Live Investigation Reference

Phasmophobia Field Guide

Fast, practical ghost identification and investigation decisions in one tactical reference.

Get quick ghost intel, evidence clarity, and hunt survival cues so you can make the right call before the next event.

Use the ghost guide

  • Ghost Types

    30 ghosts

  • Evidence

    7 evidence types

  • Revision

    Updated 2026

Quick Start: Make the Right Call Fast

Run this 3-step loop each investigation: evidence first, behavior second, survival checks before lock-in.

  1. Step 1

    Check Evidence

    Log confirmed and ruled-out evidence before judging behavior.

    Open evidence reference

  2. Step 2

    Compare Ghost Tells

    Match speed shifts, hunt thresholds, and ability quirks against candidates.

    Check ghost profiles

  3. Step 3

    Verify Survival Cues

    Confirm line-of-sight breaks, smudge timing, and safe pathing before final pick.

    Review hunt survival

Primary Reference Board

Ghost Encyclopedia

Lock evidence, cross-check hunt behavior, and isolate exception ghosts fast. Controls first, lookup grid second, edge-case warnings last.

Filter Controls

Confirmed evidence

Ghost Lookup Grid

Read left to right: evidence → tell → hunt profile → quick disproof.

Phasmophobia ghost identification table with evidence, behavior tells, hunt clues, and disproof checks.
Ghost Evidence Set Key Tell Hunt Signal Fast Disproof
Spirit EMF 5 · Writing · Spirit Box Smudge blocks hunts longer than usual. Neutral speed, no special chase modifier. If it re-hunts very quickly after smudge, eliminate Spirit.
Wraith EMF 5 · DOTS · Spirit Box Can teleport to players and leaves no salt footprint. Normal hunt pace. UV footprints after salt = not Wraith.
Phantom Spirit Box · UV · DOTS Photo often appears invisible/ghostless. Blink pattern feels longer off than on. Consistent visible model in photos suggests another ghost.
Poltergeist Spirit Box · UV · Writing Rapid multi-throw burst around clutter. During hunt, throws spike sanity pressure. No throw bursts in item-dense room weakens Polter call.
Jinn EMF 5 · UV · Freezing Cannot turn off breaker directly. Very fast at distance when breaker is ON. Breaker OFF and still long-range burst speed = unlikely Jinn.
Revenant Ghost Orb · Writing · Freezing Huge speed swing based on line of sight. Extremely fast while seeing target, very slow otherwise. No dramatic speed drop when LOS breaks = not Revenant.
Hantu UV · Ghost Orb · Freezing Visible freezing breath in cold hunt zones. Fast in cold rooms, slow in warm/powered areas. Stable speed regardless of temperature weakens Hantu.
Raiju EMF 5 · Ghost Orb · DOTS Electronic interference radius feels enlarged. Accelerates around active equipment. No speed boost near piles of active gear = likely not Raiju.
The Mimic Spirit Box · UV · Freezing + fake orb Copies other ghost behavior profiles mid-game. Hunt cadence can feel inconsistent by design. Never lock in purely from orb; verify its real trio.
Moroi Spirit Box · Writing · Freezing Curses players after voice interaction. Gets faster as average sanity drops. If low sanity does not accelerate pace, question Moroi.
Deogen Spirit Box · Writing · DOTS Unique heavy-breath Spirit Box response chance. Very fast at distance, very slow up close. Cannot hide forever; if it loses you easily, likely not Deo.
Obake EMF 5 · UV · Ghost Orb Rare six-finger prints and faster UV fade. Can briefly shapeshift model during hunt blink. Consistent normal fingerprints over many checks lowers Obake odds.

Evidence Reference

Seven Evidence Types

Use this quick matrix to confirm what you found, which tool proves it, and what to test next.

EMF Level 5

EMF spikes to level 5 near ghost activity, events, or interactions.

Tool: EMF Reader

D.O.T.S Projector

A ghost silhouette briefly crosses the projected green sensor grid.

