Phasmophobia is the co-op ghost hunting experience that horror game fans have been dreaming of for a long time. The game offers an intense paranormal investigation theme, designed to be horrifying down to every last detail. Whether going solo or with others, players must venture into haunted locations and bring clarity to the supernatural, all while ensuring that they live to tell the tale. Doing so is challenging, especially considering the objectives the game expects players to accomplish.
There are four objectives to achieve on every hunt in Phasmophobia. The primary goal is to determine what type of ghost has infested the location. The three remaining objectives are randomly selected and can involve anything from getting the spirit to walk through salt to surviving a hunt. Players have a large variety of equipment to choose from, and ensuring that the right equipment is handy can help save time — and Sanity. Here's every item in the game, ranked from worst to best.
Updated July 12, 2022, by Christopher Anaya: Phasmophobia is a game that has astounded and petrified players with its immersive and supernatural gameplay. Stepping into the shoes of a paranormal investigator, players must determine the cause of inexplicable happenings and then escape with their lives and substantial evidence to back their case. This goal is the backbone of Phasmophobia, but since its release on September 18, 2020, the game has expanded upon it with more ghosts, new locations, gameplay improvements, etc.
With these considerable changes, Phasmophobia is no longer the game it once was but something far better. Players have much more to do and have the flexibility they did not before, as seen with their vast collection of ghost hunting equipment. Players have various items to use during their investigations, many of which were in the game when it was released, with some new additions. Regardless, every piece of ghost hunting equipment has changed, altering the hierarchy of the most practical items for a paranormal investigation.
22 Head-Mounted Camera
The Head-Mounted Camera is an item players can equip to have a live video feed of everything they see. While it seems practical and is the subject of Phasmophobia's more comical moments, it fails to achieve what is possible through well-placed Video Cameras. In truth, the live video feed of the Head-Mounted Camera is almost impossible to watch unless the wearer is standing still, which ultimately defeats its purpose entirely.
The Head-Mounted Camera does find more use in groups of four, as truck management becomes less challenging with three live video feeds of the other players. The person staying on the truck can better track their friend's locations and conditions while potentially spotting something paranormal. Despite this, the Head-Mounted Camera offers little for clearing objectives or gathering evidence, making it a rather niche item.
21 Glowstick
The Glowstick is an item used to find fingerprints invisible to the naked eye. This purpose is the sole function of this ghost hunting equipment, yet it fails to do so effectively. The Glowstick has a low range of light, meaning that players have to get close to reveal fingerprints, which is tedious to do in every room. To add insult to injury, the UV Flashlight does the same thing better, for only a couple of dollars more.
However, the Glowstick is not without its uses, as players can place it wherever they desire. This functionality allows players to position it in possible fingerprint locations, which proves beneficial, especially for long hunts that are spent chiefly inside the truck. Ideally, players will place the Glowstick in sight of a Video Camera and return to safety, looking for fingerprints on the computer. Yet, it fails to offer as much utility as the UV Flashlight.
20 Sound Sensor
The Sound Sensor is an item that players can place on a wall and use to detect inaudible noises like those of a ghost. Yet, despite being the second most expensive item in the game, it falls short in performing its sole function and offers little practical use. With such a high price tag, the Sound Sensor should be more beneficial than it is, but it remains an item that players scarcely or never use during a paranormal investigation.
The only justification for using the Sound Sensor is to help pinpoint the location of a ghost in larger areas. By sprawling this item across a map, players can get a good read of where the most paranormal activity is coming from, making the investigation easier. However, players can save money using the Parabolic Microphone, a cheaper and more effective alternative. The Sound Sensor is overall an unworthy item for investigations.
19 Parabolic Microphone
The Parabolic Microphone is an intriguing item that allows players to detect otherwise inaudible sounds like a ghost's footsteps if they have any. It is a cheaper and portable version of the Sound Sensor that players can take with them wherever. Yet, much like the Sound Sensor, the Parabolic Microphone is not nearly as effective when detecting paranormal activity, being greatly overshadowed by items like the EMF Reader.
The Parabolic Microphone does have merit when seeking supernatural happenings on larger maps. Expansive locations such as the Prison are too big and dangerous for players to scout out. Doing so will risk their Sanity and lives as the ghost stalks them, waiting to strike. Hence the Parabolic Microphone's utility on a larger map as players can get a read without entering a site of paranormal activity, but it falls short elsewhere.
18 Lighter
The Lighter provides players with a limited light source and a means of lighting things on fire. But, aside from the latter function, it fails to offer players anything of substance. Flashlights offer far more lighting and grant a clear view of a player's surroundings that the Lighter does not. In truth, to say that it is a capable light source is nothing short of a lie, as it grants players a view of things right next to them.
The Lighter only ranks this high because it can light Candles, Smudge Sticks, Campfires, and other flammable objects. Igniting these things prove beneficial as they offer light and protect players from losing their Sanity or becoming the victim of a ghost. Without the Lighter, players cannot utilize these valuable items, limiting them somewhat. This ghost-hunting equipment on its own is remarkably useless, however.
