UFOPHILIA: A Terrifying, Janky Spin on the ‘Phasmophobia’ Formula

I Want to Believe

For the past few years, the cooperative horror genre has been entirely dominated by the paranormal. We have hunted demons, identified poltergeists, and hid in closets from revenants. But what if the thing bumping in the night isn’t a restless spirit, but an extraterrestrial visitor?

Enter UFOPHILIA, a first-person psychological horror game released in January 2026 by k148 Game Studio. It asks a simple question: what if Phasmophobia, but aliens?

You play as an investigator obsessed with UFO phenomena, traveling to remote locations to track, identify, and photograph extraterrestrials. When the game fires on all cylinders, it is a masterclass in tension. The audio design alone will have you sweating. But when the mechanics falter—and they do falter—you might find yourself more frustrated with the UI than terrified of the aliens.

The Four Phases of Fear

UFOPHILIA structures its hunts a bit differently than its ghost-hunting peers. The game is highly procedural, meaning the spawn zones, alien behaviors, and objectives shift every time you boot up a mission. You operate out of an RV—your mobile safe zone—and progress through four distinct phases:

Phase 1 & 2: The Setup and Identification

You arrive at a location with reports of close encounters. Your first job is to figure out what you are dealing with. The game features nine unique alien types, ranging from curious observers to aggressive abductors. You use specialized tools—EMF detectors, microwave meters, remote microphones, and heart rate sensors—to gather evidence.

Phase 3: Finding the Spawn Zone

Once you know the species, you have to locate the exact, localized area where the alien first touched down. This is where the tension ramps up. You are wandering through dark, atmospheric environments listening for audio cues that something is horribly wrong.

Phase 4: This Is Not a Game

Here is where UFOPHILIA diverges from the pack. The alien doesn’t just wander around the house from the start. You actually have to trigger its manifestation by sending a signal to your RV, essentially telling the alien, “The coast is clear.” Once it spawns, your goal is to meet specific, dangerous requirements (e.g., crouch-walking in pitch-blackness) to get close enough to snap a photo without getting abducted.

Genuine Scares and Atmosphere

When you are in the thick of a hunt, UFOPHILIA absolutely nails the eerie, X-Files vibe.

The audio design is the standout feature here. The subtle hums of radiation, the strange footsteps, and the otherworldly noises the aliens make will keep you entirely on edge. Even in a well-lit room in the middle of the day, the game manages to cultivate a profound sense of dread.

The aliens themselves are intimidating. Getting abducted isn’t just a generic “game over” screen; it is a terrifying, visceral event. The thrill of deducing the alien type and successfully pulling off a photograph right before a close encounter is incredibly satisfying.

Furthermore, the game is remarkably well-optimized. Whether you are pushing massive frame rates on an RTX 4090 desktop or hunting aliens from the couch, performance is rock solid. It recently earned its Steam Deck Verified badge, and running it on ultra settings on the handheld is a buttery-smooth experience that doesn’t compromise the dark, moody lighting.

Jank, Inventory Limits, and Language Barriers

Unfortunately, the game’s brilliant concept is currently buried under a pile of mechanical jank.

The Inventory System:

You can only carry one or two items at a time. Because the game is strictly single-player right now, this means you are forced to make endless, tedious trips back and forth to your RV to swap gear. The current limitations are practically begging for a quick C++ memory edit or an Unreal Engine SDK dump to unlock some extra inventory slots and save players from the grueling walking-simulator aspect of the setup phase.

The Journal:

The evidence journal is incredibly messy. Unlike other deduction games, where clicking on an evidence type eliminates impossible choices, UFOPHILIA’s journal just highlights every alien that shares that trait. You spend way too much time flipping through pages trying to cross-reference data in your head while an alien is potentially hunting you.

The Camera:

Taking photos is your primary objective, but the camera mechanics are actively working against you. The night vision is bizarrely weak, so you still need to use your flashlight (which often angers the alien). Furthermore, placing video cameras involves a weird timing minigame rather than allowing for simple, manual rotation. When photos fail to register properly, it kills the run’s momentum.

Where Are My Friends?

The most glaring omission in UFOPHILIA is the lack of multiplayer.

Games in this genre thrive on the chaotic energy of playing with friends—someone screaming in the distance, someone dropping the flashlight, the collective panic of an unexpected hunt. Playing solo is terrifying, yes, but it can also become overwhelming and lonely when you have to manage all the tools yourself. The developers have hinted at a multiplayer update, but until it arrives, the game feels like it is missing its most crucial component.

Additionally, despite boasting “nine unique alien types,” the character models leave a lot to be desired. Whether you are hunting a Mantis, a Reptilian, or the hilariously unexplained “Cajun Alien,” almost all of them just look like generic grey aliens. Some creative liberties with the models would go a long way in making the different species feel distinct.

Lastly, the English translations are rough. There are noticeable typos and grammatical errors that occasionally make reading the tooltips or alien descriptions confusing.

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The Good, The Bad, & The Extraterrestrial

The Good	The Bad	The Ugly
Atmosphere: Incredible audio design and tension. It truly feels like you are being watched.	Inventory: Carrying only 1-2 items makes solo play incredibly tedious with constant trips to the RV.	Missing Multiplayer: A game like this desperately needs co-op. Solo play feels like a chore.
Noticeable typos and poor English localization break immersion.	The Camera: Night vision is barely functional, and photo hit-registration is buggy.	Alien Models: Despite having 9 species, almost all of them just look like generic “Greys.”
The Concept: Swapping ghosts for aliens with specialized sci-fi tools is a breath of fresh air.	The Journal: Messy UI makes cross-referencing evidence harder than it needs to be.	Translations: Noticeable typos and bad English localization break the immersion.

Should You Buy It?

Yes, if: You are a huge fan of games like Phasmophobia and Demonologist, love UFO lore, and enjoy a slow-burn, solitary horror experience.

No, if: You get easily frustrated by clunky UI, inventory limitations, or you are exclusively looking for a co-op game to play with friends.

Recommended for fans of: Phasmophobia, Forewarned, Ghost Watchers, The X-Files.