Picture this: you walk into a building where something is clearly wrong. Equipment in hand, a teammate at your back, silence pressing down on your ears — and somewhere in the dark, something is hiding that you need to identify and then banish from this world. If that sounds familiar, you’re probably thinking of Phasmophobia. But what if one developer took that exact formula and reworked it so thoroughly that genre veterans find themselves completely lost at first?

This is a Ghost is a small project from indie studio Nuci Games that has been quietly building an audience on Steam since December 2022, flying largely under the radar of mainstream gaming press. That makes it all the more interesting to dig into: is this a genuine alternative to Phasmophobia, or just another clone in a genre that already has more than enough of them?

What Is This is a Ghost: Genre, Setting and Core Concept

This is a Ghost is a cooperative horror-detective game in first person, where players take on the roles of agents belonging to a secret society that hunts paranormal entities. The narrative framing is minimal — no cutscenes, no character backstory — just a mission, a set of tools, and a location inhabited by something supernatural.

The gameplay loop is clean and intuitive: arrive at the site, deploy your equipment, gather evidence, identify the type of entity, and banish it. All of this can be done solo or with a team of up to four players in online co-op. On the surface, it sounds like genre standard. But as always, the details are where things get interesting.

How the Hunt Works: Evidence Mechanics and Ghost Identification

The defining difference between This is a Ghost and most of its competitors is what you start with. Unlike Phasmophobia, where equipment has to be purchased and gradually unlocked, here every player receives a full loadout from the very first session. No grind, no “save up for a decent flashlight first.” This design choice has divided opinion: some see it as a welcome convenience, others as a missing layer of progression.

The investigation itself runs along two parallel tracks:

• Evidence analysis — standard paranormal activity readings captured by your equipment: EMF sensors, thermometers, motion detectors, audio recording devices.
• Behavioural observation — every entity has its own activity patterns and unique interactions with the environment. You can figure out exactly what you’re dealing with through observation alone, without collecting formal clues.

That second track is unusual for the genre and adds real depth. An experienced player can identify a ghost almost intuitively by reading its behaviour. A newcomer will take the safer route — equipment and deduction. Both are valid, and the game supports either approach without penalising you for choosing one over the other.

Photography also plays a role as a game mechanic: shots of paranormal activity earn points and affect your final score. The feedback loop here isn’t quite polished yet — to find out the star rating of a photo you’ve taken, you have to open the journal rather than seeing the result on screen immediately. A small thing, but it adds unnecessary friction.

This is a Ghost vs Phasmophobia: Key Differences for Anyone Choosing Between Them

This comparison is unavoidable — and the developers clearly knew they were building in the shadow of a dominant competitor. But this is not a copy. It’s a genuinely different take on the same idea.

One of the most immediately noticeable advantages This is a Ghost has over Phasmophobia is movement speed. Phasmophobia has been criticised for years over its painfully sluggish character movement — in tense moments, it stops feeling scary and starts feeling frustrating. Here the movement is more responsive, and while it sounds like a minor detail, it shapes the entire pacing of every session.

On the other hand, Phasmophobia veterans will likely struggle at first. The clue logic and ghost behaviour follow a different internal ruleset. Familiar patterns don’t transfer — you’ll have to relearn from scratch, which is precisely what makes the game feel fresh rather than derivative.

Progression System and Monetisation: No Pay Wall, No Grind Gate

The way This is a Ghost handles its economy deserves attention on its own. In an era where even small indie horror games try to lock meaningful equipment behind hours of grinding, This is a Ghost takes a firm opposite stance: your starting toolkit is complete and uncompromised.

That means your very first session is a full experience. Progression is built around objectives and mission goals — things like “finish with 80%+ health” or “photograph a specific paranormal event at a high star rating.” These layers prevent the loop from becoming pure routine without requiring you to earn the right to play properly.

Players who dislike grind-based unlocks will appreciate this immediately. Those who enjoy the sense of gradually building up a kit may find the lack of equipment progression leaves something missing — that’s a fair criticism, and worth knowing before you buy.

