How to use the Monkey Paw in Phasmophobia

The Monkey Paw is a randomly spawning cursed possession in Phasmophobia that you can use to literally wish your problems away, at a price. Here’s a full breakdown of how to use the Monkey Paw in Phasmophobia.

Monkey Paw cursed possession explained- Phasmophobia

Assuming the Monkey Paw spawns within its one-in-seven chance during any given game of Phasmophobia and you find it, you must first pick it up to use it. Only pick it up if you intend to use it. The Monkey Paw listens to your voice chat and could misinterpret what you say as a wish.

When holding the Monkey Paw, you can ask it to grant you wishes. You get five wishes on normal difficulties, four if the multiplier is 2x, and only three if it’s set to 3x or more. If voice chat is connected, you have to speak out your wishes while holding the Monkey Paw. Otherwise, if you’re using text UI, right-click to activate and select the categories and wishes desired. Each wish has a risk of also generating a negative effect.

Related: All Ghost movement speeds in Phasmophobia

All possible wishes

Ghost

• I wish to see the ghost. Instantly reveals the ghost at the player’s location, but the ghost starts a hunt on the player and the player’s vision is blocked by fog. The fog lifts when the hunt ends.
• I wish for the ghost to do something. Ghost activity doubles for two minutes, but the fuse box breaks for the rest of the contract, and the door is locked until the effect ends.
• I wish to trap the ghost. The ghost is locked inside their favorite room for one minute, but the player is also locked inside their current room. After this minute, a cursed hunt starts.

Player

• I wish for my sanity. Everyone gets 50% sanity, but the drain on it is set to 1.5 and the ghost’s favorite room gets randomized.
• I wish to be safe. The nearest hiding spot opens up, but the lights shatter and the ghost can hear and sense the electronics of the player who made the wish for the rest of the contract.
• I wish to leave. The exit doors are unlocked even during hunts, but the players’ speed and vision is reduced for five seconds.

Other

• I wish for life. Revives a dead player, but has a 50% chance of killing the wishing player.
• I wish for weather. Choose from Sun, Rain, Clear Sky, Fog, Wind, or Snow. The wisher has a 25% sanity reduction and is momentarily blinded until the weather is done changing.
• I wish for knowledge. Removes an incorrect piece of evidence from the players’ journal. The ghost then immediately hunts the player. The player also has significantly reduced vision and hearing until the contract ends. Unless you’re willing to effectively make yourself useless just to narrow down your options, this wish is rarely worth it.
• I wish for anything. Grants a random wish from the list.

Each of the specific wishes can only be used once per contract. Most of these are best if you have no other option but to risk a player or the contract itself, but wishing to leave and wishing for life (if the coin toss is won) seem the most valuable of the lot to me when weighed by their costs. But what’s a game of Phasmophobia among friends without a little chaos and risk of total annihilation? So why not risk the literal Monkey’s Paw?

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