Quick, accurate, and detailed explanation on how to use each tool (item) in Demonologist. Correct and updated for 2023, 2024! Knowing how to use each tool is essential in successfully identifying the demon / ghost name correctly. Without knowing specifics on each tool it’s nearly impossible to succeed on ghost hunt.

Vital game mechanics explained – followed by tool explanations

When you first start playing, you’ll likely die several times without understanding why. However the ghost follows simple rules in the majority of cases, especially in beginner difficulty. Understanding the below two simple mechanics will improve your chances of survival and correct identification drastically!

Major Beginner Tip #1 – Identify the “Ghost Room” first!

• The most important thing in the game is to identify the “Ghost Room” — the ghost’s favored room.
• The ghost can walk around, but will spend most of their time and perform most of their activity in this room.
• Almost all tools almost all the time should be used in the ghost’s favorite room.
• Quickly identify the ghost room at the start of the mission using:
  • Thermometer – will usually be 10+ degrees colder in the ghost room, also seeing your breath. (Occasionally other rooms can be cold too, so verify with other signs.)
  • Ectoplasma Glass – seeing the white ectoplasm, especially at the start of a mission, can identify the ghost room. (Not 100% though)
  • EMF – will trigger when the ghost is nearby or doing something nearby. More often than not the ghost will be in its favored room, so if you repeatedly get EMF readings in one room over 30-60 seconds, it is likely to be the ghost’s favorite room.
  • Out of place or moving objects – Books, bottles and similar things being moved or thrown on the ground. The ghost is physically there (invisible) moving these. Finding things on the ground that used to be on shelves, tables, etc. is also an indicator.

Major Beginner Tip #2 – Learn the difference between a “Hunt” and a jump scare.

• Regardless of scary things you see or hear, the ghost can ONLY kill you during a “Hunt.”
• The easiest way to identify a hunt is the front door locking shut, every player’s flashlight flickering, and all lights going out. These things only happen during a hunt, but some similar things can happen that may confuse you.
• You’ll often hear a growl a few seconds before a hunt. During a hunt, the ghost will usually flash in and out of invisibility every 5-10 seconds, move toward players, and if he touches a player, he will kill them and end the hunt.
• The ghost’s chance to hunt is based on player sanity. Below 50-70% sanity is when the ghost will start hunting.
• Once you identify a hunt is happening, run and hide away from the ghost room and/or kite the ghost. Break line of sight and close a door, or run loops around furniture.
• Don’t be fooled by jump scares and scripted random events! You can’t be killed from these and they usually don’t mean the actual ghost is nearby. Example fake ghost activity: strange noises, whispers, “LSD” screen effects, illusions on walls, ghosts charging you then vanishing, and lightbulbs exploding. These are just meant to confuse and scare you and can be ignored. Instead look for moved objects and use your tools.

The Demonologist Tools and Exactly How to Use Them

Flashlight

How to use the Flashlight in The Demonologist: The F key turns it on and off. Or click while holding it in your hand. Flashlight beam will still be active when switching to another item.

• Helpful for navigating in the dark.
• When possible also turn on light switches and lamps in the house to keep your sanity up.
• You start with 2 flashlights, but may want to purchase more if playing coop with 3-4 players.
• The flashlight will flicker, the screen edges will dim, and the front door will lock closed if the ghost is hunting (during this it kills if it touches you.) If the flashlight doesn’t flicker, you are just seeing a harmless jump scare or manifestation.

Spirit Box

How to use the Spirit Box in The Demonologist: hold down the activation button (left click) then ask one of the phrases into your microphone when the ghost is nearby. If successful you will hear the ghost talk and the ghost symbol on top of the spirit box will light up blue, this is your spirit box evidence.

• One of the trickier tools to use correctly.
• Make sure your microphone is working and set up correctly in the options screen. You should see a signal/waveform on the spirit box screen if it is detecting your voice.
• Frequently using the spirit box will lower your sanity.
• There are 6 phrases the game can detect using voice recognition through your mic. However the responses don’t always match up in my experience. The phrases are:
  • Can you talk?
  • Can you speak?
  • Can you communicate?
  • What is your name?
  • Where are you?
  • When did you die?

The Spirit Box will only give a response if the following is true:

1. The invisible ghost must be within interaction range to trigger the spirit box. (Use it in the ghost’s favorite room and near places the ghost is moving objects so you know it is nearby.)
2. The ghost must have spirit box be one of its 3 pieces of evidence
3. Check the screen in the tent for the ghost response conditions – sometimes you must be alone. If so, other players should be at least a full room away; and vertical proximity often counts too.
4. Random chance even if the above are all true

• Unconfirmed: you may not need to use the activation button or ask questions into your mic? Just walking around with it in your hand may eventually trigger a spirit box response?
• Unconfirmed: it may help to turn the lights off and close the doors to the room before using the spirit box.
• Unconfirmed: it may be helpful to limit the amount of items you place nearby when trying to use the spirit box. Most likely the game has the ghost randomly decide on something nearby to interact with, and it may choose to blow out a candle or paint a picture instead of interacting with your spirit box.

