What the Ghost? - A Cooperative, NFC-Powered, Ghost-Hunting Adventure
What the Ghost? is a 1-4 player cooperative game where you and your team of paranormal investigators (emphasis on the "investigators") explore a haunted house, gather three crucial pieces of evidence, identify the grumpy spirit causing all the ruckus, locate its precious possessed item, and perform a thrilling exorcism before you all lose your minds (and your sanity!).
- Unique Characters: Play as one of five hunters, each with a unique active and passive ability that might just save your skin (or at least make losing more entertaining).
- Interactive NFC Technology: This isn't your grandma's board game! Use the included EctoBoy device to scan NFC tags embedded in the game board, character cards, and items. Perform actions, trigger events, and interact with the haunted house like never before!
- Dynamic Gameplay: Experience random events, challenging choices, and escalating difficulty with each successful exorcism. No two games are ever the same!
- Perfect for: Anyone who enjoys cooperative games, a good dose of deduction, and laughing in the face of (mostly) harmless spectral entities.
A Board Game Like No Other
What the Ghost? takes board gaming to a whole new level with its innovative use of NFC technology.
Over 60 unique NFC tags are seamlessly integrated, not just within the stunning game board, but also across other crucial components like ID cards and the Ghost Evidence Board. This creates a dynamic and immersive experience unlike anything you've encountered before.
Each component is a masterpiece of spooky engineering, crafted with three distinct layers:
- Top Layer: Admire the detailed artwork on the top layer... while you still have your sanity!
- Middle Layer: The heart of the component - this layer houses the electronic NFC tags. They're strategically placed to create a seamless and interactive gameplay experience. Just tap your EctoBoy on designated areas to interact with the game world.
- Bottom Layer: Another stunning graphic layer, because even the bottom of the board deserves to look good.
NFC: It's Like Magic, But Real
Near Field Communication (NFC) technology is what makes What the Ghost? so unique. By simply tapping your EctoBoy on the board's NFC tags, you'll trigger actions, reveal hidden clues, and experience dynamic events. It's like having a digital ghost in the machine!
The EctoBoy - Your Paranormal Multi-Tool
Forget clunky equipment! In this game the EctoBoy is your all-in-one ghost hunting gadget.
Your EctoBoy is your:
- Character Sheet: Keep track of your character, their abilities, and your inventory, all in one convenient place.
- Equipment Arsenal: Access your EMF Reader, UV Light, Thermometer, Spirit Box, and Notebook with the tap of a button.
- NFC Scanner: This is where the magic happens. Scan tags on the board, objects, and cards to trigger actions and events.
- Game Tracker: Monitor your team's sanity, the current game phase, and other vital information that might just save your life.
- Dice Roller: No need for physical dice, your EctoBoy has a built-in digital one.
The EctoBoy is your essential tool for surviving a night in haunted house. Keep it charged, keep it close, and maybe don't drop it when a ghost jumps out at you.
How to Play – Step 1: Choose Your Character
Think you’ve got what it takes to outsmart the supernatural? Let’s see if you can handle the chills and thrills of ghost hunting. Here’s what you need to do:
First things first—assemble your team. Each player picks one of four paranormal experts, and trust us, you’ll need all the help you can get:
*Character portraits are temporary AI-generated images. Stay tuned for the final artwork reveal!
Ezekiel Blackwood – A seasoned exorcist with deep knowledge of the occult, hardened by years of battling the forces of darkness.
- Passive Skill: Has a 30% chance to halt a Hunt, but the next begins sooner.
- Active Skill: Once per game, can perform a powerful exorcism to remove a curse and restore some Sanity to the team.
Maya Brown – The psychic, gifted with a connection to the spirit world.
- Passive Skill: Has a chance to restore some Sanity at the start of her turn (3 uses per game),
- Active Skill: Increases the chance of positive outcomes when using the Ouija Board and Tarot Cards.
John Singer – A seasoned hunter, swift and silent as a shadow.
- Passive Skill: His unmatched speed allows him to cover 50% more ground, whether in light or darkness.
