Phasmophobia Guide: How to Identify the Blood-Hungry Aswang
The Aswang is a predatory mess of a ghost that will literally stop at nothing to turn your investigation into a buffet.
If you have been keeping up with the Alan Wake event in Phasmophobia, you already know the atmosphere has shifted from spooky to downright oppressive. Part of that shift is thanks to the Aswang, a ghost inspired by Filipino folklore that has a nasty habit of gorging itself on corpses. It is a vicious addition to the roster, and if you are not careful, it will put you six feet under before you even realize you are looking at something other than a standard Spirit or Oni.
I spent quite a bit of time in the dark testing the limits of this entity. It has a very specific set of behaviors that make it a nightmare for the unprepared, but a total breeze for an investigator who knows what to look for. Before you go wandering into a haunted house with nothing but a flashlight and a prayer, you should probably make sure you have collected your Alan Wake Words of Power to get the full experience. Once you are geared up, here is everything I found regarding the Aswang’s evidence and hunting patterns.
The Hard Evidence: What to Look For
Identifying a ghost through the standard evidence loop is your bread and butter, and the Aswang is no different. It has three specific tells that you need to check off your list. If you are playing on Professional or Nightmare, you will likely spend most of your time wrestling with these tools to get a definitive answer.
D.O.T.S. Projector
The Aswang is quite active when it comes to the D.O.T.S. Projector. You will want to set these up in the ghost room as early as possible. In my experience, the Aswang likes to roam, so try to cover as much floor space as you can. Seeing a silhouette dash through the green laser grid is a major piece of the puzzle.
Freezing Temperatures
Bring your thermometer and keep an eye on your breath. The Aswang brings a chill that is hard to ignore. If you see the mercury drop below zero or notice the telltale fog when you exhale, you can confidently mark off Freezing Temperatures. Just remember that it can take a few minutes for the ghost room to reach these levels, so do not rule it out too early.
Ghost Writing
This ghost has a lot to say, and most of it is probably about how hungry it is. Place your Ghost Writing Books near the center of the ghost room activity. If the Aswang is present, it will eventually scribble its nonsense across the pages. If you find yourself struggling to see the writing in the dark, you might want to use the Phasmophobia Angel Lamp to brighten things up while you work.
Hunting Mechanics and Secret Tells
The Aswang is not just another ghost that walks at you. It has a specific mechanical identity that revolves around line of sight and its bizarre reaction to hiding spots. This is where most investigators get tripped up and sent back to the lobby.
The Speed Trap
On paper, the Aswang seems like a standard hunter. Its baseline speed is 1.53 m/s, which is fairly typical for many ghosts. However, its acceleration is what makes it lethal. Most ghosts take about 26 seconds to reach their maximum speed once they have you in their sights. The Aswang is much more aggressive. It will hit its maximum velocity in just 17.44 seconds.
This makes it feel very similar to a Revenant, but there is a key difference you can listen for. A Revenant is painfully slow (1 m/s) until it sees you, at which point it becomes a heat-seeking missile. The Aswang starts at a respectable 1.53 m/s even when it does not see you. If the ghost is moving at a steady, standard pace but then accelerates like a professional sprinter the moment you round a corner, you are likely dealing with an Aswang.
The Hiding Spot Weakness
This is the "pro tip" you need if you are running no-evidence games or if you are just feeling particularly brave. The Aswang has a very unique psychological quirk: it cannot handle the idea of you successfully hiding.
If an Aswang is actively hunting you and it sees you enter an "official" hiding spot, the hunt will immediately end. I am talking about designed hiding spots like closets, lockers, or behind specifically placed crates and pallets. This does not work with "community" hiding spots, like standing behind an open door or crouching in a corner that just happens to be dark.
I found a neat trick to force this tell. Grab some Incense (Smudge Sticks) and get the ghost's attention. Lead it toward a nearby closet. The moment you step inside and close the door while the ghost is watching you, the hunt should stop. If the ghost just keeps scratching at the door or wanders away while the hunt continues, it is not an Aswang. It is a risky play, but it is the most definitive way to identify it without any gear.
Aswang Data Breakdown
I have compiled the hard stats for the Aswang so you can compare them to other ghosts in your journal. This is especially helpful if you are trying to distinguish it from the Revenant or other fast-moving entities during a high-stakes investigation.
Survival Tips for the Aswang
Before you waste three hours doing laps around the kitchen table in Tanglewood, keep these survival tips in mind. The Aswang is a predator, but it is a predictable one.
First, do not rely on your standard looping spots if the ghost has line of sight for too long. That 17.44-second acceleration window is much shorter than you think. If you are looping a car or a kitchen island, you need to break line of sight as often as possible to reset that acceleration timer. If you let it chase you in a straight hallway, it will catch you.
Second, use the hiding spot trick sparingly. It is a fantastic tool for identification, but if you misjudge the "official" status of a hiding spot, you are just cornering yourself for an easy kill. Stick to closets and lockers for the most reliable results.
Identifying the Aswang is all about confidence and understanding its need for speed. Once you recognize that standard 1.53 m/s footstep rhythm followed by a rapid-fire acceleration, you can mark your journal and get out of there with your sanity intact. Just try not to think too much about the part where it eats corpses.
