- We Are So Dead how to play starts with one player becoming a ghost while others remain alive.
- Ghosts see the demon, hazards, relics, and exits, but living players cannot hear them normally.
- Living players gather relics and return them to the seance board under ghost guidance.
- Use the Ouija board to spell the demon’s true name and complete each floor’s banishment.
- Reach floor nine by surviving increasingly dangerous procedural haunted-house layouts.
We Are So Dead how to play: Understand the Core Loop
We Are So Dead is a 2–6 player online co-op seance horror game built around asymmetric communication. One player starts dead, while the remaining players explore the haunted house as living survivors. The ghost has the information the living team needs, but normal voice communication between the two sides is restricted.
The objective is not simply to run toward an exit. The living team must locate ritual relics, transport them to the seance board, learn the demon’s true name through ghost-only information, and spell that name correctly before sunrise. Every floor adds pressure because the demon’s behavior and the procedural layout can change between sessions.
The current Early Access version includes one world, nine floors, and nine unique demons. A typical run is estimated at roughly 4–10 hours, although procedural layouts and different friend groups create significant replayability.
| Core Element | What It Means | Player Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Player count | 2–6 players online | Assign clear roles before moving |
| Ghost role | Sees dangers, relics, routes, and the demon | Communicate warnings consistently |
| Living role | Carries relics and performs the ritual | Stay near safe routes and teammates |
| Floor objective | Gather relics and banish the demon | Complete the ritual before sunrise |
| Progression | Nine floors in the current world | Treat every deeper floor as a new puzzle |
The Ghost
- Sees the demon and hidden dangers
- Locates relics and safer routes
- Communicates through lights, doors, touch effects, screams, and the seance board
The Living
- Explore the haunted house
- Carry ritual relics
- Read the ghost’s messages and spell the demon’s name
The Demon
- Uses hidden rules that change between sessions
- Controls the danger on each floor
- Must be identified and banished before sunrise
Choose one living player to operate the seance board and one player to repeat messages aloud. This reduces misread letters when the team is under pressure.
The ghost can hear living players and other ghosts, but living players cannot hear the ghost’s normal voice. This makes information management the central skill. Keep spoken callouts short, repeat important directions, and avoid sending several players toward different objectives without confirming the route.
For the official store listing and current Early Access details, see the WE ARE SO DEAD Steam page.
Choose Roles and Set Up Your Team
A successful session begins before anyone enters the haunted house. The team should agree on communication rules, board responsibilities, and who will carry relics. Since the ghost can see information that the living cannot, the group should treat the ghost as a navigator rather than a conventional combat character.
The living team should avoid scattering. A tight group is easier to direct, easier to warn, and less likely to misinterpret a door or light signal. If one player is taken by the demon, that player joins the dead and can contribute additional information, so death is a setback rather than the end of that player’s usefulness.
| Role | Main Responsibility | Recommended Habit |
|---|---|---|
| Primary ghost | Track the demon and route | Give one instruction at a time |
| Board operator | Enter messages and names | Repeat each letter before confirming |
| Relic carrier | Move ritual items safely | Do not rush ahead of the group |
| Route leader | Organize movement | Mark decisions verbally and clearly |
| Support player | Watch teammates and relay messages | Confirm warnings before acting |
The ghost may know where every relic is, but the living players still need safe movement and accurate interpretation. Splitting the group can turn one warning into several simultaneous mistakes.
Ghost communication signals
The seance board is the only stable method for sending full words to living players. Other ghost actions are useful for urgency and direction:
- Flickering lights can draw attention to a nearby route, room, or danger.
- Opening and closing doors can indicate movement or a blocked path.
- Passing through a living player creates a noticeable physical sensation.
- A loud scream can signal immediate danger when the team is too distracted to read the board.
- The Ouija board should be used for names, relic descriptions, and precise route instructions.
Establish a simple signal language at the start. For example, one light flicker can mean “look here,” while repeated flickers can mean “danger.” The exact convention is less important than using it consistently.
What happens when someone dies?
Players taken by the demon join the dead. They can then help search for relics, see threats, and warn the remaining living players. This creates a changing information network as the session develops. However, extra ghosts do not remove the need for careful board operation; too many simultaneous instructions can still confuse the living team.
Before the first floor begins, assign a board operator, agree on emergency signals, and decide who will lead the living group through unfamiliar rooms.
Step-by-Step Relic and Ritual Walkthrough
The main objective on each floor is to gather the required relics, return them to the seance board, and identify the demon’s true name. Follow this sequence to keep the run organized.
Let the Ghost Scout First
Give the ghost a moment to identify the demon’s position, visible hazards, relic locations, and the safest route. The living team should avoid wandering while the initial information is being organized.
Move as One Group
Follow the ghost’s route in a compact formation. Keep the board operator close to the team so messages can be checked without sending a player alone into an unknown room.
Collect One Relic at a Time
Pick up a relic only after confirming the return path. The safest route to an item may not be the shortest route, especially when the ghost can see a danger the living cannot.
Return to the Seance Board
Bring each relic back and place the team in a stable position before beginning the next communication exchange. Use the board for precise instructions rather than relying only on lights or doors.
