Is Phasmophobia Free? Everything You Need to Know About Getting This Viral Horror Hit

If you‘re a fan of viral multiplayer horror games, then you‘ve probably heard about Phasmophobia. With over 10 million copies sold on Steam Early Access, this indie ghost hunting game has taken the PC world by storm.

But there‘s one big question on every would-be ghost hunter‘s mind: is Phasmophobia free, or do you have to pay to play?

As a fellow horror fanatic, I‘ve done my research to uncover everything you could want to know about getting Phasmophobia for free or at a discounted price. In this detailed guide, I‘ll share insider tips to help you paranormal investigation pros save money on this runaway hit.

Let‘s Start With The Basics: Is Phasmophobia Free To Play?

I know the idea of paying for games can be scary, so I‘ll start with the bad news first. No – unfortunately Phasmophobia is not a free game. It is currently only available for purchase on Steam for $13.99. There is no option to download or play for free.

Now I don‘t want to leave you screaming in terror! Here‘s some context on why Phasmophobia costs money:

• Phasmophobia was created by the 3-person indie studio Kinetic Games. As a self-funded project without a major publisher, making the game free isn‘t financially viable.

• The developers have continued updating Phasmophobia with new ghosts, maps, items and features since launch. These improvements require major resources and staff time.

• With over 1.5 million copies sold in the first year, the $13.99 asking price seems reasonable for the value Phasmophobia provides.

I know it stings to pay for games when so many free-to-play options exist today. But supporting indie devs like Kinetic allows them to keep making great games for us to enjoy.

Now let‘s get onto the good stuff: how to scare up Phasmophobia for less than full price!

Can You Download Phasmophobia For Free?

Let‘s address the ominous elephant in the room – piracy. I strongly advise against illegally downloading Phasmophobia or any game. Not only is it unethical, it can put your computer at risk for viruses and malware.

Instead, here are some 100% legal ways to get Phasmophobia for free:

• Get it as a gift: If you have a generous PC gaming friend who already owns Phasmophobia on Steam, they can gift you their extra copy. This allows you to legally acquire the game at no cost.

• Free weekend promotions: Developers will sometimes make their games free for a limited time to drum up interest. Follow Kinetic Games on social media for any future Phasmophobia free weekend announcements.

• Giveaways: Kinetic Games could give away free copies of Phasmophobia for promotional purposes. Again, follow them online and wait for your chance to score a free key.

• User-created contests: Kind Steam users sometimes buy copies of games to give away on forums, streams, or their own websites. Enter these contests and you might get lucky!

With some patience and luck, you can absolutely score Phasmophobia for free by legal means. But mischievous ghosts don‘t like waiting around too long!

Will Phasmophobia Come To Xbox Game Pass or PS Plus?

Game subscription services like Xbox Game Pass and PS Plus Premium give subscribers access to hundreds of free games. Could Phasmophobia join their ghastly lineups?

Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Phasmophobia is unlikely to appear on these services any time soon.

Here‘s why:

• Phasmophobia is only available on Steam Early Access right now. The developers are focused on finishing the game before considering other platforms.

• Phasmophobia is exclusive to PC. Releasing on consoles would require significant development time and resources to port and optimize it.

• As an indie game, the developers may not want to devalue it by making it free on subscription services too quickly after launch.

Based on its runaway success so far, Kinetic Games has little incentive to offer Phasmophobia for free right now. But after it launches out of Early Access, anything is possible!

For example, Microsoft or Sony could pay for exclusivity rights to entice players to their subscription services. But until then, Phasmophobia remains a Steam-exclusive.

Check Steam Sales For Phasmophobia Deals

If subscriptions and giveaways don‘t work out, all hope isn‘t lost. You can often get Phasmophobia at a discount during major Steam sales events.

Here are the cheapest prices Phasmophobia has sold for so far:

Based on these sales trends, you should be able to pick up Phasmophobia for around $10 – $12 if you wait for discounted holiday or seasonal sales on Steam.

I recommend adding Phasmophobia to your Steam wishlist so you get notified the instant a new sale goes live. Major sales like the Summer Sale in June or Winter Sale in December are going to be your best bet at snatching the lowest price.

With some patience and fast reflexes when sales begin, you can seamlessly haunt your way into saving up to 30% off!

Use Discounts and Vouchers To Save On Phasmophobia

Beyond Steam sales, you can use discounts, vouchers, and regional pricing tricks to chip away at the $13.99 price tag.

• Buy Steam codes at a discount: Third party sites like Eneba, CDKeys, and HRK Game often sell Steam keys at a small discount to the Steam price. You can usually save around 10-15%.

• Use Steam Wallet funds: Add money to your Steam Wallet to benefit from currency conversion rates when purchasing Phasmophobia. You may save a few dollars compared to paying directly by credit card.

• Look for coupons: Steam may offer situational coupons, like $5 off any game over $30 during certain sales. Keep an eye out and combine with a Phasmophobia sale discount for maximum savings!

• Leverage regional pricing: In some countries, Steam adjusts pricing based on average local incomes. Phasmophobia could be 5-15% cheaper in certain currencies, so change your Steam region if applicable.

