So you’ve decided you want to be cursed while playing Phasmophobia. Despite being a pretty terrifying horror experience – especially for newcomers – Kinetic Games’ ghost hunting sensation has a heavy focus on detective work and deduction rather than just straight-up scares. Investigate first, piss pants later. That’s my motto (spoiler: it isn’t).
The crux of the game is to use your powers of logic to successfully work out who the culprit is. Think the board game Clue, but with more palpitations. To aid you, there is a lot of equipment to help you narrow things down. There are also Cursed Possessions that are an optional method of finding the ghost. However, they’re called “cursed” for a reason.
One of the newer editions in Phasmophobia is the Monkey Paw. This dismembered and shriveled hand allows you to make certain wishes to give you a bit of a leg up. But there’s a terrible price to pay. So with that, let’s take a look at what type of wishes you can make, and how it will ultimately lead to your untimely death.
Ghost-based wises
Like the other Cursed Possessions, the Monkey Paw has a one in seven chance of spawning on the map. It’s a powerful tool that can help out, but also lead you to more danger. These are the wishes you can make that relate to the ghost itself (NOTE: this is specifically for those using the game’s voice recognition):
| “I wish to see the ghost.” | If you just want to actually go ahead and see the apparition, this is the one for you. It will manifest the ghost in its current location. However, it will render you almost blind for a few seconds, and then initiate a cursed hunt. Good luck with that. |
| “I wish for activity.” OR “I wish the ghost would do something.” | When you make this wish, ghost activity will increase by double for the next couple of minutes. This can include it interacting with objects, such as doors, or throwing things about the place. Also, the fuse box will break for the rest of the investigation and the exit door will look for two minutes. |
| “I wish the ghost was trapped.” OR “I wish to trap the ghost.” | When you use this one, the ghost will be teleported to its spawn location and the door of that room will be locked for one minute. This stops it from hunting or roaming, but it also locks the doors in the player’s location. Then a cursed hunt begins. Fun! |
Player-based wishes
You can mess about with the ghost if that’s your bag. However, the Monkey Paw is also useful when you want to give yourself a bit of an advantage. There are still some dangers involved, though. You have been warned (again).
| “I wish for sanity.” OR “I wish to be sane.” | Sanity is a huge thing in Phasmophobia. The more you have, the better off you are. With this wish, your sanity will be set to 50%. But then it will drain 1.5x faster than normal after this point. |
| “I wish to be safe.” | This will open up the nearest blocked hiding spot to the player. The lights in the room you’re currently in will also blow and for the rest of the investigation, the ghost will have greater audible sensitivity, even on different floors. |
| “I wish to leave.” | This is a sort of Get Out Of Jail Free card. It will open the map exit in the midst of a hunt, but it will also massively slow down your walk speed for the next five seconds. And your vision will be reduced. |
Other wishes
The Monkey Paw can also have an effect on the things outside yourself and the ghost. Much like the others, these wishes can be pretty powerful when used carefully.
| “I wish to revive my friend.” OR “I wish for life.” | Your friend is dead. Tragic. But hark! With the Monkey Paw, you can bring them back to life again. It will, sadly, mean there’s a 50% chance that you’ll die, though. Swings and roundabouts. |
| “I wish for [clear sky/fog/rain/snow/sun].” | A weather-based wish. This does exactly what it says on the tin. It will change the climate for the map you’re on, but it will also cause temporary visual impairment and take 25% off your sanity. You also can’t use this wish if you are less than 25% sane. |
| “I wish for knowledge.” | A wish we could all do with in real life. When this one is granted, it will eliminate a piece of evidence in your journal. The ghost will then initiate a hunt while also reducing your audio and visual capabilities. |
| “I wish for anything.” | Will randomly grant one of the above wishes. This one is for mad lads with nothing to lose. |
It’s worth mentioning that all the wishes for the Monkey Paw can be found on the Sunny Meadows map. You’ll find them written on tags in the following places:
- Manager’s office
- Chapel
- Female dorm room
- Kitchen
- Matron’s office 1
- Hospital wing
- Classroom
- Restricted area
- Morgue
- Waiting room
