Phasmophobia

You can talk to the ghost out loud. The game recognises speech, and both the ghost and some of the equipment react to what you say. Meanwhile the players' sanity drains, and once it drops low enough the hunt begins and the exit doors lock until it ends.

The game started as a one-person project by Daniel Knight, founder of Kinetic Games. It entered Steam Early Access on September 18, 2020, and in October, ahead of Halloween, Twitch streamers and YouTubers piled in. For several weeks that autumn it was the best-selling game on Steam, and in December it won Best Debut Game at The Game Awards.

Critics praised the fresh idea, and some reviewers singled out how creepy it gets. One reviewer disliked the animations and the repetition. Players leave 94% positive out of 686,678 reviews, critics give it 76 on Metacritic. By our Recommended Score it is #757 of 4,736 games.

Liked it? Next, try Demonologist, where once you know the spirit you also have to cast it out, and R.E.P.O., where a team of up to six hauls valuables out of creepy places, from heavy pianos to fragile ceramics.