17 Candle
The Candle is an item players can place and ignite using a Lighter, providing them with a dependable light source. Moreover, this ghost hunting equipment is relatively cheap, making it affordable and practical. The only gripe of the Candle is that it is not worth the effort to set up, especially on larger maps or when dealing with a particularly aggressive spirit. Players will often be better off with lights found throughout a location or Flashlights.
The Candle is advantageous during hunts, as most light sources will flicker or turn off. It will stay lit, offering players some solace and preventing their Sanity from dropping too low, which proves dangerous as the likelihood of a hunt will increase. Additionally, Candles can detect the presence of ghosts, making them a good tool for finding the area of most paranormal activity. Even so, they are too tedious to set up, and the benefits of doing so are not worthwhile.
16 Salt
Salt is an item that players can use to detect ghost footprints that are otherwise unseeable. This function allows players to observe the presence of spirit and complete a common objective that requires a ghost to walk through a pile of it. Salt is a practical item that players should have, but it pales when compared to other, more effective paranormal activity detecting means like a Thermometer.
Even so, what Salt lacks in sheer practicality, it makes up for in affordability and function, especially in smaller locations. Players can scatter piles throughout an area to track a roaming ghost. Even if there are no footprints to be seen, players will benefit as that narrows the list of what the spirit can be because some do not leave impressions. The only instance where Salt is impractical is on larger maps, as there is much to cover.
15 Tripod
The Tripod is not a necessary item, but it does offer a stable and adjustable platform for Video Cameras. Not every map has advantageous positions for Video Cameras, making this piece of equipment nearly indispensable. All players need is one or two well-placed Tripods with Video Cameras to view the entirety of most paranormal sites safely from the truck.
The Tripod makes setting up Video Cameras an effortless procedure and grants a greater field of view. These benefits allow players to set cameras up, return to the truck, and have a greater chance of viewing supernatural happenings thanks to the advantageous position of the Tripod. As it saves players much hassle, time, and Sanity, the Tripod is a worthwhile investment that players should utilize.
14 Smudge Stick
The Smudge Stick can be a versatile weapon for the player as it prevents a ghost from hunting and slows their advances. This function makes it immensely valuable to have while investigating sites of paranormal activity. Players aiming to make it out alive from a supernatural location must take Smudge Sticks, as they can be the difference between life and death.
The Smudge Stick is also used to complete a common objective that requires the cleansing of a haunted area. The only flaw of this item is that it has a difficult to estimate window of effectiveness, which is not a good quality for a life-saving tool such as it. Players may use the Smudge Stick only to find that they did it too early, lulling them into a false sense of security and potentially their death.
13 Flashlight
The Flashlight is an item that provides players with light, which is necessary to discover clues and retain Sanity. It grants enough light for players to view their immediate surroundings and a bit more, free of the horrifying darkness of Phasmophobia. Although it is not the most powerful light source, the Flashlight outclasses other items such as the Lighter and Glowstick that barely provide any visibility beyond what is directly in front of players.
The Flashlight is frugal yet functional, making it an excellent light source for those new to Phasmophobia or those strapped for cash. The only noteworthy downside of this item is that the much-better Strong Flashlight will replace it in due time. Still, the Flashlight serves its purpose faithfully for the first few hunts and can act as a backup should players lose their Strong Flashlight.
12 Strong Flashlight
The Strong Flashlight is an improved version of the Flashlight, granting players a much larger and more effective field of view. Without a doubt, this should be one of the first items any player buys, without question. The greater visibility the Strong Flashlight provides will allow players to see things an ordinary Flashlight cannot, and it helps retain Sanity, which is vital in preventing ghost hunts.
While the Strong Flashlight is arguably a costly quality of life item, the visibility it provides is well worth it. Clear vision is one of the most vital elements to having a successful hunt. The vast area the Strong Flashlight covers allows players to see ghosts sneaking by, rare beneficial items, and other oddities that can make a monumental difference in a paranormal investigation.
11 Ghost Writing Book
The Ghost Writing Book is a placeable item supernatural entities can write messages which are often threatening or bleak. It only seeks to determine what kind of ghost is haunting a site of paranormal activity. Although very inflexible in function, the Ghost Writing Book can provide quick and contributing information to players, making them better able to determine what is haunting the area.
Doing so requires players to place the Ghost Writing Book in the area with the most paranormal activity and then wait patiently. Players can place a Video Camera facing the novel to look for writing safely in their truck. The only shortcomings of the Ghost Writing Book are that players must know where the haunted area is, and even upon placing the book, chances are that the ghost may not write in it.
10 Motion Sensor
The Motion Sensor is a placeable item that detects movements from beings mortal and supernatural. Although it is the most expensive item in the game, the price is well worth it, as this device can grant players a solid idea of where the ghost is. This function proves useful for players trying to determine where a supernatural entity resides and its pathing. So, the Motion Sensor provides players with more information than is expected.
