How to use the Monkey Paw in Phasmophobia

The great appeal of Phasmophobia is playing ghost hunter, investigating a number of locations to determine which apparition is keeping its occupants up at night. Along the way, you’re given the tools needed to pinpoint exactly which spirit type is about to haunt your ass.

Each ghost also has a number of traits that help you to identify what you’re dealing with, even without the use of a night vision camera or D.O.T.S projector.

Additionally, the game has a number of Cursed Possessions. While they can be of great help, the name strongly implies there’s a Faustian bargain accompanying them, which can result in your demise. One of those is the Monkey Paw, so we’ll break down how said Monkey Paw and its Cursed Wishes work in Phasmophobia.

What is a Monkey Paw?

In folklore and popular culture, a monkey paw is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s the mummified hand of a (presumably dead) monkey which, when used by the person holding it, they’re given the gift of Monkey Paw wishes. It first appeared in the 1902 short story The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs.

Each wish results in one of the paw’s digits curling in on itself. Thus, the user has up to five wishes at their disposal. However, it’s called a “cursed” item for a reason — there’s a punishment for every wish granted. In the original story, Herbert wishes for money. The next day, his son is killed while working at a local factory, leading Herbert to receive a cash settlement for the exact amount he wished for.

So, what’s with the Phasmophobia Monkey Paw?

The Monkey Paw in Phasmophobia is essentially that. It was added to the game in February 2023 and is the seventh Cursed Possession item to be featured, alongside the Music Box, Summoning Circle, Tarot Cards, Haunted Mirror, Voodoo Doll, and the Ouija Board.

It takes its inspiration from the original Monkey Paw story, too. So think of it in similar terms, if the Monkey Paw does you a favor, there’s always gonna be a price to pay for it.

How do you use the Monkey Paw in Phasmophobia?

Like the other Cursed Possession items, the Monkey Paw has a chance to spawn in the map location. However, you can force it to appear by selecting it in the custom difficulty settings before beginning an investigation (under the “contract” tab).

When you find the Monkey Paw (like the others, it always spawns in a specific place), all of its digits are upright, meaning it’s good to go. To make a wish (between three and five, depending on the reward multiplier set at the start), it’s simply a case of using the game’s voice recognition feature, similar to the Spirit Box. Of course, if you can’t – or simply don’t want to – use a microphone, there is a text-based option as well.

However, beware of the consequences! Each time you make a wish – and a finger curls inwards – you risk initiating a hunt. See, the Monkey Paw can be very useful, but, much like in the original short story, it can lead to disaster. For example: wishing for more sanity restores 50% of your sanity, but the Monkey Paw Curse adds a multiplier of 1.5 to your sanity drain rate. Likewise, if you wish for the exit door to unlock, it will do so, but will also slow your speed down for a few seconds.

What can you wish for with the Monkey Paw?

There are a number of Monkey Paw wishes you can ask for that Phasmophobia recognizes. This can range from wishing for a clear sky to wishing to see the ghost itself, to even wishing for a player who’s died to come back to life. Some questions you can ask the Monkey Paw include:

• Restore sanity
• Reveal the ghost room
• Witness activity
• Trap the ghost
• Unlock the exit
• Revive a friend
• Change the weather

Similar to using the Ouija Board or Voodoo Doll, it’s typically best to employ the Monkey Paw away from the ghost room if at all possible. At least that way, you have a chance to hide should a hunt begin. Oh, and if you’re using voice recognition, be careful what you say while holding the item, as it’s known to unintentionally interpret speech as a wish.