The flashlight flickers twice and dies just as the EMF spikes. You freeze: this is 13 Willow Street, the reworked map everyone in the Discord is testing. The Artist’s Retreat challenge is like a slow-burning heist—small gains, constant risk.
Phasmophobia Artist’s Retreat challenge
On night one the queue was full of players trading tips and curse stories.
I’ll be blunt: this trial asks you to finish 50 clean investigations on the revamped 13 Willow Street. Each successful run must meet four simple rules you can repeat until the job is done:
- Pick 13 Willow Street as your contract location.
- Correctly identify the ghost.
- Survive until the contract ends.
- Repeat until you hit 50 successful contracts.
Phasmophobia Artist’s Retreat challenge tips
The first week I played this map, I misread every hallway and paid for it.
You don’t need flair—just a method that returns wins. Below I break the fastest, most repeatable tactics I use when I run the map solo and with friends on Steam sessions or in a clan lobby.
How do you complete the Artist’s Retreat challenge?
Start each contract with a plan: confirm fuse box spawns, sweep rooms with an EMF and thermometer, and mark likely hiding spots on your mental map. Identify evidence quickly by relying on the official evidence set (the table below is your Bible). End every job by surviving the timer and reporting the correct ghost.
Should I learn the map before trying for the challenge?
Yes. Explore the reworked layout in custom matches with a friendly ghost enabled so you can open doors, test loops, and find the fuse box without pressure. Memorize spawn points, hiding spaces, and escape loops—later the house’s corridors might feel like a compass made of broken glass.
Pro tip: if you want predictable runs, queue Amateur contracts only—difficulty doesn’t matter for the trial, and easier rounds massively boost your survival rate.
What evidence should I focus on?
I treat unofficial behaviors—doors slamming, distant footsteps—as helpful noise. When you need a guaranteed answer, bank on the three pieces of official evidence every ghost carries. Use EMF readers, Spirit Boxes, thermometers, UV lights, DOTS projectors, and ghostwriting books in logical combinations and don’t guess when you can confirm.
| Ghost | Evidence #1 | Evidence #2 | Evidence #3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spirit | EMF Level Five | Spirit Box | Ghost Writing |
| Aswang | DOTS Projector | Freezing Temperatures | Ghost Writing |
| Wraith | EMF Level Five | Spirit Box | DOTS Projector |
| Phantom | Spirit Box | Ultraviolet | DOTS Projector |
| Poltergeist | Spirit Box | Ultraviolet | Ghost Writing |
| Banshee | Ultraviolet | Ghost Orbs | DOTS Projector |
| Jinn | EMF Level Five | Ultraviolet | Freezing Temperatures |
| Kormos | Ghost Orbs | Ultraviolet | Spirit Box |
| Mare | Spirit Box | Ghost Orbs | Ghost Writing |
| Revenant | Ghost Orbs | Ghost Writing | Freezing Temperatures |
| Shade | EMF Level Five | Ghost Writing | Freezing Temperatures |
| Demon | Ultraviolet | Ghost Writing | Freezing Temperatures |
| Yurei | Ghost Orbs | Freezing Temperatures | DOTS Projector |
| Obambo | Ultraviolet | Ghost Writing | DOTS Projector |
| Oni | EMF Level Five | Freezing Temperatures | DOTS Projector |
| Yokai | Spirit Box | Ghost Orbs | DOTS Projector |
| Hantu | Ultraviolet | Ghost Orbs | Freezing Temperatures |
| Goryo | EMF Level Five | Ultraviolet | DOTS Projector |
| Myling | EMF Level Five | Ultraviolet | Ghost Writing |
| Onryo | Spirit Box | Ghost Orbs | Freezing Temperatures |
| Gallu | EMF Level Five | Ultraviolet | Spirit Box |
| The Twins | EMF Level Five | Spirit Box | Freezing Temperatures |
| Raiju | EMF Level Five | Ghost Orbs | DOTS Projector |
| Obake | EMF Level Five | Ultraviolet | Ghost Orbs |
| The Mimic | Spirit Box | Ultraviolet | Freezing Temperatures |
| Dayan | EMF Level Five | Spirit Box | Ghost Orbs |
| Moroi | Spirit Box | Ghost Writing | Freezing Temperatures |
| Deogen | Spirit Box | Ghost Writing | DOTS Projector |
| Thaye | Ghost Orbs | Ghost Writing | DOTS Projector |
| Deildegast | Ghost Writing | EMF Level Five | DOTS Projector |
Should I bring friends or run solo?
Bring company when you can. I run this with trusted teammates on voice or in an OBS stream—two people covering rooms with tools is faster and safer than one. If you’re chasing speed, split tasks: one player sweeps for EMF and temperature, another handles Spirit Box and evidence capture.
Are Cursed Possessions worth the risk?
Cursed Objects are tempting but dangerous. I check the 13 Willow Street Cursed Possession spawn points each contract so I can use a safe one when available—and bail if the object raises hunt risk. If you insist on using cursed items, have a clear escape plan and expect a hunt sooner rather than later.
How should I pace the 50 runs?
Don’t grind until you’re tired. I treat this as a weekly goal: a handful of clean Amateur runs per session, reviewing clips in OBS or sharing notes in Discord between attempts. Small, steady progress beats frantic marathons that end in sloppy losses.
Artist’s Retreat challenge reward in Phasmophobia
The first streamers who finished it posted screenshots within hours.
Complete all 50 successful investigations and you receive the Sun Seeker ID Card and Badge. This cosmetic set is exclusive to the trial—no other in-game task grants it—so if you want to wear the badge in public lobbies, you must finish the job.
Artist’s Retreat ID Card and Badge appearance in Phasmophobia
I saw the badge by a pool in a midnight lobby and thought it was one of those small, earned flexes.
The ID shows the backyard view visible through several 13 Willow Street windows; the Badge is a flamingo floatie left by the empty pool. It’s subtle, but players who recognize it know you finished the long grind.
You can speed the process with friends, Steam group coordination, and simple repetition—will you make the Sun Seeker badge a part of your collection, or let it remain a rumor in the Discord?