Even though the Motion Sensor does not contribute to evidence gathering directly, it can reward players with much insight into the ghost. Players can determine its haunted area, regions it frequents, and if it is pursuing them, which is especially helpful during hunts. The only causes of concern with the Motion Sensor are that it detects players — alive or dead — and its hefty price tag, which poor paranormal investigators cannot afford.
9 D.O.T.S. Projector
The D.O.T.S. Projector is an item that illuminates an area with green dots of light that can outline ghosts that pass by. This function provides players with a clear look at supernatural entities and can help determine what type of paranormal beings they are. When not serving its original purpose, the D.O.T.S. Projector functions as a far-reaching and luminous light source that can save players their Sanity.
The D.O.T.S. Projector is undoubtedly an outstanding piece of ghost hunting equipment that every paranormal investigator should utilize. It serves multiple functions that aim to benefit players and lessen the hardships of their investigation. The only downside of the D.O.T.S. Projector is that it can mask nearby fingerprints, meaning that players should sweep for this clue before setting this item down.
8 Spirit Box
The Spirit Box is an item that allows players to communicate with a ghost through a series of questions. This function not only helps determine the kind of supernatural entity present, but it can help locate the haunted area. Another advantage to the Spirit Box is that players can use it without holding it. If turned on, players can place the item in the haunted room while they go through the list of questions.
The Spirit Box is an exceptional item that can potentially determine the type of ghost with a single question, such as the Deogen, who has a chance of responding with heavy breathing. The only issue with this ghost hunting equipment is that responses are not guaranteed, even if that is a clue for particular supernatural entities. There is a chance the ghost may not respond, meaning that players will need to cycle through questions for some time.
7 UV Flashlight
The UV Flashlight functions as the other Flashlights in the game but is capable of highlighting otherwise unseeable fingerprints and footprints. It is the most easy-to-use equipment for gathering evidence on what type of ghost is haunting the player's arsenal. Players need only turn it on and scan every inch of an area, looking for fingerprints and footprints.
The UV Flashlight will be most effective in areas where the ghost frequents. Usually, if it moves and interacts with objects constantly, it will leave fingerprints and footprints. The UV Light makes finding print evidence a breeze and allows for extra cash if players take photos of it. There are no downsides to this item as it is overall beneficial.
6 EMF Reader
The EMF Reader is an item that can detect electromagnetic fields commonly associated with ghosts and the like. While it seems confusing to use and random, it is an outstanding piece of equipment that demands a player's time and effort to learn to use. The EMF Reader has five lights noting the different levels of electromagnetic fields. The more active the ghost, the higher the EMF level reading.
The EMF Reader's five levels indicate different things: 1 meaning no activity; 2 meaning object interaction; 3 meaning object throwing; 4 meaning ghost manifestation; and 5 meaning the presence of a particular ghost. Therefore, granting players much insight into the supernatural entity they are investigating. The EMF Reader is an indispensable tool required for every paranormal investigation.
5 Video Camera
The Video Camera is a versatile piece of equipment that provides a live feed of whatever it is facing. Of all the items on this list, this one is something that players should have in excess. With the maximum amount of Video Cameras available, players can cover a wide area, allowing them to improve their chances of capturing paranormal activity and evidence necessary for an investigation.
The Video Camera is crucial for safe hunts as the more cameras set up in the house, the less time the players have to be inside. Players can set up Video Cameras on tripods for vast views of the haunted area or directly in front of test items like the Ghost Writing Book. This item also allows whoever remains in the truck to monitor almost everything, providing those in the house with information on the happenings nearby.
4 Crucifix
The Crucifix is an item that can prevent ghost hunts from occurring, acting to protect players and grant them more time for investigating. This item would rank much lower on this list if not for the quality of life updates. While it offers nothing in terms of evidence, a single Crucifix can defend players from ghost hunts two times before falling apart and burning a bright red.
The change to make the Crucifix break apart after each use makes it much easier to tell if it is working, granting players an idea of how aggressive a ghost is. The only flaw of this stupendous item is its limited coverage. If players use the Crucifix out of range of a supernatural entity or when it is already hunting, it will not work, leaving them defenseless.
3 Photo Camera
The Photo Camera is an item used for taking pictures of evidence, which is more beneficial than initially clear. Players can earn extra cash by taking photos of supernatural evidence such as bones, fingerprints, ghosts, recently-deceased partners, etc. Racking up money in Phasmophobia is critical as paranormal investigations are costly endeavors. Having a few thousand dollars as a safety net provides peace of mind on hunts.
The Photo Camera should be something players take with them anytime they venture into haunted areas. Chances are, they will have the opportunity to earn extra cash from a compelling photo of the supernatural. The only thing players need to be wary of when using the Photo Camera is the limited number of pictures it can take. Additionally, players must avoid being greedy lest they will likely die or inadvertently cause the death of a friend.