, books, and TV shows, always portrayed as violent spirits with a penchant for throwing around people's furniture.
This is what makes the Poltergeist a rather frightening entity to encounter, as the player can pass by an unassuming pile of dishes only for the plates to be suddenly and violently thrown at their head. But with no nearby objects, the Poltergeist loses its power, which can give the players a strategy they can employ against the Poltergeist.
19 Jinn
Moves Faster to Distant Hunters
- Evidence: EMF Level 5, Fingerprints, Freezing Temperatures
- Unique Trait: A Jinn will travel faster if its victim is far away.
A fast ghost with a penchant for tampering with the player's light source, a Jinn is a terrifying entity to encounter. It can plunge players into darkness, and darkness in Phasmophobia comes with its own set of dangers, such as rapidly decreasing the player's sanity. This can leave them more vulnerable to the whims of the ghost.
The Jinn moves faster towards far-away victims, meaning that no one is safe. However, there are strategies that players can employ to protect themselves from the Jinn. They can turn off the breaker to prevent it from using its abilities and light candles to mitigate the sanity loss that darkness brings.
18 Wraith
There is a Chance the Wraith Will Randomly Teleport to a Player
- Evidence: EMF Level 5, Spirit Box, D.O.T.S. Projector
- Unique Trait: A Wraith will never disturb salt piles.
The Wraith might be one of the scariest spirits to face, as evidenced by both its horrific looks and its behavior. It does not disturb salt piles even at the highest tier, rendering them completely useless if they use them against one, other than maybe to help identify what kind of entity it is. What is the scariest about the Wraith though, is its potential to jumpscare the player. There is the slight chance that it can teleport to one player at random while it is not hunting, which is sure to give that unsuspecting player the fright of their life.
17 Yokai
Reacts to Player Comms
- Evidence: Spirit Box, Ghost Orb, DOTS Projector
- Unique Trait: Talking close to a Yokai may trigger an early hunt.
A known denizen of family homes, the Yokai is attracted to the noise humans make when talking, sometimes to the point that talking too much can anger the Yokai. This trait applies to the Phasmophobia version of the creature. Players talking near the Yokai’s ghost room may trigger a Hunt, even at higher Sanity thresholds. In fact, the Yokai may begin hunting as early as 80% Sanity.
Perhaps the only saving grace is that the Yokai is sensitive to voices and active electronics within 2 meters of it. This means players can potentially escape the Yokai if they stay quiet or leave their electronic devices away from it. Brave players can provoke the Yokai into hunting and perform more of their Whiteboard Objectives. However, players who don’t know how to dodge the Yokai may be in for a scare.
16 Phantom
Sanity Drain
- Evidence: Spirit Box, Ultraviolet, DOTS Projector
- Unique Trait: Looking at the Phantom will drop sanity significantly faster.
Sanity is a key mechanic in Phasmophobia. Reduced sanity can leave players more vulnerable to attacks at the hands of ghosts and, ultimately, their untimely death. The Phantom is known to have a drastic effect on sanity, making players wish they had brought that bottle of sanity pills they were saving.
Players should identify if the ghost is a Phantom as soon as possible. The most obvious indicator is how fast the player's sanity drains while facing the ghost during its haunts, as well as its mannerisms during this time. The Phantom will remain invisible for longer intervals compared to other ghosts, and it will also not show up in photos captured of it. Once players know it's a Phantom for sure, they can run back to their van and grab those pills they will desperately need.
15 Yurei
Doesn't Need Line of Sight to Drain Sanity
- Evidence: Ghost Orb, Freezing Temperatures, D.O.T.S. Projector
- Unique Trait: Has a stronger effect on sanity.
Based on a spirit from Japanese folklore of the same name, Yurei were known to be tied to their place of death with an appearance that would strike strong fear into the hearts of any who beheld its visage. While the Yurei is undeniably a frightening ghost in Phamosphobia, it is unfortunately not confined to the specific location where it died. Instead, it can roam around the building, much to the dismay of the players.
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Like the Phantom, the Yurei is capable of draining sanity. However, it doesn't need the player to look in its direction to do so. Rather, the ability hits all in the area of effect, draining up to 15%. The Yurei is also capable of slamming shut doors that have been left open, which is sure to jump scare any plucky hunters in the room.