- Active Skill: John can sense the malevolent aura of the Cursed Item, revealing its exact location to the team.
Valerie Sedgewick – The gadget queen, a master of ghost-hunting technology.
- Passive Skill: Guarantees 100% success rate at identifying evidence if present on the analyzed item.
- Active Skill: Once per game, can deduce one missing piece of evidence through pure logic.
Tony Morningstar – A showman with a magical lineage, trained in the secret arts.
- Passive Skill: Creates an illusionary teammate, reducing the chance of attacks on real players. The illusion can take two hits before dissipating.
- Active Skill: Once per game, can instantly swap his inventory wherever he is, a trick learned on the Vegas stage.
How to Play – Step 2: Prepare Your Tools
Once you’ve picked your character, it’s time to gear up. Here’s the must-have equipment for any self-respecting ghost hunter:
- EMF Reader – Detect electromagnetic fields and track ghostly interactions with objects.
- Thermometer – Cold spots in a room signal the presence of a ghost, while freezing temperatures are solid proof of paranormal activity.
- UV Light – Ghosts leave more behind than just spooky vibes—use this to uncover hidden fingerprints.
- Mystical Notebook – A supernatural tool that allows spirits to leave written messages for the living.
- Spirit Box – Tune into ghostly voices and communicate with the other side.
Each player will activate the appropriate module in EctoBoy, the all-in-one ghost-hunting device. With your team and gear ready, it’s time to step into the unknown!
How to Play – Step 3: Investigate, Discover, Exorcise
Your mission? Simple. Discover the ghost, find its anchor to the real world, and banish it for good. But, as always, the supernatural has a way of complicating things:
1. Investigate Three Key Pieces of Evidence
Grab your gear and explore the haunted house to uncover three vital clues that’ll reveal which ghost you’re dealing with. Each ghost has three unique pieces of evidence tied to it, helping you distinguish between different spirits.
For example:
- Banshee: freezing temperatures, EMF level 5, UV fingerprints
- Twins: EMF level 5, ghost writing, Spirit Box response
- Hantu: UV fingerprints, fast movement, freezing temperatures
To identify the ghost, you’ll need to use the right equipment to examine both the rooms and the active objects. EMF can be detected on various objects in the house, such as a TV, microwave, or light switch. You’ll need the EMF Reader to track paranormal activity on these items. Additionally, the Thermometer can be used to detect freezing temperatures in rooms, while the UV Light will help you uncover hidden fingerprints on objects.
By scanning the environment and carefully analyzing the clues, you’ll gather the evidence that will lead you to the right ghost.
Every room and object holds secrets—so get scanning and use your tools wisely!
Taking Action
In each round, you’ll need to make key decisions to keep your investigation on track and your team safe:
- Move: Navigate through the house as your EctoBoy determines how far you can go. The number of spaces you can move is based on the character you’re controlling and whether the fuses are working. With the lights on, you’ll cover more ground quickly. In the dark, movement is limited—so keeping those fuses intact is key!
- Check: Get close to suspicious rooms, haunted objects, or hiding spots and use your EctoBoy to scan for clues. Every so often, the ghost will activate a random object in the room it’s haunting. You’ll only have a short time to reach that object and investigate before the supernatural traces fade away. Scan the object or room with your EctoBoy to uncover evidence. Found something? Great! Now onto the next piece of the puzzle—just be quick, or you might lose valuable evidence.
- Change Equipment: If necessary, return to the starting point at the entrance of the house to change your equipment. This allows you to switch tools and search for different types of evidence, helping you uncover new clues and strategies as the investigation evolves.
No Action? Not your turn to shine? Hit the button on your EctoBoy and pass the action to the next player.
Psychic Health – Keep Your Nerve or Lose Your Mind
Ghost hunting isn’t just about catching spirits—it’s a mental game. The longer you stay in the haunted house, the more your team’s Psychic Health will crumble:
- Every time the ghost moves, that creeping sense of dread sinks in.
- Haunted objects spring to life, gnawing away at your composure.
