Religious horror. Possession. Helpless dread.

If Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi left you shaken, haunted, and staring at shadows a little too long — Phasmophobia will let you live in that atmosphere. And die in it. Repeatedly.

Book: Boys in the Valley by Philip Fracassi

Set in a remote Catholic orphanage in 1905, this book is a masterclass in quiet horror that rots from the inside out. When a wounded man arrives with disturbing carvings and a demonic presence in tow, the orphanage becomes a crucible of possession, faith, and violence. You watch innocence unravel — not with melodrama, but with an eerie inevitability. The real horror isn’t just demonic—it’s how easily good boys turn bad.

“We are the valley,” the voice said. “The blood of the serpent runs through this land. The boy is ours. And the others will follow.”

This is slow-burn dread with no escape hatch. It’s cold. It’s brutal. And it leaves you just as corrupted as the characters.

Game: Phasmophobia

Phasmophobia drops you and up to three friends into haunted locations—farmhouses, schools, campsites, and yes, churches—armed with only EMF readers, crucifixes, and your voice. Your job? Identify the ghost. Your tools? Half-busted equipment, cursed objects, and your own shaky nerves.

You can play solo (for the Boys in the Valley loner horror vibes), or cooperatively with up to four players. But here’s the twist: when you die, you can still hear your friends—but they can’t hear you. Just like the boys who fell too far in the novel, you become a silent witness to what’s coming next.

What They Share

→ Religious horror with a rot-from-within core
The ghost types in Phasmophobia often echo the demonic and spiritual energy of Boys in the Valley — not just malevolent, but purposeful. It’s not just a ghost. It wants something. It knows you. Some ghosts whisper biblical phrases. Others mimic voices. You’ll hear prayers when there shouldn’t be any.

→ Isolation + helplessness
In the book, the boys are isolated in a remote valley, abandoned by the world. In Phasmo, you’re in a dark, creaking house with no backup. You can run, but there’s nowhere to go. Only deeper into the dark.

→ The silence of the dead
That mechanic where dead players can still hear the living but can’t speak? It hits hard. It echoes the book’s theme of watching evil unfold with no power to stop it — being present, aware, and completely cut off.

→ Cursed objects, symbols, and forbidden knowledge
Like the carved symbols on the stranger’s body in the book, Phasmo has cursed items scattered throughout the map—haunted dolls, tarot cards, summoning circles. Use them if you dare. Just like in Boys in the Valley, once you open the door, there’s no closing it.

TL;DR Gameplay

• First-person co-op ghost-hunting sim
• Solo or up to 4 players
• 24+ ghost types, each with unique behavior
• Death = no comms, just quiet horror
• Uses real microphone input to trigger ghost responses
• Cursed objects (tarot cards, ouija boards, summoning circles) change every run
• Level up, unlock new gear, and earn money—if you survive

Final Crossover Thoughts

Boys in the Valley leaves you hollow. Phasmophobia lets you live that hollow — flashlight in hand, crucifix in pocket, praying the demon doesn’t pick you next. Both are about faith, fear, and the horrifying moment when help stops coming. If you like your horror intelligent, atmospheric, and soaked in dread, this is the perfect game to keep the nightmare going.

🔗 Play Phasmophobia on Steam
🔗 Read the full Boys in the Valley review on Roses & Respawns
🔗 Get Boys in the Valley here on Amazon or read for free with Kindle Unlimited here.