Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective is an adventure game. Ghost Trick's story centers on the amnesiac ghost of the recently deceased protagonist, Sissel, and his struggle to discover who he was and how he died.
Ghost Trick is an adventure game in which players control Sissel, a ghost who uses his unearthly powers to save lives. During gameplay segments, players can swap at will between the Land of the Living, where time flows naturally, and the Ghost World, in which time is stopped. In the Ghost World, Sissel can travel between objects within a certain radius. These objects are represented by blue cores, and in the Land of the Living, Sissel can animate these objects to perform actions, known as "Ghost Tricks", that open new paths or influence the characters around him. For example, moving a tray of donuts will prompt a character to change where he or she is currently seated, as well as giving Sissel access to new areas.