Although Phasmophobia is a game built around team investigations, some of you may like the idea of going it alone. Part of the thrill of horror gaming is testing your own mettle in an isolated setting, shut off from the comfort of group banter. Expect paranoia.
To that end, Kinetic Games’ ghost-hunting title does allow for solo play, which makes for a somewhat more intense experience overall. It is, of course, entirely possible to complete an investigation without help from others.
However, it can be a little more trying without adequate backup, so I’m throwing a few tips your way. These should allow you to be more prepared when deciding to play sans friends. And as the old saying goes: in Phasmophobia, no one can hear your frightened whimpers.
(NOTE: for any “mad lads” who are eager to dismiss all the below, feel free to go about your day disregarding this guide. And remember to kiss your dad on the lips when you see him next)
Stick with smaller maps
Phasmo currently has 12 maps, each one rife with ghostly activity. Of these, a few of them are more suited for solo investigations. Now, veterans out there may be able to cope with the immense size of Sunny Meadows or the Prison, but it’s generally a good idea to stick with some of the smaller locations; the houses, including the farmhouses, and possibly Camp Woodwind.
The reason for this is simply a case of not being able to cover all the areas effectively when on your own. The bigger maps are built for teams of people, so playing alone is more of an exercise in frustration as you move from room to room, struggling to pinpoint where the ghost even is.
While there are more rewards for completing larger maps, the difference between something like Grafton Farmhouse and Brownstone High School is about $25. Add onto that the time you’ll be spending wandering these locations means it’s probably not worth that extra bonus. Tanglewood and Ridgeview may be small and feel like beginner maps, but they’re pretty quick if you just want to get in and out with some earned cash.
Avoid playing above Professional difficulty
Look, I’m not telling you what you should be doing. All I’m saying is, if you’re relatively new to the game or you typically play with friends, you might not want to make your investigations any more stressful. If you’re absolutely dead set on playing in Nightmare or Insanity mode, please feel free to skip to the next section.
Much like playing on larger levels, playing on higher difficulties does reap more rewards. However, I usually don’t go above Professional. Once you go beyond this, you’ll find things can be trickier, not just in terms of your sanity levels, but how you go about finding the ghost.
For starters, the apparition won’t give all three pieces of evidence. Seeing as you need three to truly identify which type it is, playing solo on Nightmare or Insanity (or a custom difficulty you’ve set) will require a lot more detective work. If you’re not familiar with the characteristics of each ghost in Phasmophobia, missing one or two pieces of evidence can turn a fun investigation into a bit of chore. That and there are fewer places to hide. Speaking of which…
Seek out all hiding spots before you begin
You could argue that this is good advice even in team games. However, it’s important to know that when playing solo, the ghost is going to target you specifically, so you need a backup. You can’t sit in the comfort of the van while your friend runs around like a blue-arsed fly trying to avoid being killed.
When entering the location, look for any possible places to hide should a hunt ensue during your investigation. This could be an empty closet, a little alcove formed out of wooden planks that have been propped up, a space behind an armchair, inside your own imagination. Maybe not that last one.
This is partly why I would recommend playing on easier difficulties. Amateur and Intermediate modes give you a grace period at the start to set up before your investigation begins (as well as more hiding places). While the clock is ticking, you at least get a bit of time to seek out those all-important spots for the inevitable ghostly ass-kicking that’s coming your way.
Don’t worry about the additional objectives
As well as playing on more challenging difficulties, one of the best ways to make a decent amount of money in Phasmophobia is to complete as many objectives as possible. Identifying the ghost is the main one that you need to do in order for it to be a successful investigation, but the extra tasks give you more to do with more rewards.
If you are hellbent on just making as much cash as you can in one go, then the additional objectives are the way to do it. But they are entirely optional, so they can be ignored if you’re playing alone and just want to experience a good old-fashioned ghost hunt.
Some objectives may even require having extra people anyway, such as taking a photo of the ghost. If you’re on your own and your hands are already full, if you don’t have a Photo Camera at your disposal, that’s one task you can easily miss when the apparition suddenly appears. If you’re not sure about completing the extra objectives, just stick with the main job at hand.
Take advantage of the Video Camera
In single-player, you can only really depend on your own eyes. There’s no one else there to verify evidence. As such, there can be a bit of trial and error when playing alone. Fortunately, the game gives you all the tools you need at your disposal, such as the Video Camera.
While mainly used to find D.O.T.S. and ghost orbs in Phasmophobia, the Video Camera is also a great way to keep an eye on other equipment. From the comfort of the van, you can monitor what’s going on in complete safety. Setting up items from the camera’s viewpoint means you can potentially be on the lookout for more than one piece of evidence.
As you can see in the image above, I’ve placed a Ghost Writing Book, D.O.T.S. Projector, Tier 1 Thermometer, and a Crucifix next to each other. I can then place the Video Camera down, which will allow me to watch all these items from a distance. It does, however, help if you have a greater tier camera, which will boast higher quality images.
Safety first!
The crux of Phasmophobia is deciphering what apparition is haunting the location before said apparition can hunt you down and kill you. While you can never truly tell when this will happen, it’s often a good idea to try and prevent such a thing before it’s too late.
If you have a Crucifix or two, placing them in the ghost room will give you a radius of protection, stopping the ghost from initiating a hunt two times. This will buy you a bit of extra time to continue your investigation, especially if you’re dealing with something like a Demon.
Also, keep an eye on your sanity levels. Nightmare and above will leave you with broken monitors in the van, so it makes it more difficult to know how close you are to a hunt. Utilizing sanity pills, only using Cursed Possession items when absolutely necessary, and not saying the ghost’s name too often are good ways of making sure you make it out unscathed.
