Summary
Whereas other horror games usually pit playersagainst monstersand creatures of various types at the same time,Phasmophobiaallows 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 inPhasmophobiaturn 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 thescariest ghost in Phasmophobia.
24Spirit
No Special Behaviors Leave its Presence a Mystery
The Spirit, though still frightening to gaze upon, still might be the least scary ghost inPhasmophobia, 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.
23Shade
This Shy Ghost Can Prove Difficult to Find
Don’t be fooled by the fact that the Shade is shy, as it is not something to be coddled oreven 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.
22Hantu
Coldness is its Ally
Ghosts and colder temperatures often go hand-in-hand in many types of lore, and this is true of theHantuinPhasmophobia. 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 swiftlywhen 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.
21Goryo
Invisibility
What is scarier than seeing a ghost? Not seeing one but knowing that there’s one nearby. This is how theGoryosets itself apart from the rest, as it isinvisible 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.
20Poltergeist
Interacts With its Surroundings
Everyone in the world knows what a poltergeist is, even outside the confines ofPhasmophobia. They haveappeared 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 thePoltergeista 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.
19Jinn
Moves Faster to Distant Hunters
A fast ghost with a penchant for tampering with the player’s light source, aJinnis a terrifying entity to encounter. It canplunge players into darkness, and darkness inPhasmophobiacomes 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.
18Wraith
There is a Chance the Wraith Will Randomly Teleport to a Player
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 thatit can teleportto one player at random while it is not hunting, which is sure to give that unsuspecting player the fright of their life.
17Yokai
Reacts to Player Comms
A known denizen of family homes, theYokaiis attracted to the noise humans make when talking, sometimes to the point that talking too much can anger the Yokai. This trait applies to thePhasmophobiaversion 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.
16Phantom
Sanity Drain
Sanity is a key mechanic inPhasmophobia.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.
15Yurei
Doesn’t Need Line of Sight to Drain Sanity
Based ona spirit from Japanese folkloreof 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 inPhamosphobia, 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.
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 tojump scare any plucky huntersin the room.
