Learning to recognize ghost-specific abilities is one of the fastest ways to improve in Phasmophobia. While the full ghost roster can feel overwhelming, focusing on a few reliable traits will help you narrow down possibilities more confidently. This guide highlights seven essential ghost traits every new hunter should master.
1. 🧂 Wraiths Don’t Leave Salt Footprints
Wraiths are the only ghost type that cannot leave footprints in salt, making this one of the easiest traits to test for.
How to test:
- Place salt in doorways, hallways, or in the ghost room.
- If the ghost triggers a motion sensor or walks through the salt without leaving UV footprints, it’s likely a Wraith.
- If you see footprints, you can rule Wraith out immediately.
📸 Bonus Tip: Photograph footprints for easy 3-star interaction photos.
2. 🧤 Obake Leaves Unique Fingerprints
Obake has the rare ability to leave abnormal fingerprints, such as:
- Six-fingered prints on doors,
- Two-fingered smudges on light switches,
- Five-fingered handprints on keyboards or prison cell doors.
Key detail:
- Obake fingerprints have a 16% spawn chance and are highly recognizable.
- Seeing any irregular fingerprint almost always confirms Obake.
🎭 Fun Fact: Obake can also shapeshift, mimicking traits from other ghosts during hunts.
3. 💡 Mare Turns Off—but Never On—Lights
Mares thrive in the dark. If a ghost turns on a light, it cannot be a Mare.
Traits to watch:
- Mares can turn off lights immediately after you turn them on—without triggering an event.
- Mares are more aggressive in the dark, hunting at 60% sanity versus 40% in lit areas.
⚡ Pro Insight: Even with the breaker off, Mares can still turn off switches.
4. 🔌 Jin Never Turns Off the Breaker
Jins rely on power. If the ghost turns off the breaker manually, you can rule out Jin.
Important distinctions:
- Jins can trip breakers by overloading circuits—not turn them off directly.
- If you reset the breaker and lights come back on, it was likely turned off, not tripped—meaning not a Jin.
Jin Trait:
- At close range (within 3 meters), Jins can drain 25% of your sanity instantly and speed up during hunts when they have line of sight.
5. 🌫 Oni Don’t Trigger Airball Events
If you experience an airball ghost event (a misty orb hissing as it flies toward you), it’s not an Oni.
Why:
- Onis prefer physical manifestations and are more active and visible than other ghosts.
- They do not perform airball-type ghost events.
🧠 Helpful Reminder: Track every ghost event to rule out Oni or identify physical behaviors.
6. 📷 Phantom Disappears in Photos
Phantoms vanish when you take a photo during an event.
How to test:
- Take a picture of the ghost while it’s visible.
- If it disappears from view or isn’t visible in the photo, it’s likely a Phantom.
New Update Feature:
- Since the Ascension update, D.O.T.S. models of Phantoms also vanish in photographs, confirming the trait even in D.O.T.S.-based encounters.
7. 👣 Revenants Have Very Slow Footsteps Without Line of Sight
Revenants behave dramatically differently based on whether they can see you.
Hunt behavior:
- When they don’t have line of sight, their footsteps are very slow with noticeable pauses.
- When they do spot you, they become one of the fastest ghosts in the game.
How to test:
- After hiding during a hunt, listen for slow, staggered steps. If you later hear a rapid speed-up, it may be a Revenant.
🔒 Bonus: Surviving Hunts
Struggling during hunts? These quick survival tips help you observe traits more safely:
- Keep a Smudge Stick + Lighter ready.
- Turn off electronics while hiding.
- Learn the best hiding spots on each map to avoid being caught mid-investigation.
✅ Wrap-Up: Mastering the Basics
By learning these seven reliable ghost traits, you’ll dramatically improve your ghost identification skills—even without full evidence. Over time, you’ll pair these behaviors with sound cues, events, and environmental changes to narrow down ghost types confidently.
👻 Keep practicing, and soon you’ll be hunting like a pro. Happy Hunting!
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