Demonologist and Phasmophobia are both popular co-op horror games that allow players to hunt down demons, ghosts, spirits, and undead horrors with their friends! Both of these games offer similarly terrifying experiences, but some fans have even gone so far as to call Demonologist the “scarier version” of Phasmophobia.
There’s no denying that both of these games are scarily similar, but is one of them actually better than the other? Phasmophobia has long been considered one of the greatest co-op horror games of all time, but Demonologist may just be out to steal its hard-won title. Keep reading to find out whether Demonologist is better than Phasmophobia!
Is Demonologist Better Than Phasmophobia?
Phasmophobia was released in 2020 and ever since then, it has effectively held the unofficial title of the best co-op paranormal horror game for PC. However, Demonologist was just released recently on March 27th, 2023, and people are already calling it superior to Phasmophobia!
Whether or not this is true is honestly up for debate, as it all really depends on each player’s individual preferences. However, it’s worth noting that many players have gone on record as saying Demonologist is scarier than Phasmophobia.
If you’re a Phasmophobia veteran that happens to be in the market for a similar title, then Demonologist would honestly be your best bet. Like it or not, Demonologist is incredibly similar to Phasmophobia; if you were a newbie playing both games back to back, you’d have trouble telling which game was which!
If you don’t actually happen to own either game yet, however, and are just trying to decide which to buy, then this list of similarities and differences between both games may help you decide:
Phasmophobia vs. Demonologist: Similarities
- Platform – Both games are currently only available on PC.
- Genre – Obviously, both of these games are within the same genre: horror. In fact, both of these games are specifically tagged with “Psychological Horror” and “Paranormal Horror”.
- Ghost Hunting – Both games allow players to embark on dangerous ghost hunts at various haunted locations.
- Multiplayer – Both games have single-player and multiplayer capabilities, with both games allowing up to 4 players at once.
- Equipment – Both games allow you to bring special ghost-hunting equipment with you on your haunted investigations; some of the equipment that can be found in both games include the Spirit Box, EMF Reader, UV Light, Sanity Pills, Crucifix, and many more.
- Goal – The goal in both of the games is the same: investigate cursed locations and collect enough evidence (using your equipment) to identify the supernatural entity.
- Voice Recognition – Both of these games offer full voice recognition capabilities.
- Multiple Entities – There are multiple supernatural entities available to haunt players in both games.
- Multiple Maps – Both games offer multiple haunted locations for players to explore and investigate.
- Early Access – Both of these games are still in their Early Access phases, which doesn’t necessarily matter if you’re trying to choose between the two, but it’s worth noting since it means that both games have a lot of potential for change in the future.
- Weekly Tasks – Both of these games offer special weekly tasks for players to complete for extra rewards.
![Ouija Board in Phasmophobia](https://gamerjournalist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Ouija-Board-in-Phasmophobia.jpg?w=1024)
Phasmophobia vs. Demonologist: Differences
- Exorcism/Banishment – Unlike in Phasmophobia, you can’t just leave once the entity has been identified in Demonologist; once you’ve identified the entity, you actually have to banish/exorcise it before you’re allowed to leave.
- Price – Both games are pretty similar in price, but it’s worth noting that Demonologist is slightly more expensive than Phasmopbia.
- VR – Unlike Demonologist, Phasmophobia offers VR support.
- Horror Level – Although the general scariness of a game is usually up to the player, many people have reported that Demonologist is much scarier than Phasmophobia.
- Language Support – Both of these games are offered in many different languages, but currently, Phasmophobia is offered in many more languages than Demonologist.
- Character Customization – Unlike Phasmophobia, Demonologist offers full character customization. It even allows you to adopt your own pet to keep by your side!
- Storage – Both of these games take up a decent chunk of space, but Phasmophobia is still larger than Demonologist.
Related: Best Games like Phasmophobia
Bottom Line: Which Game Should You Choose?
Both games are obviously very similar, but based on their compared similarities and differences, it seems like Phasmophobia has more strengths than weaknesses when it comes to Demonologist. However, as previously stated, Demonologist is still a very new game; it could quickly outpace Phasmophobia once it starts getting regular updates.
In conclusion, if you want a larger, slightly cheaper paranormal horror game that you can play with your friends, then you should buy Phasmophobia.
If you want a slightly smaller, scarier, and more expensive paranormal horror game that you can play with your friends, then you should buy Demonologist.
Regardless of whether or not Demonologist is better than Phasmophobia, there’s no denying both games’ quality. Both of these paranormal horror games are downright terrifying; they’d give even the most seasoned horror gamers goosebumps!
If you’re always on the hunt for the newest, scariest horror games, then check out Gamer Journalist’s hauntingly helpful guides for The Mortuary Assistant and Escape the Backrooms!
Published: Mar 28, 2023 09:57 pm