Tool: D.O.T.S Projector + camera/line of sight

Ultraviolet

Fingerprints or footprints appear on touched doors, switches, and steps.

Tool: UV Light / Glowstick

Ghost Writing

The ghost writes symbols in the book after interacting with it.

Tool: Ghost Writing Book

Freezing Temperatures

Room temperature drops below zero, confirming sustained ghost cold spots.

Tool: Thermometer

Spirit Box

Direct voice replies occur when you ask questions in range.

Tool: Spirit Box

Ghost Orb

A floating light orb appears on night vision in the ghost room.

Tool: Video Camera (night vision)

Update Watch

New Ghosts & Recent Additions

Grouped by release period so returning investigators can immediately spot what changed and why each ghost affects callouts, routes, and hunt decisions.

High-Risk Phase

Hunt Survival: Identify fast, move smarter, stay alive.

When lights drop and comms spike, your first win condition is correctly reading the situation before you commit to movement.

Hunt vs Ghost Event — quick read grid

Decide in seconds
Signal Actual Hunt Ghost Event
Front door Locked. Exit test fails immediately. Usually still usable after the scare.
Heartbeat + footsteps Sustained chase rhythm. Pathing follows players. Short burst. Often ends without pursuit.
Radio / mic behavior Electronics attract danger if left on nearby. Interference can happen, but threat is brief.
Best immediate action Break line-of-sight, close in to a prepared hiding route, stay silent. Hold position briefly, verify door status, then reset.

Survival method priority

#1 Highest consistency

Pre-plan hiding routes

Before evidence loops, confirm at least two closets/lockers or room breaks with line-of-sight blockers.

Review map route tips

#2 Situational

Control electronics discipline

Kill noisy/active electronics before the ghost closes distance; avoid panic switching in open hallways.

Check equipment behavior

#3 Last fallback

Loop only with known speed tells

Looping is viable only when you can read the ghost speed pattern and nearby cover is reliable.

Study rule-breaker mechanics

Loadout board

Equipment Guide

Use this quick board to run cleaner evidence loops, preserve your defensive options, and avoid gear mistakes that cost hunts.

Investigation tools

Evidence workflow

EMF EMF Reader

Check doors, thrown objects, and ghost events fast; test for level 5 before crossing evidence off.

°C Thermometer

Re-check rooms after breaker changes; freezing takes time and can lag behind first room callouts.

SB Spirit Box

Lights off, near ghost room, ask short prompts. Retry after movement events before ruling it out.

UV UV Light

Scan touched surfaces immediately; prints can be missed if teammates delay callouts or move on too soon.

CAM Video + DOTS

Mount camera early and leave DOTS lanes clear; rotate viewpoint before concluding “no orb / no DOTS.”

Defensive gear

Survival timing

Incense (smudge)

Carry lit plan before entering danger rooms. Use line-of-sight breaks right after burn for max escape value.

Crucifix

Place near likely roam paths, not at doorway extremes. Watch burn states to confirm hunt prevention range use.

Sanity tools

Coordinate pills by threshold, not panic. Keep one reserve for late-game test runs and cursed follow-ups.

Head gear (flashlight tiers)

Upgrade visibility first for consistent pathing and objective speed; fewer navigation errors means safer hunts.

Upgrade and usage notes

  • Prioritize tools that reduce uncertainty (thermo + UV + camera coverage) over niche picks.
  • Bring one evidence kit + one safety kit per duo so no player gets caught with all utility in truck.
  • Set equipment staging just outside ghost room to cut dead time during evidence rechecks.
  • If evidence stalls, rotate tools in short cycles instead of brute-forcing one item for minutes.

Difficulty Breakdown

Choose your next tier without guesswork

Quick-scan what changes between modes, then step up with a clear plan.