- Time isn’t on your side—every second in the dark turns up the tension.
The lower your team’s psychic health drops, the more vulnerable you become. Keep an eye on your team’s mental state and always have hiding spots ready when things take a turn for the worse.
The Ghost Strikes – Will You Survive?
When your team's psychic health hits zero, the ghost will no longer just haunt—it will attack. At this point, one player will be randomly chosen as the target of the ghost’s wrath. This player, if not hidden in a safe spot, will be directly targeted by the spirit.
Once chosen, the fate of the player is sealed with a 40% chance of survival. No choices can be made to alter the outcome—either they escape the ghost's grasp or become its latest victim.
Random Events – Expect the Unexpected
In this house, things don’t always go according to plan. Ouija Boards and Tarot Cards introduce unpredictable elements. Maybe you’ll gain some sanity… or maybe the lights will flicker out, the ghost will start hunting, or new clues will appear out of nowhere. Always be ready for a twist.
With your character, gear, and nerves of steel, it’s time to dive into the world of ghost hunting. Do you have what it takes to make it through the night? There’s only one way to find out!
2. Find the Cursed Object
Somewhere in the house, there’s a cursed object that binds the ghost to this world. It’s not hidden, but it won’t be easy to identify either. When you do find it, something strange will happen—something that’ll make it clear you’re dealing with the real deal.
3. Endgame – The Final Exorcism
Once you’ve gathered the evidence and discovered the cursed object, head to the Exorcism Circle and perform the ritual. Choose correctly, and you’ll free the house from the ghost’s clutches. Choose wrong… well, let’s just say the ghost won’t be too happy.
But remember—each house you clear only leads to greater challenges. With every successful exorcism, the spirits become more cunning, the houses more dangerous. Can you survive the escalating terror?
What The Ghost will test your bravery, your teamwork, and your ability to remain calm in the face of unimaginable horrors. How many haunted homes will you cleanse before the ghosts drag you down with them?
Step into the unknown, if you dare.
Endless Replayability – No Two Hunts Are the Same
One of the best things about this ghost-hunting adventure is its replayability. Each time you play, the setup changes, keeping every hunt fresh and unpredictable. At the start of every game, 1 out of 10 unique ghosts is randomly chosen, and 1 out of 40 cursed objects is selected, giving you a total of 400 possible combinations right off the bat. On top of that, the haunted rooms are randomized, and they can shift during the game, adding a dynamic layer of suspense. Additionally, at random moments, various objects are activated, and random events can also be triggered throughout the game, making each session unpredictable and truly one of a kind.
As you progress, each round becomes increasingly challenging. Here’s how:
- From Round 2, players only have access to 2 pieces of each piece of equipment, instead of 4. From this point on, you’ll need to think strategically about dividing the gear and assigning roles, as every decision becomes critical.
- From Round 3, the game starts with the power off—until you turn the lights back on, you’ll lose double the psychic health every 45 seconds, and your movement will be restricted.
- After each victory, new twists are added to the game mechanics, making each subsequent round more difficult and unpredictable.
With these increasing challenges, no two hunts will ever be the same, ensuring that every game is a fresh, exciting battle against the supernatural.
Small hint: With enough followers, even the game board itself might become more randomized and unpredictable. But shh... that’s a secret for later!
How many houses will you cleanse before the ghosts finally catch up with you? It’s time to find out!
Handcrafted Paranormal Tools – Straight From WTG Lab
At WTG, we’re not just about busting ghosts—we build the gear that makes it all possible!
Every crucial piece of equipment in the game is 3D-printed right in our European headquarters. Whether that's good or bad, nothing is outsourced to China - we make everything ourselves, right here in-house. Since everything’s 3D-printed, you might spot the occasional quirky edge or tiny imperfection. But hey, every piece has its own personality—just like the ghosts you’ll be chasing.
