How to complete the Detective Only challenge in Phasmophobia

If you have been playing this now classic ghost-hunting game, then you might have tried your hand at some of its weekly challenges, to find they are definitely not that easy to complete. Among the several trials, the Detective Only mode is one of the hardest to complete, as you are not given any tips or directions and have to figure things out on your own.

But if you want to become a real ghost-hunting detective, then this challenge needs to be beaten. By using some of our tips and directions, you will complete the Detective Only challenge in no time!

Rules for the Detective Only challenge in Phasmophobia

First of all, let’s look at the rules that are set for this challenge as they can be quite different from others you might have already completed.

• The only location where the Detective Only challenge can be completed is 42 Edgefield Road.
• Your sanity level will start at 100 percent.
• You won’t be given any official evidence.
• All the screens in the truck will be turned on and working fine.
• The fuse box is visible on the truck map and will be turned off at the start.
• Gear is locked at Tier I, except for the Head gear flashlight which is at Tier II.
• There will be no grace period to set up your equipment.
• You can bring the Ouija Board cursed possession.

How to complete the Detective Only challenge

In order to complete the challenge, you need to complete three contracts, along with identifying the correct ghost type. All this has to be done at 42 Edgefield Road. Any wrong guesses will see you fail the challenge and you’ll have to do it all over again. So make sure you have as many clues as possible before guessing.

Tips on how to complete the Detective Only challenge

You will need to carefully analyze how the ghost behaves to nail the type and complete the challenge. That is quite difficult since you will not have any official evidence with you, but you need to try out several things and see how the ghost will react so you can eliminate the wrong types.

Here are some of our tips.

Sweep the room for ghost orbs

This is the best way that you can employ to see if you are dealing with a Mimic, as they will usually fill up the room with fake ghost orbs. Also, check if they will change their behavior frequently while in the room. Luckily, it is also one of the easiest ghosts to catch.

Throwing salt on the floor

If you throw salt right at the beginning, you can watch out if the ghosts will actually step on it. If, after a reasonable amount of time has passed, the salt is still intact, then you are most probably dealing with a Wraith. If all else fails, then this method is usually pretty reliable to identify it.

Watch out for lights turning off

The Mare is a ghost that loves the darkness, so if you want to identify it you can start turning on TVs and all the lights that you can find. If, as soon as you turn one on, it is turned off, then you are most definitely dealing with a Mare.

Drops in temperature

There is one ghost in particular who thrives in colder rooms, the Hantu. If a room is colder than others, not only it will move faster, but it will also turn off the breaker. If you can’t turn it on again, that’s a great hint that a Hantu is around.

Movement from the room

If, even after waiting for a bit, the ghost does not seem to want to move from the room they are in, along with not being able to make any changes to it, then chances are you are dealing with a Goryo.

Light some candles

Watch the candles carefully and try to take a photo when you see them flicker, if it is marked as a “ghost photo” but there is no clear subject on it, then it is most probably a Phantom. Also, after lighting at least three candles and bringing out a crucifix, if they all go out at the same time then you are probably dealing with an Onryo.

Careful use of the Ouija board

Since every time you use the Ouija board, you will trigger a cursed event then you might be better off saving the board only for those questions essential to your investigation. For example, ask the ghost’s age then wait in the room for a bit. Now ask again, and if the answer is different with the age going up, you are dealing with a Thaye. Another useful question is asking where the ghost is, so you can identify the room right away.

Watch for the ghost’ speed

Watching the speed of the ghost is a great way to get some additional hints to be sure you have identified the correct type.

• Since the speed of ghosts in Phasmophobia will increase as soon as they spot you, if they slow down instead, you might be dealing with a Deogen.
• If, instead, as soon as you are spotted, the ghost will increase speed dramatically, then you might be dealing with a Revenant.
• The Moroi changes speed depending on your Sanity level, if you see the ghost being faster as your sanity averages between five and zero, then that might be who you are hunting down.
• The Raiju will move faster when near electric equipment such as TVs and computers.

Check for changes to your Sanity level

If your Sanity is draining quite quickly, this can be a useful hint to identify the kind of ghost you are dealing with.

• A sudden drain in sanity, along with a door being slammed shut, can be a sign of a Yurei.
• A low sanity percentage, drained after being subjected to several singing events, can hint towards the presence of a Banshee, as they use that ability to drain your sanity quite fast.
• A whisper event being caught by the microphone, with a sudden drop in your sanity level, is a surefire sign of a Moroi’s curse.
• If your decrease in sanity is related to objects being thrown and smashed around, then you might be dealing with a Poltergeist.
• A sanity slowly going down while you are standing in a room, might be a sign of a Shade hanging around.
• If after a ghostly event, you see a very quick decrease in sanity, then you might be dealing with an Oni as they can drain you twice as fast as other creatures.
• If you have full sanity and you are being hunted, then it is 100% a Demon as that is the only ghost capable of doing so. While they usually hunt at lower sanity levels (80-70%), that is a surefire hint to tell it is a demon.