Atmosphere and Scare Factor: How Frightening Is It, Really

The honest answer: the first few hours, yes, it’s genuinely unsettling. Unfamiliar locations, unpredictable entity behaviour, darkness, and solid sound design all do their job. Then the fear fades — as it always does in the ghost hunting genre once you start to understand the rules.

This isn’t a flaw unique to this game — it’s a property of the entire genre. Phasmophobia follows the same arc: terrifying at first, then an intellectual puzzle with low-level tension. This is a Ghost is no different.

What the game sustains is a feeling of genuine uncertainty and investigative momentum. When you don’t yet know what you’re dealing with and every new observation shifts the picture — that works. The atmosphere holds up even after the initial shock wears off.

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Co-op vs Solo: How the Experience Changes With Company

In solo play, This is a Ghost becomes a focused, tense experience. No one has your back, every decision is yours alone, and mistakes cost more. The difficulty reads differently than it does in co-op — it’s a quieter kind of pressure.

With a team, the game shifts into something between a detective investigation and controlled chaos. There’s one thing worth flagging upfront: friendly fire is on. Players can accidentally shoot each other, and a single gunshot to the chest will immediately fail the “finish with 80%+ health” objective — as more than a few players have discovered the hard way when a ghost materialised between two teammates.

Co-op is where the best stories come from in this game: the moment a ghost appears directly between two players, one screaming something critical into voice chat while the other is already running the wrong way. The ghost hunting genre lives and dies with the people you play it with, and This is a Ghost understands that completely.

PC System Requirements for This is a Ghost

The requirements are modest for a first-person indie horror — a genuine plus for players who haven’t upgraded their rigs in a few years. This is a Ghost is available through Steam on PC (Windows) only. There are currently no console ports or mobile versions.

What Gets in the Way: An Honest Look at the Flaws

The game is in Early Access, and that shows. The list of rough edges is short but real:

• Photo feedback interface doesn’t show star ratings on capture — you have to open the journal to check, which breaks the flow of a session.
• Small player base means finding random teammates takes time. Bring friends; matchmaking is not this game’s strong suit yet.
• Learning curve for Phasmophobia veterans — the surface similarities actually make it harder. You’ll expect familiar logic and find something different, which creates frustration before it creates appreciation.
• Less content overall compared to more mature competitors. Fewer maps and ghost types for now — an expected limitation of Early Access, but worth knowing.

None of these are fundamental design problems. The developer is actively updating the game, which matters enormously for an EA title.

Should You Buy This is a Ghost in 2026?

If you have a group of two to four people who enjoy paranormal investigation games — yes, absolutely. The entry price is low, the experience is honest, and the mechanics offer something genuinely different. This isn’t a Phasmophobia lite — it’s a proper alternative with its own internal logic.

If you’re going in solo and want maximum depth and polish, you’re better off waiting for the full release. Solo mode works, but the game was clearly built for a team.

If you’re expecting the production polish of a fully shipped title, it’s too early. Early Access means Early Access.

Final score: 7.5 / 10 — a solid indie horror with a fresh approach to the genre, built by a single developer. For the price, it punches well above its weight.

How to play This is a Ghost for free on Steam via VpeSports

Have you ever felt a chill run down your spine just from the sound? This is a Ghost does it masterfully — the game literally breathes down your neck as you explore the dark corridors and try to figure out exactly what happened here. The atmosphere is as thick as the fog over an old cemetery, and it’s almost impossible to look away from the screen. The good news is that you can try all this for free, and we have already made sure that the process is as simple as possible.

No hours-long instructions or confusing steps. Just register on the website, log in to your account and find the GET AN ACCOUNT button at the beginning of this article. Everything else will be waiting for you there — understandable, humanly, without excess water. We’ve been through this ourselves and made sure you don’t waste your time.

And finally, if you want to stay on topic and not miss new accounts, patches and all sorts of interesting things about the game, subscribe to our Telegram channel. There’s live chat, breaking news, and people who, just like you, can’t sleep after another session at This is a Ghost. And if something goes wrong— the “How to play for free — full guide” section and our chat are always nearby. We don’t quit.