Here’s what you’ll be working with:
- The EctoBoy – This is your all-in-one ghost-busting gadget! Whether you’re switching it to EMF mode, Spirit Box, or something else, it adapts to your needs in the heat of the hunt. It’s also where you’ll see the game status and track your team’s progress. Think of it as the Swiss Army knife of the paranormal world—but way cooler.
- Player Pawns – These aren’t just your average game pieces. Each custom-designed pawn represents you, the investigator, as you navigate haunted locations. Simple? Sure. Essential? Absolutely!
- Evidence Tokens – As you gather clues and track the ghost, you’ll mark your progress with these handy tokens. They’re your way of saying, “Yep, we’ve got this!”
- Haunted House Board – Your map to navigate the spooky rooms and creepy hallways. Trust us, you’ll want to keep track of where you’ve been... and where the ghost might be lurking!
- Character ID Cards – Each ghost hunter gets their own ID card, like a paranormal passport. It's got your character's portrait, name, and a rundown of their unique abilities. Keep it handy, you'll need it to show off your skills!
- Equipment Board – A handy spot to keep your gear organized. Because nobody wants to be the person who lost the Spirit Box when it’s most needed.
- Ghost & Evidence Board: This is your one-stop shop for tracking down the truth! Here you mark evidence, narrow down the suspects, and finally unmask the culprit during the exorcism. No pressure, just the fate of your team (and maybe your soul) at stake!
With all these elements, you’ll have everything you need to dive deep into the paranormal and face whatever challenges await you.
Videos & Gameplay Previews
Stay tuned! Soon, I’ll be adding videos showcasing the game equipment in action and giving you a closer look at the gameplay experience. Follow to stay updated and be the first to see what What The Ghost?! has in store!
Testing the EMF Reader
See the EMF reader in action! Watch as we test different objects to detect supernatural activity levels.
EMF Levels Explained:
- Level 1-2: No paranormal activity detected.
- Level 3-4: Object is active, but no confirmed ghost evidence.
- Level 5: Solid proof of a ghost’s presence.
Testing the Spirit Box
Tune in as we test the spirit box! Players call out to the ghost, while the device picks up any potential responses. Here’s how it works:
- Player calls the ghost, with questions confirmed by LEDs flashing on the radio 🎙️🔊
- If the ghost responds, the spirit box reveals solid evidence 👻💡
The spirit box is a must-have for any paranormal investigator in What The Ghost?!, helping players communicate with spirits and gather crucial clues.
About the Creator, AI & the Development Process
Hi, I'm Michael, and I'm the solo developer behind What the Ghost? Like many of you, I'm a huge fan of PC games like Phasmophobia and Demonologist. I love the thrill, the teamwork, and the jump scares, but I always wished I could have that same experience gathered around a table with friends, not just online. I especially wanted to capture that feeling of never quite knowing what's going to happen next, that constant tension and surprise. So, I decided to create it myself! What the Ghost? is a true labor of love, which combines the best of both worlds: the immersion of digital ghost hunting and the social fun of tabletop gaming.
As a solo developer, I'm handling every aspect of this project, from design and programming (over 4600 lines of code!) to building the EctoBoy device from scratch. Naturally, this means development is an iterative process. While a significant portion of the game's visual elements have been meticulously crafted by hand (more on that below!), you might spot some AI-generated art sprinkled throughout this campaign. Consider them spooky placeholders for now. My current budget for external artists is limited, but I'm actively working to finalize every detail and bring this vision to life.
Here's what's been brought to life with good old-fashioned human effort:
- The EctoBoy: The design and 3D model of your essential ghost-hunting device are complete and ready for action.
- Player Pawns, representing your chosen ghost hunter, has been lovingly designed and modeled in 3D.
- Tokens: I've created custom 3D models for all in-game markers.
- Insert Design: Even the box insert is getting the special treatment, with a custom-designed 3D model to keep everything organized.
- Haunted House Board: The game board itself is a carefully crafted collage, assembled using a curated collection of assets from talented artists.
- Character ID Cards (Minus the Portraits): The layout, text, and overall design of the character ID cards are finalized.