Setting Amateur Intermediate Professional Nightmare Insanity
Starting sanity 100% 100% 100% 100% 75%
Setup time 5 min 2 min 0 min 0 min 0 min
Evidence shown 3 3 3 2 1
Ghost speed spike Low pressure Moderate High during hunts High + less reaction time Very high; punish mistakes fast
Best for Learning maps + gear Building hunt habits Consistent ghost ID reps Pattern reading + risk calls Advanced rule-breaker tracking

Step 1

Amateur → Intermediate

Practice setup routes and sanity pacing before removing safety time.

Step 2

Intermediate → Professional

Run zero-setup investigations with fast evidence loops and early escape plans.

Step 3

Professional → Nightmare/Insanity

Shift from pure evidence to behavior confirmation and hunt-time positioning.

SPECIAL MECHANICS

Rule Breakers

Ghosts that break normal assumptions. Read the exception first, then make the safe call.

  • BROKEN RULE

    The Mimic can fake another ghost’s behavior.

    Play call: Keep checking for Ghost Orbs + Spirit Box + UV before locking a speed-based guess.

  • BROKEN RULE

    Obake may leave a six-finger UV print.

    Play call: Treat unique UV shapes as high-value confirmation, even if other interactions look average.

  • BROKEN RULE

    Deogen always knows your location during hunts.

    Play call: Do not hide. Kite around furniture and force close-range slow movement.

  • BROKEN RULE

    Revenant is extremely fast only when it has line of sight.

    Play call: Break sight quickly with corners or doors; once blind, it becomes one of the slowest ghosts.

  • BROKEN RULE

    Yokai hunts at higher sanity when players talk nearby.

    Play call: Go radio-silent near the ghost room and test behavior with controlled voice exposure.

  • BROKEN RULE

    Thaye slows down as it ages, even in the same match.

    Play call: Re-test speed later; early aggressive pace can mislead if you only observe one hunt.

Beginner Coaching

Beginner Mistakes to Fix Fast

Ten quick corrections you can apply mid-investigation to avoid the most common wipes and wrong calls.

  • 01

    Staying in the dark too long.

    Cycle room lights and use sanity meds before early chain hunts begin.

  • 02

    Locking onto one ghost too early.

    Keep 2–3 candidates until evidence or repeatable behavior confirms one.

  • 03

    Ignoring setup timer on higher difficulties.

    Use setup time to place crucifix, smudge, and escape path tools first.

  • 04

    Not re-checking for a ghost room move.

    If evidence stalls, sweep temps, sound, and interactions around nearby rooms.

  • 05

    Standing in dead-end spots during hunts.

    Plan one loop route and one closet/locker before provoking behavior tests.

  • 06

    Talking or using electronics in a hunt.

    Cut voice noise, swap off gear in hand, and break line of sight immediately.

  • 07

    Burning cursed possessions too early.

    Collect baseline evidence first, then force activity with a clear escape plan.

  • 08

    Leaving all gear at the front door.

    Stage a small tool pile near the ghost room and keep one retreat item ready.

  • 09

    Trusting one behavior test once.

    Repeat tests under the same conditions before crossing ghosts off.

  • 10

    Hiding without fully closing off line of sight.

    Get fully inside cover, close doors, and stay still until the hunt ends.

Map awareness

Map tips that win hunts before they start

Keep these location habits active every round: cleaner pathing, faster escapes, and fewer panic decisions when hunts begin.

Pre-plan two hide options

On entry, identify one primary and one backup hiding path from your current floor.

Read loop quality fast

Wide furniture loops are safer with speed; narrow corners become trap zones during latency or missteps.

Track fuse box routes

Know the shortest safe route to power and the nearest fallback room if a hunt starts en route.

Use sound landmarks

Anchor yourself with unique room sounds and floor transitions so you can rotate without opening the map mentally.

Check dead ends early

Clear risky branches during calm time so late-round chases never send you into unknown dead space.

Refresh routes after events

After ghost room shifts or blocked doors, re-run your hide and loop plan before the next objective push.