Phasmophobia beginner guide: preparation, searching, hunt escape routes, and leaving
Connect carrying, using, and placing equipment with room searches and returning to the truck on a standard Amateur contract. Covers keys, lighting, events versus hunts, and checking the final answer.
Edition: PC Steam app 739630, standard release, no mods. First example: standard Amateur settings, three evidence, Tier I starter equipment, keyboard/mouse. Solo and co-op for up to four; Voice/Text recognition addressed separately. VR, consoles, Custom, and weekly challenges are not treated as identical conditions.
Verification scope: Official standard v0.19.0.2, dated September 16, 2026, checked October 4, 2026. Incorporates v0.18.0.1 equipment bindings and v0.19.0.0 shared Journal displays. The event update scheduled for October 6 and planned 1.0 are not treated as already implemented. Equipment details use public-source checks, not exhaustive gameplay testing.
Sources checked: 2026-10-04
19 / 19 rows
Check difficulty and loadout in the lobby
The first example uses a small indoor map, Amateur, and three evidence. If doing Training first, follow each room's whiteboard and control notes. Training and ordinary contracts do not share identical progression requirements.
- Check Amateur before starting. For Custom or Challenge, separately read evidence count, setup time, and supplied equipment.
- In equipment management, check types, Tiers, and quantities. Starter equipment includes one of each basic tool, but prepare extra flashlights and equipment separately for the group.
- For an example first trip, take a flashlight, thermometer, and EMF Reader. Narrow down activity locations before returning for books or cameras.
- For Voice, check the input microphone and voice settings. To isolate question-recognition issues, choose Text and test the displayed questions.
Buying and adding to the loadout are separate. If a tool is missing from the shelf, check the Equipment Manager's added quantity as well as the in-game purchase.
Do not confuse picking up, using, and placing
Default PC bindings are examples. Follow the prompts if you changed settings. Equipment picked up with E does not all begin measuring automatically.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Symptom | Display/phenomenon to inspect | Action | Success check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannot pick up equipment | Is your inventory full? | Approach and press E. Drop unneeded held items with G. | Equipment appears in hand |
| Equipment does not respond | Power/indicator light | Hold it and right-click (Primary Use) | EMF/Box power indication changes |
| Book stays closed | Was it only dropped? | Aim at a surface and hold F for placement preview, position it, then release | Book is placed open |
| Confused by switching equipment | Your pickup order | Q/wheel, or PC 1–3; igniters use 4 | Intended tool selected; flashlight in left hand |
| Cannot drop the flashlight | Something else is in your right hand | Empty the right hand first, then use G to drop | Left-hand flashlight leaves your hand |
| Front door will not open | Key collected/locked-door sounds | Take the key, grab the door with left-click, and move it | Door moves; if hunt-locked, prioritize retreat |
| Cannot open the Journal | Key bindings | Open with J and select the evidence page | Your checks/final selection are visible |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
From v0.18.0.1, equipment 1–3 follows pickup order. Do not use old advice that a flashlight is always 1, or interpret 4 as an extra ordinary equipment slot.
Check power and the return route after leaving the truck
Do not assume the breaker starts off on every difficulty. Standard Amateur starts with it on.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Stage | Required equipment/settings | Example action | Difficulty/co-op difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Truck checks | Contract board/map | Read optional objectives, key, breaker location, and setup timer | Settings without maps or monitors are separate |
| Enter | Main entrance key | Pick up the key beside the keypad with E, then left-click the truck keypad | Key is shared. Open the truck after all survivors load in. |
| Open entrance | Key collected | Grab the door with left-click and move it in the intended direction | Amateur's five-minute setup begins when the entrance opens |
| Check lighting | Breaker/room switches | Check whether lights work. If not, inspect map and breaker. | Amateur starts ON; other standard difficulties start OFF |
| Search | Thermometer/EMF | Wait briefly in each room and measure near noises or moved objects | Solo: make carrying trips. Co-op: report measured rooms. |
| Placement | Book/D.O.T.S./camera | Place within the active area and check framing and orientation | Some measurements do not work with everyone waiting in the same room |
| Escape route | Flashlight, map, and direct observation | Check entrance, corners, and usable hiding places | Hiding places vary with difficulty and object placement |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
Even during Amateur setup, interacting with special objects is not necessarily safe. On a first investigation, exclude unfamiliar cursed possessions and proceed with basic equipment.
Separate clues for locating rooms from evidence
EMF near moved objects and a room cooling below surrounding rooms suggest where to bring equipment. One small reaction does not mean one identification evidence type is confirmed.
- When you hear a noise, remember the general room and read EMF near the moved object or touched door.
- Do not judge a room by its thermometer reading immediately on entry. Leave it there or remain long enough to compare with other rooms.
- Place a book and D.O.T.S. in the candidate room and check camera coverage. Reposition if activity shifts toward an adjacent room.
- Check Sanity on the truck monitor, or use H to check your watch if enabled for the contract. Do not stand in darkness just to check it.
A flashlight illuminates your footing, but merely carrying it does not prevent Sanity drain in darkness. Manage room lighting and search time separately.
Secure a retreat instead of judging from flickering alone
Ghost events can also produce appearances, heartbeat sounds, and electronic interference. If a hunt is possible, move away from danger before remaining there to identify the ghost.
Wide tables scroll horizontally.
| Phenomenon | What it establishes alone | Next action |
|---|---|---|
| Flashlight/EMF flickers | Interference from a nearby manifestation, hunt, or similar event | Stop measuring and move toward the escape route. Do not record flickering as evidence. |
| Exit shuts, locks audibly, and will not open | Important sign to check for a hunt | Take the identified escape route rather than repeatedly trying the entrance |
| Cannot operate light switches | Clue for judging a hunt | Gain distance and cover rather than staying to verify danger |
| While fleeing | Line of sight may remain | Turn a corner to break sight and switch off/drop held electronics and lights |
| After hiding | Any voice or electronics still active? | Stop talking and check microphone state for your settings. Do not assume safety. |
No matching entries in this table. Shorten the query or clear it to restore all entries.
Hiding does not guarantee survival against every ghost. Crucifixes prevent hunts before they start; they do not end an active hunt. Even once Incense is available, use its effect window to move to an escape route.
You can leave even with incomplete evidence
You are not locked in until every optional objective is finished. If equipment is insufficient or danger increases, review your answer using available information and choose to leave.
- Open J somewhere safe and record only confirmed evidence on the evidence page.
- Do not stop at viewing candidate names. Select your answer's ghost name and confirm the selection indication.
- In co-op, ask everyone to check their own selection. Seeing another player's choice does not submit an answer for them.
- Once all survivors return to the truck, operate the rear keypad to close the door. Check your answer in the contract-completion/results screen.
Dead players returning to the truck is not an exit requirement. Equipment losses and rewards depend on death, difficulty, and other conditions; do not summarize a wipe as always erasing all information and rewards.
Frequently asked questions
Must I switch on the breaker first every time, even on Amateur?
Standard Amateur starts with it ON. First check whether room light switches work. If not, inspect the breaker, but do not assume it started OFF.
I dropped equipment, but measurement has not started
Requirements differ by tool. Books must be placed open with F, while electronics need power. Separate dropping with G from placement with F.
Do flickering and heartbeats always mean a hunt?
Events can cause them too. Exit locking and light-switch state help distinguish them, but first move to your escape route rather than staying somewhere dangerous to verify.
Can I not leave until I identify the ghost?
You can leave. Everyone selects a candidate using what is known, gathers all survivors in the truck, and operates the keypad. Completing every optional objective is not mandatory for departure.