Sanity
Sanity is a core mechanic in Phasmophobia. Average team sanity determines the probability of a hunt starting.
What is Sanity?
Average team sanity determines the probability of the ghost initiating a hunt
Dead players are excluded from the average calculation
Starts at 100% (Amateur through Nightmare) or 75% on Insanity
Individual sanity and average sanity are two separate values
Passive Sanity Drain
Being in the dark passively drains sanity. The rate depends on difficulty. Certain conditions speed up or prevent this drain.
Darkness \u2014 Drains sanity when the player is in the dark (no light within 3m radius)
Lit Candle (3m) \u2014 Prevents passive drain if the player is within 3m of a lit candle
Ghost Room \u2014 Drain is faster in the ghost's favourite room
Drain rate multiplier by difficulty:
Amateur 1.0x
Intermediate 1.5x
Professional 2.0x
Nightmare 2.0x
Insanity 2.0x
Active Sanity Drain Sources
| Source | Drain |
|---|---|
| Ghost Event | -10% |
| Banshee singing (target) | -15% |
| Haunted Mirror (per second) | -7.5%/s |
| Ouija Board (per question) | -5% |
| Summoning Circle (per candle) | -16% |
| Summoning Circle (total) | -80% |
| Voodoo Doll (heart pin) | -20% |
| Music Box (within 2.5m) | -2.5%/s |
Sanity Recovery
Sanity Pills
Restores a percentage of sanity that varies by difficulty.
Amateur +40%
Intermediate +35%
Professional +30%
Nightmare +25%
Insanity +20%
The Sun (Tarot Card) \u2014 Sets sanity to 100%
Monkey Paw (wish) \u2014 Sets all players' sanity to 50%
Sanity Effects
Visual and audio hallucinations increase as sanity drops
Ghost activity increases at lower average sanity
Hunt probability increases below the threshold (50% default, 70% for Demon, 60% for Mare in the dark)
Ghost interactions (doors, items) become more frequent
Starting Sanity by Difficulty
Amateur 100%
Intermediate 100%
Professional 100%
Nightmare 100%
Insanity 75%