Phasmophobia's Nightmare mode includes a familiar creepypasta character

A tall, familiar frame watches you silently in the distance
(Image credit: Kinetic Games)

Careful if you venture out into Phasmophobia: Nightmare any time soon… turns out there's a very familiar frame creeping about the campsite. 

Last week we told you all about Phasmophobia: Nightmare, a new update coming to the cult hit ghosthunting game. At the time we didn't know much about the new mode beyond the fact it looked to be taking place outdoors at a campsite called Maple Lodge, and it will offer a Nightmare Difficulty, two new ghost types, and reworked difficulty levels.

Now the mode is here – perfectly timed for Halloween, of course – and players are discovering all kinds of creepy references and easter eggs, from Jason's mask to the silhouette of Slender Man. 

Right now, there doesn't seem to be any definitive way of summoning the slender-framed ghoul, although players in the Reddit community think they've discovered that there's a "one in three chance to spawn", and that he'll appear in one of five places around the camp.

Here he is in action (or not, as the case may be – well, he doesn't really do much, does he?):

Phasmophobia launched on Steam Early Access in 2020 and became an instant hit with streamers and horror fans, to an extent that surprised developer Kinetic Games and led them to change and expand their plans for future updates, including an expansion to the team in order to keep up with the ghost game's popularity.

"Over the past few years I have been developing Phasmophobia on my own however due to how much it has grown in both popularity and its future content plans it is now time to expand the team," they explained at the time.

Not played Phasmophobia just yet but wondering if today's the today to get involved? Find out how it turned GamesRadar's self-professed scaredy-cat Alyssa Mercante into a fear junkie. And if you're home alone this Halloween and in the mood for tricks rather than treats, don't forget that Phasmophobia now has a single-player mode… but only if you're brave enough, of course.

Horror is for life, not just for Halloween, you know. Here are our tips for the very best horror games you can play all year round...

Vikki Blake
Weekend Reporter, GamesRadar+

Vikki Blake is GamesRadar+'s Weekend Reporter. Vikki works tirelessly to ensure that you have something to read on the days of the week beginning with 'S', and can also be found contributing to outlets including the BBC, Eurogamer, and GameIndustry.biz. Vikki also runs a weekly games column at NME, and can be frequently found talking about Destiny 2 and Silent Hill on Twitter.