Spell the Demon’s True Name
Once the relics are collected, the dead can read the demon’s true name. The living must reproduce it on the board accurately to banish the demon and unlock the next floor.
| Phase | Ghost Focus | Living Focus | Common Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scout | Locate threats, relics, and exit | Wait for a route | Moving before the route is clear |
| Collection | Guide the carrier around danger | Carry the correct item | Taking a shortcut into a hidden hazard |
| Return | Confirm the safe path | Stay together | Losing the board operator |
| Naming | Read and relay the true name | Enter letters carefully | Misreading or skipping letters |
| Banishment | Confirm completion | Finish the ritual | Rushing before the name is verified |
How to avoid Ouija board mistakes
The demon’s name is a victory condition, so treat spelling like a coordinated task rather than a frantic reaction. The board operator should enter one letter at a time while another player repeats the sequence. If the message appears unclear, pause and ask the ghost to resend it using the board.
A useful callout format is:
- “Name starts now.”
- “Letter one confirmed.”
- “Pause after three letters.”
- “Repeat the full sequence.”
- “Submit only after confirmation.”
The living team also needs to distinguish between a message about a relic and a message about a threat. Use phrases such as “item,” “route,” and “danger” before spelling the detailed instruction.
Do not treat relic collection and demon identification as separate objectives. The safest run connects both: collect items through a controlled route, then verify the name before attempting the banishment.
Survival Tips for Every Haunted-House Floor
Each floor uses procedural elements, and the demon’s rules can change from one session to another. That means memorizing a single route is less reliable than learning a repeatable decision process. The ghost should continuously observe the environment, while the living team should respond to confirmed information instead of guessing.
Read danger before movement
The living team cannot see every threat, so avoid interpreting silence as safety. Wait for the ghost to confirm a doorway, hallway, or room before committing the entire group. If the ghost signals danger, stop first and ask for a new route rather than trying to outrun an unseen threat.
Protect the information chain
The team’s most important resource is accurate information. Keep voice chat clear during scouting and naming phases. One player should relay ghost instructions while others focus on movement and carrying.
| Situation | Best Response | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Ghost signals danger | Stop and request a safer route | Continuing because the hallway looks empty |
| A relic is found | Confirm item and return direction | Carrying it away without a route |
| Board message is unclear | Pause and request a repeat | Guessing the missing word |
| A player dies | Add the new ghost to the information chain | Treating the player as inactive |
| Team becomes separated | Regroup at a known position | Sending more players into unknown rooms |
Use deaths as information
When a player becomes a ghost, ask what they can see and add their observations to the team’s plan. Multiple ghosts can help locate relics and track dangers, but their messages should be prioritized. Decide which ghost has the clearest view of the current objective and let that player give the main route call.
Manage the sunrise pressure
The house must be cleared before sunrise, so time matters. However, rushing blindly creates more mistakes than it prevents. The best balance is deliberate movement during scouting and faster execution after the route, relic, and name have been confirmed.
Safe Movement
Stay together, confirm doors, and follow the route that the ghosts identify rather than the route that looks shortest.
Clear Messages
Use short phrases, repeat letters, and separate danger warnings from relic instructions.
Flexible Planning
Expect procedural changes and different demon rules. Adapt the plan on every floor instead of forcing an old route.
A demon’s behavior is not guaranteed to match the previous session. Re-scout each floor and treat earlier discoveries as useful context, not a permanent rulebook.
Progression Checklist and Floor Planning
The current structure takes the team through nine floors beneath a haunted house. Each successful banishment unlocks the next floor, and deeper areas introduce new layouts and unique threats. Use the following checklist to keep long sessions manageable.
Essential Session Goals:
- Assign the ghost, board operator, route leader, and relic carrier
- Scout the current floor before moving the living team
- Collect every required relic and return each item safely
- Verify the demon's true name before spelling it on the board
- Reach and clear floor nine in the current world
| Progress Point | What to Confirm | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Before entering | Roles and signal language | Prevents communication delays |
| First room | Demon clues and safe route | Establishes the floor plan |
| First relic | Item identity and return path | Reduces unnecessary travel |
| Ritual stage | All relics accounted for | Prevents premature naming |
| Final board input | Name repeated and verified | Avoids a costly spelling error |
Recommended learning order
New players should first learn the communication loop rather than trying to optimize every movement. Practice identifying who can see what, how the ghost sends information, and how the living team confirms it. Once that process is comfortable, focus on faster relic routes and better emergency responses.
For experienced groups, the next improvement is role specialization. Let one player focus on board accuracy, another on movement, and the ghosts on threat mapping. This prevents every player from trying to solve the same problem at once.
The store listing describes the game as Early Access as of August 17, 2026. Because the developer plans to expand the game with additional worlds and floors during development, mechanics and progression details may change in future updates. Check the official Steam listing for the latest version information.
Treat each cleared floor as a lesson in communication. After a failed run, review which message, route decision, or board entry caused the collapse before changing your entire strategy.
We Are So Dead how to play FAQ
Q: How many players can play We Are So Dead?
The game supports 2–6 players in online co-op. One player begins as a ghost, while the remaining players explore as the living team.
Q: What does the ghost do in We Are So Dead?
The ghost can see the demon, dangers, relics, and routes that the living players cannot see. The ghost guides the team through signals and the seance board but cannot normally be heard by the living.
Q: How do you banish the demon?
The team gathers the required relics, returns them to the seance board, learns the demon’s true name through the dead, and spells that name correctly for the living players to complete the banishment.
Q: What happens when a living player dies?
The player joins the dead and can continue helping by locating relics, observing hazards, and warning the remaining living players.
The strongest strategy is simple to repeat: let the ghosts scout, keep the living team together, carry relics safely, and verify every letter before the final banishment.