With the right combination of discounts, coupons, and price adjustments, you could potentially buy Phasmophobia for around $10 – an almost 30% savings!

Grab Phasmophobia Next Time It Goes Free!

While Phasmophobia isn‘t currently free, the developers could offer free promotions for it down the road. Here are some possible scenarios where you might be able to download Phasmophobia 100% free:

• Free weekend event: Kinetic Games could offer temporary 48-72 hour free access to spike interest and sales around a new update.

• Giveaway frenzy: The developers may give away free Steam keys on social media to celebrate hitting a big milestone like 15 million copies sold.

• Post-launch launch promotion: After leaving Early Access, Kinetic could make the base game free for a period to bring in as many new players as possible.

• Epic Games Store freebie: Epic gives away a rotating free game each week. Phasmophobia could join the lineup as a promotional freebie.

• Cloud gaming subscription: If added to a service like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna, or Nvidia GeForce Now, Phasmophobia could become accessible for free to subscribers.

By keeping tabs on Kinetic Games‘ social channels and reading PC gaming news sites, you can pounce the moment a free Phasmophobia promotion arises. Some eternal patience and luck may be required, but the payoff of getting this viral hit completely free could be well worth it!

Should You Just Pay Full Price For Phasmophobia?

After reading all these tips, you may wonder – should I even bother trying to get Phasmophobia at a discount? Is the full $13.99 price tag worth it?

In my personal opinion as a horror game fan, yes, Phasmophobia is absolutely worth paying full price for. Here are a few reasons why:

• It‘s a finished, polished game: Despite being in Early Access, Phasmophobia feels like a complete, optimized horror experience with great graphics, visuals and stability.

• Multiplayer focus: Phasmophobia is designed from the ground up as a social co-op game, and is best enjoyed with 2-4 friends. This unique multiplayer ghost hunting experience justifies the price alone.

• Infinite replay value: With randomized events, ghost behavior, and location layouts, no two Phasmophobia games ever play the same. You‘ll get dozens of hours of playtime from it.

• VR support included: Without paying extra, Phasmophobia allows you to enjoy the full game in desktop or immersive VR modes. Terrifyingly good value.

• Constant new content: The developers frequently add new ghost types, items, features and improvements. You‘re directly supporting ongoing development by purchasing.

Considering most new multiplayer games cost $60+, Phasmophobia‘s modest $13.99 price makes it a fantastic value. If you have even a passing interest in co-op paranormal investigation games, it‘s easily worth buying at full price in my opinion.

But I totally understand wanting to save money where possible too. Hopefully all the tips in this guide help you make the decision on what works best for your budget!

Satisfy Your Horror Cravings With These Free Spooky Games

Maybe after reading this you decided that you don‘t want to pay for Phasmophobia right now and would rather try some free horror games first. Hey, I don‘t blame you – free is a pretty good price!

Here are some of my favorite free-to-play horror games to satisfy your craving for scares:

• Cry of Fear: A fan-made Half-Life horror mod with co-op support. It resembles classic early 2000s survival horror games with fixed camera angles. Despite its age, it can still terrify!

• Spooky‘s Jump Scare Mansion: Don‘t be fooled by the cute graphics – this indie game throws in plenty of unexpected twists and turns as you try to survive 1000 rooms of increasing horror.

• The Lost Phone: Solve the mystery behind a simulated found phone interface. Call numbers, listen to voicemails and dive into the dark story.

• Evil Nun: Hide and sneak around a creepy school infested by a demonic nun in this free mobile horror game. Just watch out for those jump scares!

None of these can fully replace the multiplayer ghost hunting fun of Phasmophobia. But they‘re all high quality horror experiences available 100% free!

Let‘s Bust These Phasmophobia Myths

Before we wrap up, let me quickly bust some common Phasmophobia myths floating around:

• Myth: Phasmophobia is coming to Xbox Game Pass soon.

Reality: The developers have announced no plans to bring Phasmophobia to any other platforms beyond Steam yet.

• Myth: There‘s a secret way to download Phasmophobia for free on mobile.

Reality: Phasmophobia is PC only. Any mobile versions are hacked or pirated.

• Myth: I can get a free Steam key by taking surveys or clicking shady links.

Reality: These purported ways to get free Steam keys are all scams – don‘t fall for them!

I hope busting those myths helps steer you clear of any sketchy methods of trying to get Phasmophobia for free. Always stick to legitimate channels!

Time To Go Ghost Hunting!

That covers everything I‘ve learned about getting Phasmophobia without paying full price – or at all!

While Phasmophobia isn‘t free, you now have expert tips to grab it at a discount, score it for free through promotions, or even play alternative free horror games.

But if your budget allows, I highly recommend buying Phasmophobia at full price to support the hardworking indie developers at Kinetic Games as they continue improving and expanding this viral multiplayer hit.

Thanks for joining me on this creepy cost-saving adventure! Whatever option you choose, I wish you many thrilling hours of ghost hunting ahead. Now let‘s go show those ghosts who‘s really in charge!