Phasmophobia, released into early access September 18, 2020, by indie developer Kinetic Games, became 2020’s surprise horror hit. The ghost-hunting co-op game peaked at 112,000 concurrent players on Steam and dominated Twitch for months.
Terrifying Simplicity
1-4 players investigated haunted locations using ghost-hunting equipment: EMF readers, spirit boxes, thermometers, UV lights. Identifying the ghost type (Shade, Demon, Wraith, etc.) required gathering evidence while the entity hunted you. Voice recognition let ghosts respond to your voice.
Viral Streaming
Content creators discovered Phasmophobia’s perfect blend of terror and comedy. Watching streamers scream while friends panic-shouted nonsense into spirit boxes generated millions of views. The game’s proximity voice chat added immersion—ghosts heard you whisper.
Despite being made by one person, Phasmophobia sold over 10 million copies and proved indie horror could rival AAA productions with the right concept and streaming appeal.