Difficulty Settings
Phasmophobia features 5 preset difficulties plus a custom mode. Each difficulty changes sanity, evidence, hunt duration, speed, and more.
Overview
5 preset difficulties + custom mode
Higher difficulties reduce evidence, increase sanity drain, and make hunts longer and more dangerous
Custom mode allows you to modify each setting individually
Each difficulty has a minimum required level (Amateur: 0, Intermediate: 10, Pro: 20, Nightmare: 30, Insanity: 40)
Comparison Table
| Setting | Amateur | Intermediate | Professional | Nightmare | Insanity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting Sanity | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 75% |
| Sanity Drain Rate | 1x | 1.5x | 2x | 2x | 2x |
| Sanity Pill Restore | +40% | +35% | +30% | +25% | +20% |
| Evidence Given | 3/3 | 3/3 | 3/3 | 2/3 | 1/3 |
| Setup Time | 5min | 2min | 0s | 0s | 0s |
| Hunt Duration | Short | Medium | Long | Long | Long |
| Grace Period | 5s | 4s | 3s | 2s | 2s |
| Fingerprint Chance | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Fingerprint Duration | 120s | 120s | 120s | 120s | 60s |
| Ghost Speed | 1x | 1x | 1x | 1x | 1x |
| Kills Extend Hunts | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Friendly Ghost | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Sanity Monitor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Activity Monitor | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Fuse Box on Map | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
Evidence by Difficulty
Amateur / Intermediate / Professional -3 evidence (all visible)
Nightmare -2 evidence (1 hidden)
Insanity -1 evidence (2 hidden)
Apocalypse -0 evidence (all hidden)
Tips
For Learning
Start with Amateur or Intermediate. The 5-minute setup time and 3 visible evidence let you explore the location safely and understand the mechanics.
For Challenge
Nightmare and Insanity reduce evidence and remove sanity/activity monitors. You'll need to cross-reference behavioral clues and partial evidence to identify the ghost.
Professional
The best balance between difficulty and reward. No setup time but still 3 evidence. The ghost can change its favourite room, adding an extra layer of challenge.