How do I change the difficulty in Phasmophobia?

Phasmophobia is a cooperative game in which the main goal is to identify the ghost that haunts your home, school or prison. The gameplay can be played alone or with a group of friends. Due to its diverse audience, the game offers the option to change the difficulty level. In this guide we describe what the difficulty levels are in Phasmophobia and how to change them.

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Phasmophobia – how to change the difficulty level?

The choice of difficulty level is possible when selecting a specific assignment in the game. Players in Phasmophobia can choose from four difficulty modes: amateur, medium, professional, and nightmare. Choosing a specific level will affect preparation time, ghost activity, and the multiplier of points and money. The size of the selected map also affects the difficulty of the gameplay. There are small, medium and large locations in the game, which differ in the number of rooms in the houses and the number of floors.

To change the difficulty level in Phasmophobia, approach the board by clicking the spacebar on your keyboard. The next step is to create a server lobby to play alone or with friends. After creating the server, click on the “Select Contract” button at the bottom left of the screen.

Then, on the map, select the contract of interest by clicking on it with the left mouse button. After clicking, a board will appear with the option to change the difficulty level. By clicking on the arrows on the left or right you can see the details of the level. After selecting the difficulty level, just click on the “Select” button, which is located in the lower right corner of the board. The difficulty level in Phasmophobia is selected only for the currently selected contract. When choosing the next contract, you will have to select the difficulty level again.

Levels of difficulty in Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia offers up to 4 difficulty levels: amateur, medium, professional and nightmare. At the beginning, players can choose only the first difficulty level to get acquainted with the game mechanics. Subsequent levels unlock as players gain more levels. In order to unlock the medium difficulty mode, a character must reach level 10, and in order to unlock the professional difficulty level, the player must develop the character to level 15. The last mode “Nightmare” is not unlocked until character level 20.

Difficulty levels in Phasmophobia vary by the frequency of ghost hunting, the amount of insurance money, and even the behavior of the ghosts, among other things. Below is a summary of the game’s difficulty levels along with the most important changes.

Amateur level

This level is recommended for new players, who have not played the game before. At this level, the player can calmly get acquainted with the mechanics of the game, and the gameplay itself is not that scary.

Long preparation time (5 minutes)
Long time between hunts
Short duration of the hunt
Pills restore a lot of mental health (40%)
You regain 50% of the lost equipment value if you die
Standard cash rewards

Medium level

This level is referred to in the game as the “standard ghost hunting experience”. It is recommended for players who have fully learned the game mechanics and are ready for normal Phasmophobia gameplay without additional difficulties.

Average preparation time (2.5 minutes)
Average time between hunts
Average time between hunts
Pills restore some mental health (35%)
You regain 25% of your lost equipment value if you die
Doubled cash rewards
Faster decrease in mental health (1.5 speed)
The fuse box is deactivated at the start
Some hiding places are blocked

Professional Level

The professional level in Phasmophobia is recommended for players who have already learned all the items and mechanics in the game, and are familiar with the behavior of the ghosts. This mode also requires a well-thought-out strategy of actions, because the ghosts are very active in this mode, and there is no time to prepare.

Peace of mind can change
Lack of time to prepare
Short time between hunts
Long time between hunts
Pills restore a bit of mental health (30%)
The fuse box is turned off at the start
A lot of hiding places are blocked
Double the mental health reduction
No money for lost equipment in case of death
No information if the ghost responds to everyone or alone
Triple the cash rewards

Nightmare Level

This level was created for professional players who are looking for additional challenges in the game. During gameplay on this difficulty mode, a good strategy of actions and a good knowledge of the ghosts’ behavior are necessary. The developers describe this difficulty mode as a challenge for the best of the best.