A browser-based paranormal investigation game where you use modern ghost hunting equipment to detect, identify, and capture ghosts across increasingly dangerous locations.
Ghost Hunter is a single-player investigation game inspired by modern paranormal TV shows and games like Phasmophobia. You play as a new recruit in the Paranormal Investigation Unit, armed with professional ghost hunting equipment. Your job: enter haunted locations, gather evidence, identify the ghost type, and capture it before time runs out — or before it captures you.
The game features a pixel-art aesthetic, a progression system with unlockable skills and equipment, and an interactive training mode that teaches you the ropes before you face real danger.
- Open the game link in any modern browser
- Click TRAINING on the main menu (recommended for first-time players)
- Complete the guided tutorial to learn movement, equipment, and ghost identification
- Return to the menu and click NEW HUNT to start a real investigation
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
W A S D or Arrow Keys |
Move |
1 2 3 4 |
Select equipment slot |
E |
Use active equipment |
J |
Open/close Journal |
Esc |
Close Journal |
- Select a Location — Choose from available locations based on your level
- Investigate — Move through rooms and use equipment to scan for paranormal activity
- Gather Evidence — Each piece of equipment detects a specific evidence type. Get close to the ghost and scan repeatedly
- Identify the Ghost — Open your Journal (
J) to review collected evidence. Each ghost has a unique evidence combination - Capture — Click the matching ghost name in the Journal to attempt capture
- Earn Rewards — Successful captures earn XP and currency for upgrades
- Get close. Equipment has limited range — you need to be near the ghost to detect evidence
- Use multiple tools. Switch between equipment types to gather different evidence
- Watch your sanity. It drains faster near ghosts. Low sanity triggers ghost Hunts
- During a Hunt, run! The ghost will chase you aggressively. Keep moving until it ends
- Check the evidence matrix. Each ghost has exactly 2-3 evidence types. Match them precisely
| Ghost | Tier | Danger | Evidence | Behavior |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shade | 1 | Low | EMF, Thermal | Timid, avoids the player, dims lights |
| Whisper | 1 | Low | Spirit Box, Orbs | Vocal, communicates through electronics |
| Poltergeist | 2 | Medium | EMF, Spirit Box, UV | Violent, throws objects, disrupts equipment |
| Wraith | 2 | Medium | Thermal, UV, Orbs | Teleports, passes through walls, leaves traces |
| Banshee | 3 | High | EMF, Thermal, Spirit Box | Stalks relentlessly, screams, very aggressive |
| Location | Tier | Required Level | Ghosts | Payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abandoned House | 1 | 1 | 1 ghost (Shade, Whisper) | $100 |
| Old Hospital | 2 | 3 | 2 ghosts (Shade, Whisper, Poltergeist, Wraith) | $250 |
| Ravenhollow Cemetery | 3 | 5 | 2 ghosts (Poltergeist, Wraith, Banshee) | $500 |
| Tool | Detects | Range | Starting |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMF Reader | EMF Reading | 120 | Yes |
| Spirit Box | Spirit Box | 100 | Yes |
| Thermal Camera | Thermal Anomaly | 150 | $200 |
| UV Light | UV Traces | 80 | $350 |
| Skill | Effect | Max Level |
|---|---|---|
| Detection | Increases equipment range and sensitivity | 10 |
| Resilience | Reduces sanity drain during investigations | 10 |
| Identification | Evidence appears faster and more clearly | 10 |
| Capture | Increases capture success rate | 10 |
- XP — Earned from successful captures and partial credit for evidence gathering
- Levels — Unlock harder locations as you level up (Level 3 for Hospital, Level 5 for Cemetery)
- Currency — Spend on skill upgrades and new equipment
- Equipment Proficiency — Each tool improves with use, increasing range and detection accuracy
- Bestiary — Track which ghosts you've encountered and captured
Your progress saves automatically to your browser's local storage.
ghost-hunter/
index.html # Entry point
css/
style.css # UI styling, menus, overlays
js/
data.js # Game data: ghosts, locations, equipment, skills, training steps
engine.js # Core game loop, state machine, mechanics
renderer.js # Canvas rendering for all screens
ui.js # Click handling and UI interaction
No build tools or dependencies required. Just open index.html in a browser:
git clone https://github.com/GeraltMagic/ghost-hunter.git
cd ghost-hunter
open index.html # macOS
# or
xdg-open index.html # Linux
# or
start index.html # WindowsOr serve it locally:
python3 -m http.server 8000
# Then open http://localhost:8000- Vanilla JavaScript — No frameworks or dependencies
- HTML5 Canvas — All rendering done via 2D canvas API
- localStorage — Persistent save system
- Zero build step — Open and play, nothing to install
Contributions are welcome! Some areas that could use work:
- Additional ghost types and locations
- Sound effects and ambient audio
- Mobile touch controls
- More complex ghost AI behaviors
- Visual effects and animations
- Difficulty settings
MIT