Phasmophobia Ghost Types

9. Shade

Evidence

• EMF Level 5

• Ghost Writing

• Freezing Temperatures

The Shade is a type of ghost in Phasmophobia. Noted as being shy ghosts, a Shade will lower its activity in the presence of multiple players. A Shade is known to be very shy. There is evidence to suggest that a Shade will stop all paranormal activity if there are people nearby.

These are the strengths and weaknesses as listed in the journal:

Strength: Shades are much harder to find.

Weakness: The ghost will not enter a hunt if there are people nearby.

Activity

On average, the Shade is less likely to perform interactions than other ghosts.

The Shade is less likely to perform ghost events at high sanity. At 100% average sanity, it has a 0% chance of successfully performing an event. This success rate increases by 2% per percentage of average sanity lost; at an average sanity of 50%, an attempted ghost event will always succeed.

When it performs a ghost event, the Shade has a higher chance (67% per event) of performing a "ghost mist" ghost event rather than manifestations. If it does manifest for a ghost event, it has a higher chance (67%) of appearing as a shadow. If the ghost is made to appear using a Summoning Circle, a Music Box, or a Monkey Paw, it has a chance of appearing as a black shadow rather than in its full form while in the ghost event stage. It will return to a fully visible form when the hunt begins.

(In)abilities

If at least one[1] person is in the same room as a Shade, it will be unable to perform any interactions (except Ghost Writing and blowing out flames), or initiate a ghost event or a hunt, regardless of average sanity.[2][3][4] It may still perform these actions if it happens to wander into a room without players. Since interactions occur in a range, the Shade can still "reach" into the player's room from another room to interact with objects.

Hunt

The Shade can only hunt below an average sanity of 35%, lower than most other ghosts.

Strategies

Due to the Shade's aforementioned shyness, the lack of interactions may give it away, or players may become frustrated at the ghost not producing evidence. Try keeping everyone out of the ghost room, as well as using Incense or specific cursed possessions that will increase the chance of the ghost interacting with the environment. Turning off the lights in the ghost's room may also help.

Given the Shade's inability to hunt in a room with players, one can be tested for in Nightmare/Insanity difficulty simply by lowering the average sanity close to zero, and having players stand in the ghost's current room and rooms directly adjacent. If it refuses to hunt or hunts only from a room without players, then it may be a Shade.

In singleplayer on Nightmare or Insanity difficulty, one way to identify a Shade is to drop the average sanity to zero, before using two Sanity Medications to restore the player's sanity to 50%, then allowing a small drop of sanity for a few seconds within the investigation area before stopping it via room lights (ideally hiding far away or on a different floor to prevent witnessing ghost events that may drain sanity). A ghost that refuses to hunt at this sanity may indicate that the ghost is a Shade.

The Shade appearing as a shadow when manifested by cursed possessions is not guaranteed, so seeing a full-body manifestation with them does not rule out a Shade.