- More Boards in the Works: Most of the other game boards are about 80% complete, with hand-crafted graphics replacing the initial AI-generated ones. We're making good progress on banishing those AI placeholders!
Currently, the remaining AI-generated elements are primarily the hunter portraits and a few minor details on some of the boards. Think of them as digital sketches, providing a starting point. These are being progressively replaced with original artwork, and everything will be finalized and polished before the game's release. I'm committed to making sure every visual element of What the Ghost? is top-notch.
Please note that all visible elements are currently in alpha. Their quantity, appearance, or even their inclusion in the final game may change as development progresses.
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this glimpse into what's been brought to life through a combination of human creativity, a sprinkle of AI assistance, and a whole lot of time (and coffee)! I truly believe that by blending technology with the classic elements of board gaming, we can create something special. I hope you'll join me on this adventure and help bring What the Ghost? to life!
Bringing What The Ghost?! to Global Players with Multi-Language Support
To make What The Ghost?! accessible to players worldwide, here are the plans regarding translation:
- Universal Printed Cards: Most printed cards will likely be text-free, making them accessible and easy to use for all players, regardless of language.
- Ghost Cards: Ghost cards now feature universal icons to indicate their assigned evidence, ensuring they are intuitive and easy to understand for everyone.
- EctoBoy Screen Text: The EctoBoy device serves as the main controller for the game, displaying all prompts and instructions as players progress. On-screen text has been successfully translated to multiple languages including English, Polish, German, Spanish, and French. Players can select their preferred language at the start of the game, making the experience more accessible worldwide.
- Recorded Phrases: The EctoBoy includes three recorded phrases in English—a welcome, a victory message, and a defeat message. These atmospheric touches aren’t essential to gameplay, so they will remain in English.
- Game Manual: Options for the game manual are still under consideration, with the goal of providing clear guidance for as many players as possible. Updates will be shared as decisions are made.
The aim is to create an immersive experience that’s easy to enjoy in any language. Feedback and support are appreciated!
🎉 200 Followers! - Meet Tony, the Newest Member of the Team!🎉
Tony hails from a family with a long magical tradition, passed down through generations tied to a secret brotherhood that trained chosen individuals to fight against evil. As one of the few, he had access to forbidden knowledge and magical secrets to continue his family’s mission. But after mastering a few tricks, he left to find fame and fortune in the neon lights of Las Vegas! His illusions made him famous on stage, but over time, the glamour of Vegas lost its charm. Tony decided to return to his roots and join the real battle against the supernatural.
In the team, his relationship with Ezekiel has become legendary. Ezekiel, the serious exorcist and guardian of tradition, disapproves of Tony’s "flashy tricks," while Tony thinks Ezekiel is too caught up in the past and overdramatizes things. This comic rivalry has earned internet fame—just Google “Ezekiel & Tony” and you’ll find plenty of funny references! 😄
In the game, Tony has a unique ability—he can create the illusion of an additional ghost hunter, which confuses the ghost and reduces the chance of an attack on the real player. However, if the ghost attacks the illusion, it can’t be fooled again. This trick works only once per game, but in a critical moment, it could save the whole team.
Stay tuned, as we expect even more fascinating talents to join the team soon!
👻 Meet (or Better Not!) Trickster – A New Ghost at 500 Followers! 👻
Thanks to your support, Trickster has been unleashed into the game! This cunning and unpredictable ghost adds a thrilling layer of uncertainty to your investigations. Just when you think you’ve nailed down the evidence, Trickster can mimic clues from other ghosts, completely turning your conclusions upside down. Encounters with Trickster will challenge even the most confident investigators—are you ready to face the chaos?
🎲 666 Followers Reveal – The Game Board Transformed! 🎲
At 666 followers, the game board will undergo a thrilling transformation! Once revealed, it will become as random and surprising as the rest of the gameplay, keeping you on your toes with every session. This change promises not only to elevate the fun factor but also to significantly enhance replayability.
This is one of the final major pieces that needs to be perfected before the campaign launch. Help us reach 666 followers to unlock this exciting new feature and take the game to the next level!
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