I'm replaying the horror game that got me through the pandemic, and it's somehow got me nostalgic for one of the worst times of my life

GamesHorrorPhasmophiaI’m replaying the horror game that got me through the pandemic, and it’s somehow got me nostalgic for one of the worst times of my lifeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesHorrorPhasmophiaI’m replaying the horror game that got me through the pandemic, and it’s somehow got me nostalgic for one of the worst times of my lifeWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Kinetic Games) It’s 4pm on a Monday afternoon in 2021 and I’m playingPhasmophobia. I shift on the edge of my king-size sofa bed, the centerpiece of this cramped yet expensive studio apartment, with my gaming laptop wedged between my mouse and a bottle of wine. I’ll be sitting here for the next eight hours or so, picking through clues in Tanglewood while bullying ghosts with my new friend Andrew as we shriek, laugh, and gripe about life together over Discord. We’d met through my paranormal history podcast. We’d go on spending almost every day together for the next 12 months, trying to forget the outside world exists. Friends on the other side (Image credit: Kinetic Games) Here 2 stay(Image credit: Valve)15 years later, Left 4 Dead 2 is still the best zombie horde shooter ever – and no that’s not up for discussion Here 2 stay (Image credit: Valve)15 years later, Left 4 Dead 2 is still the best zombie horde shooter ever – and no that’s not up for discussion (Image credit: Valve) 15 years later, Left 4 Dead 2 is still the best zombie horde shooter ever – and no that’s not up for discussion It’s 7pm on a Thursday night in 2024 and I’m playing Phasmophobia. It’s a novel treat, not having to work out time differences when I play games with Andrew now that we live in the same country. But as we load into the game for the first time in what feels like decades, a nostalgic warmth and affection washes over me as I remember the pandemic. That is not a sentence I ever thought I’d write. Who gets nostalgic for one of the darkest times in recent human history? Me, apparently, because suddenly I can almost feel the walls closing in to resemble the studio apartment where I first played Phasmophobia. Of course, it’s changed alotsince then, as expected of a game still in Early Access. Last time I played Phasmophobia was during Christmas 2022, when the new ghost hunter HQ was newly implemented, tools had been given full visual reworks, and a leveling system overhaul was on the way. But Phasmophobia has seen a lot of evolution even since then, most notably in its inventory management and store UI. “What the f*ck isthis?“I hiss as I head over to the inventory board. Not only have I been demoted to Level 1, but I’m horrified to find that the best equipment is now level-locked. That means Andrew and I must face our first Phasmo game in years with the weakest flashlight known to gaming history – and we only have one of them. At least the basic items are all free and can’t be lost upon death, I suppose. As we pick up the keys to our first haunted house, me following close behind torchbearer Andrew’s character model – the same one used since 2021, I note fondly – we both take a moment to screech and spam-crouch excitedly outside the front door. “Honey, we’re home!” Phasmophobia might have new bells, whistles, and gameplay structures besides, but it’s still our sanctuary. Phasmophobia might have new bells, whistles, and gameplay structures besides, but it’s still our sanctuary. Re-exploring the quintessential Phasmo starter map together is nothing short of chaotic joy. The atmospheric brown noise of the silent house drapes itself over us immediately, a faithful friend ushering us in from the cold. The building itself is largely unchanged, save for the fact that my starter kit EMF meter is a slow and quiet little thing, its imprecise clock arm flickering across the scale with far less urgency than the powerful, digital beeping of its now higher-tier counterpart. Even the basic thermometer has been given a tech downgrade, I note, as Andrew frantically waves the fiddly analog device before asking me to check if the red liquid line is actually moving or not. To no one’s surprise, this venture ends in death for us both once our sanity levels dip low enough to trigger a fatal ghost hunting phase. With a mere $25 reward for our time and effort, I huff disappointedly. I still cannot afford my own flashlight. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more When we finally sign off for the night, I make sure to tell Andrew how much the session has meant to me. Phasmophobia might have new bells, whistles, and gameplay structures besides, but it’s still our sanctuary. Of course I’m relieved that the stricter years of the pandemic are long past us, and that I’m no longer cooped up in a tiny flat navigating a career crisis on my own. But I’m even more relieved that Phasmophobia exists. It’s a time capsule of sorts, a bittersweet reminder that it’s possible to find a bright spot of hope in the seemingly unending darkness. And that, my friends, is the power of horror. FromSlitterheadtoDying Light: The Beast, check out theupcoming horror gameson our radar for 2025 and beyond. 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GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful 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hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”