Phasmophobia Artist's Retreat Challenge Guide: Rewards & Tips for 13 Willow Street Rework

The Artist's Retreat challenge in Phasmophobia requires you to complete 50 successful contract investigations on the newly reworked 13 Willow Street map, and your reward is the Sun Seeker ID Card and Badge. That's the short version. The longer version involves learning the map's new layout, memorizing cursed object spawns, and knowing where to hide when the ghost gets hungry.

The 13 Willow Street Rework and the New Challenge

If you've spent any time in Phasmophobia, you know 13 Willow Street was one of the least popular maps. Its cramped basement and bland suburban aesthetic made it a chore to investigate. Kinetic Games heard the feedback and gave it a full rework in the Quality of Life 1 update (v0.18.0.0), the same treatment Tanglewood received earlier. The new layout opens up the house, adds distinct rooms like a Studio and Gym, and makes the basement feel less like a death trap.

With the rework came the Artist's Retreat challenge, available on the second page of the Event Board in the main lobby. The board itself got a quality-of-life upgrade too—you can now flip between pages using arrow icons, making it easier to track multiple challenges at once.

How to Complete the Artist's Retreat Challenge

To earn progress, you need to successfully identify the ghost type and survive to leave the map. That means correctly naming the ghost in your journal and making it back to the van alive. If you're playing solo, you're responsible for your own survival. In a group, as long as at least one player survives and returns, the contract counts as completed for everyone.

The challenge tracks your progress on the brochure itself—a small gauge at the bottom fills up as you complete contracts. There's no time limit, so you can chip away at it across multiple sessions. The 50-contract requirement is steep, but it's designed to encourage repeat play on the reworked map and reward players who master its new layout.

All Cursed Object Locations on the Reworked Map

The rework changed more than just the floor plan. Cursed objects now spawn in entirely new spots. Here's where to find each one:

• Haunted Mirror – Gym Room, on the far left wall beside the doorway into the shower room.
• Monkey Paw – Studio, on the shelf against the wall covered in cat drawings and paintings.
• Summoning Circle – Kitchen, near the door leading to the Gym.
• Tarot Cards – Basement Bar area, on the small table between two chairs next to the billiards table.
• Voodoo Doll – Master Bedroom, on top of the cat house in the back right corner, tucked behind a chair.
• Ouija Board – Basement, on the dresser at the bottom of the stairs immediately to the right, under a yellow football painting.
• Music Box – Living Room, on the shelf in the first room you enter.

Knowing these spawns saves you from wandering aimlessly and helps you use cursed objects strategically to speed up investigations.

Updated Hiding Spots on 13 Willow Street

Hiding spots have shifted to match the new interior. Depending on difficulty, some may be blocked or unavailable. Here are the potential hiding spots:

• Living Room – Behind the wood partition on the left side.
• Kitchen – Pantry closet across from the main kitchen area.
• Gym – Inside the shower in the bathroom.
• Studio – Behind the easel in the back-right corner.
• Master Bedroom – Behind a wood partition near the vanity table, or inside the open closet on the left side.
• Basement (Bar Area) – Underneath the stairs behind some boxes.
• Basement (Utility Area) – Behind black storage bins near the brick wall when walking straight into the utility section.

Memorizing these is critical for surviving hunts, especially on higher difficulties where you can't rely on looping.

Artist's Retreat Challenge Rewards

The main reward is the Sun Seeker ID Card and Badge. The ID card depicts the poolside area behind 13 Willow Street, complete with a flamingo floatie. The badge matches the summer theme. It's a lighter, more playful cosmetic compared to the darker ID cards from events like Crimson Eye. Note that there's no foil variant—the ID card is static only, so what you see is what you get.

For a challenge that takes 50 contracts, some players might wish for a more substantial reward, but the cosmetic is a neat memento of the map's transformation.

A Grind Worth the Time?

Fifty contracts on a single map is no small ask. Even with speed-running strategies, you're looking at several hours of play. The challenge is clearly designed to push players to spend time with the rework and appreciate the changes. But if you're not a fan of 13 Willow Street even after the facelift, the grind might feel tedious.

That said, the rework genuinely improves the map. The basement is no longer a claustrophobic nightmare, the new rooms add variety, and the cursed object spawns are more logical. It's a solid addition to the map rotation, and the challenge gives you a reason to revisit it.

What Comes Next for Phasmophobia

The Artist's Retreat challenge is part of a larger push toward Phasmophobia's 1.0 release in 2027. Kinetic Games has been systematically reworking old maps, adding quality-of-life features, and refining the core loop. The Crimson Eye event is expected in the fall, and more challenges will likely follow. For now, if you want that sunny ID card, you know what to do: grab your gear, head to Willow Street, and start checking off those contracts.