Phasmophobia, the fear of ghosts, is a fitting name for a horror game, but that's not why Phasmophobia has suddenly become an indie game sensation, nor why it's quickly become one of the top games on Twitch. Yet, even watching a Phasmophobia stream on Twitch may not immediately help clarify what the game is. It's a four-player co-op horror game in which the players hunt for ghosts, but there's a depth to Phasmophobia beyond that.
Imagine a late-night television ghost hunting show, in which a group of ghost hunters use all manner of odd equipment to try and prove the existence of the supernatural. That's the basic idea behind Phasmophobia, except in this case there actually is a supernatural threat. Up to four players can group together and use gear including crucifixes, ouija boards, cameras, and most importantly flashlights to uncover paranormal secrets.
The structure of the game is odd, which makes it an intriguing game for Twitch. Players use their cash to buy equipment, then gear up, travel to a location, and select the items they want to use from their base location. Players are then freely able to go into the location or back to their base as they please. Using the equipment, players gather evidence about the ghost to identify and classify them. The more evidence is collected, the more cash players can earn. All this needs to be done while avoiding being haunted or knocked out by the ghost.
That's the structure of the game, but it's not entirely why Phasmophobia players and Twitch streamers are so into it. When players travel into the haunted locations, the game's horror themes become immediately apparent. The locations are incredibly dark and spooky, and worse yet players don't know what to expect from the ghost within. The longer players stay in a haunted location, the more their sanity drops and the more frightening the experience becomes.
Phasmophobia's appeal for Twitch and the Twitch audience should be recognizable. Twitch streamers are able to get together so they can joke, laugh, and get scared while their audience watches. Horror games have always had broad appeal on Twitch and YouTube, especially when October rolls around.
What's especially exciting about Phasmophobia is what's to come. Phasmophobia is currently only available in Steam Early Access, with developer Kinetic Games planning to release a lot of new content going forward. Players will be able to come back to Phasmophobia again and again, and hopefully have a unique experience each time.
Phasmophobia is available in Early Access now on PC.