How to complete the Deja Vu challenge in Phasmophobia

Since the ghost-hunting game Phasmophobia first launched in early access in 2020, it’s continuously undergone many improvements and additions to improve its appeal. The Deja Vu challenge is a fun yet challenging return to how the game used to function.

The Deja Vu weekly challenge is all about cranking up nostalgia, which makes it an easier task for seasoned players and a rather tough one for newer ghost hunters. Regardless of what kind of player you are, this is still a decently difficult trial to get done, so here’s what you need to know to successfully complete the Deja Vu weekly challenge in Phasmophobia.

What is the Deja Vu challenge in Phasmophobia?

The Deja Vu challenge is a special weekly feat you can tackle to earn a massive cash bonus of $5,000, plus a ton of extra cash and experience. It’s based on nostalgia and essentially reverts most functions back to how Phasmophobia used to work.

Deja Vu Phasmophobia challenge rules

Before you set off to tackle this challenge, you’ll want to learn what rules and modifiers Deja Vu implements since these affect how the contract plays out.

• This challenge must be completed on 6 Tanglewood Drive.
• You cannot sprint.
• The ghost speed is reduced by 25 percent.
• The Ouija Board Cursed Object is always available to use.
• The fuse box is accessible but always starts turned off.
• The fuse box is not marked on the map which means you have to search the house to find and use it.
• You do not have a setup grace period.
• The weather is always light rain.
• You have access to all equipment except for a DOTS Projector, which is missing. You’re also missing one Salt and two Igniters, but you do still have access to two Salt and two Igniters.
• You have one Tier I UV Light and one Tier II UV Light. Challenge modes usually give you all the same Tier for each specific equipment type, so this is a special modification.
• You have a mix of Tier I and Tier II equipment to work with.
  • Tier I: Flashlight, Tripod, Video Camera, Thermometer, Sound Sensor, Parabolic Microphone, Motion Sensor, Head Gear, UV Light, and Salt.
  • Tier II: Ghost Writing Book, Spirit Box, EMF Reader, UV Light, Photo Camera, Crucifix, Igniter, Sanity Medication, and Incense.

How to complete the Deja Vu Phasmophobia weekly challenge

To finish the Deja Vu weekly challenge in Phasmophobia, you must correctly identify the ghost type on 6 Tanglewood Drive three times. This feat is part of the weekly challenge pool, and will rotate in occasionally as the one available to complete for a massive bonus during the week.

Phasmophobia Deja Vu challenge tips

The Deja Vu challenge mostly adheres to a fairly normal structure in Phasmophobia, which makes it decently easy to tackle, but if you’re struggling, here are some tips.

Turn on the fuse box right away

Before you do anything else, find and turn on the fuse box. As part of the challenge rules, the location of the fuse box isn’t marked on the map, but it only has two possible spawn locations which makes it fairly easy to track down.

The fuse box can either spawn in the garage or the basement at 6 Tanglewood Drive. If it’s in the garage, it’ll be on your left side as soon as you enter the room. When it’s in the basement, it’s straight ahead in the middle of the wall right in front of you when you enter.

Locate the ghost room as quickly as possible

Since you have no setup time or grace period before the ghost can hunt, it’s critical to track down the ghost room as quickly as you can. I usually find using the Thermometer to be the most reliable way to do this, but you’ll need to turn on the fuse box first since it will be fairly cold everywhere until you do.

Once it’s on, look for freezing temps or a lower-than-average temperature to find the ghost room. Sound Sensors and Motion Sensors are another good way to pinpoint the ghost’s location, but since you can’t sprint and move slowly, it’s quicker just to make your way around the map with the Thermometer to find where the temperature drops.

Place Crucifixes

The reason you want to find the ghost room as soon as possible is so you can place Crucifixes down for protection. In some challenges, like No Evidence or The Apocalypse Draws Near, you want the ghost to hunt you since you can’t rely on evidence to figure out what you are working with, but for this challenge, you can definitively figure out what kind of ghost it is based solely on evidence.

This means you want to avoid hunts at all costs, especially early hunters. You can use a Crucifix in a couple of different ways, but the most reliable method is to place it in the ghost room as early on as you can in case you end up having a Demon as the ghost type.

Use Sanity Medication

Since you want to avoid hunts, I recommend taking Sanity Medication anytime your sanity dips below 80 percent. You have four bottles which will last a long time if you’re playing alone but it will be a bit tougher if you are tackling this challenge with friends.

Do your best to keep your sanity high so you don’t end up having to try to escape a ghost. You can also use Incense to temporarily deter the ghost and ensure your safety for longer.

Play it safe

With the previously mentioned tips and your overall gameplay, the best way to successfully complete Deja Vu is generally to play it safe and take your time. If you’re a seasoned pro who is great at identifying the ghost based on its hunting patterns, then trying to get hunted might be faster for you, but for the average player, it’s just better to take your time and test all of the equipment to figure out what kind of ghost it is.

Tackle this challenge with others

One of the best Phasmophobia tips and tricks is to always work on challenge modes with other players and this is especially important for this trial since Deja Vu returns you to old game mechanics. Ghost hunting is old school in this one, so you need all the help you can get.

Having other players helping you out means you can place down all your equipment more quickly, investigate the map more easily, and have some buffers to ensure the contract doesn’t end right away when someone is killed during a ghost hunt.

Be careful with the Ouija Board

For the highest odds of success, it’s best to avoid using the Ouija Board or playing it very safe when you do. This Cursed Possession is super dangerous and deadly which means it can easily get you killed if you’re not careful.

I think it’s best to avoid using the Ouija Board altogether, especially if you’re playing alone. If you’re determined to use it, only ask one or two questions and be sure you know what outcome the questions you’re asking result in. Location questions for the Ouija Board are the overall most useful ones.

When in doubt, guess and try again

If all else fails, you can always make your best guess and try your luck at a new contract if you are struggling. Every contract is randomly generated, meaning some will be easier than others since each ghost has its own unique behaviors, some goals are easier to tackle than others, and different ghost events can lead to sanity drains faster than others.