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ESG

How to use the ESG in The Demonologist: place the device on the floor with the G key. Then you can say “Manifest” or “Show Yourself” into your microphone (30 second cooldown.) Positive evidence will be a quick half-second “brrrt” buzzing sound and an image of the ghost will appear with it’s arms outstretch in a “T-Pose” above the ESG device.

• Place in the ghost’s favorite room (identified by lower temperature or other means) for the highest chance it will interact with the ESG.
• Place in an open space in the middle of the room so the ghost can easily interact with it. Don’t place under a table for example. Does work on top of tables sometimes, but best to place on the floor.
• Seems to sometimes work on its own if the ghost chooses to interact with it, but saying “manifest” into your mic can make it more likely to work.

Exception: A Goryo type ghost won’t interact with an ESG if someone is nearby, even though that is one of it’s evidence types. You will have to use a video camera to detect an ESG reaction (only if its a Goryo.)

UV Light

How to use the UV Lantern in The Demonologist: hold in your hand and walk around where the ghost is interacting to make hidden evidence glow. Look for handprints on doors and lightswitches mostly.

• Check doors and lights that the ghost has interacted with recently for fingerprints.
• Can be helpful to close doors so the ghost is more likely to open them and leave a print as it moves around. You can hear the door open from a couple rooms away, so you know to check.
• Can be helpful to turn off other lights to make the UV evidence more visible
• Prints fade away after a short to medium amount of time
• Prints generally don’t appear on moved objects unless they are large, like a chair. Check doors and light switches that the ghost has used recently.
• Prints won’t appear every time a ghost interacts with an eligible object. Maybe 10-20% of the time?
• For some optional objectives and secrets, you may need to move close with the UV light to trigger them.

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EMF

How to use the EMF in The Demonologist: hold it in your hand and walk close to ghost activity such as objects that have recently moved, like a chair or cup. Evidence to narrow down the ghost type requires a reading of 5 on the EMF device.

• Easy tool to use, just equip it and point it near objects that ghost is interacting with.
• EMF 1-4 are common and do not count as evidence for picking the ghost type.  Only EMF 5 counts for ghost evidence.
• EMF readings on a moved object only last a few seconds, so check while they are moving or right after.
• Also works if a player drops it on the ground, but needs to be close to the ghost activity to get the correct reading, so its best to hold it.
• Proximity based, so you need to walk up close to the ghost activity (such as moved object) to get the real reading. It may read 3 a few feet away, but 5 when you get up close.
• Even if the ghost type has EMF 5 as one of its evidence, often it’s activity will only give a reading of 1-4, so you often need to check several moved objects until you can rule out EMF as one of it’s evidence types.

• Unconfirmed: The reading may be unreliable while the ghost is actively hunting, which can be identified by flashlights flickering and the front door locking (an EMF reading of 5 during a hunt may not count as EMF positive evidence?)

Ectoplasma Glass

How to use the Ectoplasma Glass in The Demonologist: Hold left mouse to look through the glass. Scan rooms, especially the ghost’s favorite room, for a white streak on walls or furniture.

• Good first tool to take into the house.
• Evidence will be a solid white streak that can only be seen through this tool.
• Is also used for some optional objectives available after you select the ghost type. (Look for an invisible sitting ghost woman and finding the time of death.)

• Unconfirmed: early on, the white stains should be only in the ghost room, so it can help identify the ghost’s favorite room, or be easily ruled out and crossed off if you know the ghost’s favorite room right away. White stains may disappear or move if the ghost changes its room?

Easel Canvas

How to use the Easel Canvas in The Demonologist: hold the place button (default G) to place on the ground. While holding G you will see a green outline of where it will be placed. It can help to crouch (control) to make it easier to place on the ground.

• After identifying the ghost’s favorite room, place the easel canvas in an empty space in the middle of the room. Then start using other tools and check back later.
• Avoid placing it under tables or similar places that may be more difficult for the ghost to reach.
• When the ghost is nearby it has a chance to interact with the canvas. Once an image appears you have your evidence.
• If you don’t get any activity after a while, it may sometimes help to reposition it somewhere else in the room.
• You can rotate it with the mouse wheel while holding the place button (G). Rotating can be helpful to place it to be seen by the video camera.

Thermometer

How to use the Thermometer in The Demonologist: Switch to this item and walk from room to room, pausing a few seconds in each. The ghost’s favorite room will usually be at least 10 degrees colder than the other rooms. To get the “Freezing Temperatures” evidence, the temperature must drop below freezing and the indicator will turn blue. You can also look for visible breath as evidence.

