Phasmophobia first exploded onto the scene during the pandemic. The co-op ghost-hunting and investigation game was a hit when many people were spending more time at home but still seeking social experiences, and it's continued to grow and evolve in the years since. Its latest major update adds Nell's Diner, an Americana-infused map that pairs a desolate stretch of highway out front with an eerily familiar greasy-spoon setup inside. I recently took an early tour of the diner, and I was delighted to see how it hints at the future of what is surely one of the best multiplayer horror games.Nell's Diner, Phasmophobia art director Corey Dixon told me, is full of unique assets, many more interaction points than a typical map in the game, and several Easter eggs. Back when the game was developed by a single person, Daniel Knight, his expertise was in programming, not things like art direction, which is why today Phasmophobia still mostly uses some generic assets for things like furnishings, vehicles, and even the feared ghosts themselves. But as Phasmophobia turns a corner and heads toward its exit from 1.0, the team is looking to overhaul its visual identity. That's been the thinking behind recent map makeovers like the run-down Grafton Farmhouse or its more lavish cousin, the Bleasdale Farmhouse.In the future, this also means things like character models are getting a re-do and a cosmetics shop is on the way, but before any of that comes Nell's Diner, a brand-new map that looks quite unlike anything else in the game. Out front, the neon sign hazily buzzes through the fog, luring passersby who might've pulled off the road amid a tiring trip. When ghost investigators in Phasmophobia arrive on the scene, it'll be after something has gone on, which Dixon said is intentionally left for players to determine. A police vehicle is left out front with its lights still spinning, and indoors, some kind of ruckus has clearly occurred, with stools overturned and the kitchen left in a messy state.Things like the cash register, various cooking supplies such as a mixer, a whipped cream dispenser, a functioning TV that plays a John Denver movie, and a classic-looking jukebox by the front door all give off a distinctly different feel from places like the residential Tanglewood Drive or the decrepit Sunny Meadows asylum. For one, they're all interactable; in some cases, they do one thing when players toy with them and another when a ghost does. But they're also bespoke assets chosen for the diner map. No longer is the team relying on asset packs from webshops that could turn up in other games--which, I'd add, helps Phasmophobia stand above its many copycats. It's more colorful, and because of the divide between customer and employee, it displays a few looks depending on where you are in the building.Though no timeline is ready for sharing, Dixon told me the team would like to one day rework all the old maps with a similar eye to how they tackled the two farmhouses: major visual overhauls with some added focus on remapping the space when gameplay reasons call for it. They want the maps to feel lived in and genuine, not something too video gamey. In the diner, this manifests as the team including a hiding space that amounts to tucking behind a vending machine that's been pulled away from the wall for repairs.The team is also giving more attention to its lore, especially now that a Phasmophobia movie is on the way. Dixon told me that Kinetic Games has decided to make lore a focal point as of late."We've got a backstory that we're hoping to weave into the game in subtle ways--in Easter eggs for certain ghosts, and even hints about the company the ghost hunters themselves are working for. Some of the maps may take on additional meaning and significance, too." He added that, across the whole game, there's "more going on than it seems on the surface." Some of those Easter eggs are to be discovered on the Nell's Diner map, Dixon said. "We’re sure it won’t take players long to figure out where to look, and when they do, they’ll love the surprises that are in store."We played three rounds on Nell's Diner, giving me a firsthand look at things like its manager's office, multiple arcade cabinets showing off clever in-universe video games, the walk-in freezer with its persistent cold temperatures acting as a red herring ready to fool any newcomer into thinking they've found some evidence of ghost activity, and several looping opportunities, including the interior itself basically being a big loop. It features doors on either end of the customer area leading to the employees-only section out back. I asked if Nell's Diner has any secrets for players to find, and though Dixon didn't want to spoil anything so openly, he did confirm a keen eye will be rewarded.For players who love maps like Tanglewood and other residences, Nell's Diner offers a space similar in size but aesthetically unlike anything to date. It's a "small" map, according to the dev team's own designation, and though it's certainly a fair label compared to the game's more expansive settings, it does well to illustrate the big plans the team has for the future of Phasmophobia.Nell's Diner launches soon in Phasmophobia, as part of a free update on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.