Cursed Hunts in Phasmophobia: 1-Second Grace, Tier III

If you have ever died the instant a Music Box shattered or an Ouija Board cracked, you met a cursed hunt. It is the one hunt type in Phasmophobia that bypasses almost every normal safety rule, and understanding it is the difference between a calculated risk and a free death. This page explains exactly how a cursed hunt works.

What makes it different

A normal hunt can only start when the ghost’s sanity threshold is met, after the setup phase, and can often be delayed by incense. A cursed hunt ignores all of that:

• It can happen at any sanity level, even during setup or while incense is burning.
• It gives only 1 second of grace before the ghost can kill you (triggered by a broken Voodoo Doll, a breaking Music Box, or a breaking Ouija Board).
• An Onryo’s flame mechanics do not stop it.

The one thing that can stop it

Per the official-style item descriptions, only a Tier III Crucifix that is completely unused (both charges remaining) can prevent a cursed hunt. Tier I and Tier II crucifixes do nothing against it, and incense does nothing against it. If you plan to use cursed possessions, carrying a fresh Tier III crucifix is the only insurance.

The escalation rule

The first cursed hunt (from the Voodoo Doll, a Music Box break, Tarot Cards, or the Haunted Mirror) adds 20 seconds to that hunt and to every later hunt in the contract — once per contract, however many possessions you use. So the second cursed hunt is longer than the first, and normal hunts after it are also extended.

How to use this knowledge

The cursed possessions thresholds page lists the exact costs that lead to these breaks. The practical rule: know your sanity before a 50% Ouija question, keep your distance from an active Music Box, and never treat a possession as free information. The crucifix and incense page covers the protective items in detail, including why a Tier III crucifix is the only real defense here.