• Sometimes a non-“Ghost Room” will be cold too, so you need to verify with other tools, such as common EMF readings of 1-5, moving objects. However the thermometer is a quick and easy way to get started.
• Good first tool to take into the house.
• This is the best item to use when first starting a mission because it can help you identify the ghost’s favorite room, where it will do the most interacting.
• If the ghost is active in a room, it will be near the 10 degree mark on the thermometer or less.
• Visible breath also can be used to determine “Freezing Temperatures” as one of the ghosts 3 evidence types without the thermometer.

Crucifix

How to use the Crucifix in The Demonologist: have the Crucifix tool equipped in your hand during a hunt (flashlight will be flickering.) When the ghost touches you during a hunt, it will burn up the crucifix instead of killing you.

• Extremely useful to carry after the first few minutes of a mission, when your sanity has dropped below 50-70% and the ghost is more likely to hunt
• Protects you from being killed once if you are holding it in your hand.
• Note that ghosts have a chance to begin a hunt immediately after a previous one (but unlikely in easier difficulties)
• Even if you have a crucifix, try not to use it — still run from the ghost if possible when it is hunting (sprint away and try to break line of sight by closing a door behind you) then be quiet.
• One player can protect the others most of the time, by standing in front of them with the crucifix.

Photo Camera

• Used to complete the common optional objective – “get a solid photo of the ghost.”
• Has unlimited photo captures.
• Often during a hunt while backpedaling is the best time to get a solid photo of the ghost. It will flash in and out of visibility, so you’ll have to time it a bit. Then sprint away and switch to a crucifix to make sure you survive the hunt.
• Many “jump scares” don’t count as actually being the ghost, even if it seems like it should. During a hunt (flashlight flickering, front door locked, vision dimming) is the most reliable time to see a solid ghost for taking a photo.

How to use: use the activate button (left click default) to take a photo when the ghost appears in solid form.

Sanity Pills

• At below 50-70% sanity the ghost may start hunting.
• Sanity pills are best by the player with the lowest sanity, when they get below about 60-70%.
• Raises sanity 25% on beginner
• 1 use per

How to use: switch to the item and left click to use up the sanity pill

Sledgehammer

• Breaks things, lets you access things otherwise not accessible, or complete objectives otherwise not completable.
• May only work on Cyclone St. near the Maria room right now? (More will likely be added)

How to use: switch to and use on walls that have cracks revealed with a UV Light. E buttton to use.

Fulu Talisman

• Makes the ghost interact more (similar to saying “manifest” or “show yourself” but bigger effect)
• Can trigger an early hunt

How to use: use in the ghost’s favorite room.

Tarot Deck (Cursed Item / Found)

• Drawing a card can trigger random effects:
• Aggressive – increase the ghost’s aggression
• Angel – revive a dead player
• Death – instantly triggers a hunt
• Devil – increases ghost activity
• Flame of Fate – increase or decrease sanity by 25% depending on the color it turns to
• Guillotine – instantly kills you
• Moon – lowers sanity
• Slave – prevents the ghost from changing rooms
• Sun – increases sanity
• Void – nullifies everything including canceling a hunt and reversing other tarot card effects

How to use: pick up, then draw a card using the activate key. (left click/E)

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Ouija Board (Cursed Item / Found)

• Questions to ask: “Where are you” “Are you here?” “How old are you?”
• Asking where are you can be a way to identify the ghost room
• Using drains sanity quickly.
• If sanity is too low, the board may break and trigger a hunt.

How to use: ask the ghost questions while holding the Ouija board and holding the E key.

Voodoo Doll (Cursed Item / Found)

• May randomly appear in a mission.
• When the heart pin is pushed a hunt will instantly start. Won’t necessarily be the last pin however!
• Can be useful for decreasing sanity, increasing ghost activity, or triggering a hunt to get a photo.

How to use: left click while holding it to push in a pin.

How to get a ghost to react and interact with a tool (ESG, Spirit Box, Easel Canvas etc)

If the ghost is not doing anything and you are getting confused or bored, there are some ways that may increase its activity. Be careful though, as these will generally also increase the chance it will hunt and try to kill one of the players.

• Say “manifest” or “show yourself” into your microphone. Can only work every 30 seconds, so no need to repeat it constantly. Will increase likelihood of ghost activity, such as interacting with an ESG or throwing items. The ghost still needs to be nearby to interact with something, so do this in the Ghost Room for the best chance of a result.
• Using a cursed item (Tarot Deck, Ouija Board, Voodoo Doll.) Note breaking them or using them up may instantly start a hunt
• Activating a spirit box too much (holding down the use button with it and talking)
• Staying in the dark to lower your sanity – will make the ghost more active and will start hunting. Generally the ghost will start hunting below 50% sanity. (The sanity level is decided on both individual and overall, so if one player is at 20% while the others are at 55%, everyone is at risk.) On harder difficulties some ghosts may start hunting at 70% sanity.

Updates, Corrections and Thoughts?

If you have any corrections please leave a comment below!