Yooka Laylee Ghost Locations - Blue, Red, Green, Yellow, Purple in Tropics, Glacier, Marsh, Casino, Galaxy

One of Yooka-Laylee's largest group of collectable items is ghosts, and more specifically the five Ghost Writers you can find in each of the five main areas. In this guide we'll reveal where each ghost can be found along with how to capture it. By collecting all five ghost writers in the five main game worlds you'll also unlock the Grabbed by the Ghouls Trophy/Achievement. Also covers the Nintendo Switch version of Yooka Laylee.

If you're not interested in Ghost Writer Locations, we've got plenty more amazingly useful content on our Yooka-Laylee Guide and collectables hub page. Head over there for all you need to find everything in the game.

Yooka-Laylee Ghost Catching Tips

Each color of ghost in Yooka-Laylee requires a different technique to catch. Green ghosts are the simplest, more or less just needing to be found. Purple ghosts require you to fire berries into their mouths before they can be caught. Red ghosts charge at you and must be tackled while orange. Blue ghosts are hidden so are very tricky to find.

Find and grab all five ghosts in an area and you'll earn yourself another Pagie!

Ghost Writer Tribalstack Tropics Locations

Green Ghost - Tribalstack Tropics

Right of the start area once you go up the ramp.

Purple Ghost - Tribalstack Tropics

On top of small rock formation near the start location. Needs Slurp shot ability. Grab some berries then jump over there. Fire berries into its mouth. Then attack.

Yellow Ghost - Tribalstack Tropics

Immediately down the ramp next to the starting area

Red Ghost (after world is expanded) - Tribalstack Tropics

There's a platform with a switch that you'll need to find. This is the left route once you climb up the large structure (to the right is Kartos). Stay stood on the switch to rotate the ramp. The first platform leads to a Red Ghost. Wait for it to run at you, dodge, then attack it when it's orange. Do this a few times then spin attack it when it's green.

Blue Ghost - Tribalstack Tropics

Head into the clearing where you can find Scoffsalot. Take a left and walk under the two floating platforms. The blue ghost should be visible in the moments it appears. Use your sonar to zap it and then grab it.

Ghost Writer Glitterglaze Glacier Locations

Green Ghost - Glitterglaze Glacier

Under the bridge that took you to the explorer and the igloos is an underwater tunnel. Go through here and you’ll enter a room containing the green ghost. You’ll have to hop around a bit to catch him, but he’s not hard to capture.

Yellow Ghost - Glitterglaze Glacier

Near the start. Walk out in the main area and you'll see the yellow ghost behind a fence on the left. If you follow the left edge round you'll be able to hop up, but the entrance to the ghost area is covered by fire.

Eat the nearby fire and wall through the fire gate. Then wander down to collect the yellow ghost. Use the floor switch to open a door out.

Red Ghost - Glitterglaze Glacier

The red ghost can be found while following the path to light all the fires. Take a slight detour to approach the ghost. Wait for him to lunge for you, jump over his strike, then hit him. He'll turn green and be yours.

Purple Ghost - Glitterglaze Glacier

Go up the ramp to the left of the ramp that leads to the failed statue of Capital B. At the back of the tower the purple ghost is encased in a glass cube. Use Sonar 'Splosion to free the ghost. Now you'll need to collect some cannon ball berries from the far tower. Once you have the berries glide to the centre platform then roll to the ghost. You should have just enough time to shoot some balls into its mouth.

Blue Ghost - Glitterglaze Glacier

In the water to the left of Trowzer you'll see a series of ice platforms. These lead off to the distance. Follow them until you reach a fork. Carry on straight instead of going right and you'll see some quills. The blue ghost is under the water here.

Sonar the blue ghost and it's yours to collect.

Ghost Writer Moodymaze Marsh Locations

Red Ghost - Moodymaze Marsh

Over the bridge near the trapped Pagie. Take a left and the ghost is there. Avoid his lunges and hit him when he turns orange. Three hits and he'll turn green, making him easy to catch.

Blue Ghost - Moodymaze Marsh

Follow our guide to the Treetop Pagie in our guide to Moodymaze Marsh. As soon as you're on the platform with the Pagie, jump down and you'll be in a new area with thorns. The Blue ghost is behind some thorns. Walk behind, sonar the ghost, and grab it.

Purple Ghost - Moodymaze Marsh

Found on top of the structure featuring the fan. Eat a berry from the base of the structure first. You can jump up by jumping into the holes on the side, double jumping out and back in as you go up. When at the top perform a high jump, then turn around and high jump over above the fan to reach the purple ghost. Fire berries into its mouth and it's yours.

Yellow Ghost - Moodymaze Marsh

From the area through the Spiky Water Pool (you can see it from the platform that had the red ghost on it), head straight forward until you reach the floating logs. Jump on to the first log and head right. Jump from log to log until you can reach the area over to the right. Inside here is the yellow ghost.

Green Ghost - Moodymaze Marsh

The green ghost can be found in Swampy Station, which is through the underwater tunnel in the water near Dr Puzz (although not the tunnel directly beneath her). Once you're inside you can jump in the pool of water and use your bubble ability to grab the ghost. It's a pain as it keeps running away, but stick with it and that ghost will be yours.

Ghost Writer Capital Cashino Locations

Green Ghost - Capital Cashino

Head up and over to the spinning roulette tables. Activate platforms on the way (surrounded by playing card symbols) by using Sonar ‘Splosion while stood in the centre. The green ghost is found on the first set of roulette tables.

Yellow Ghost - Capital Cashino

The yellow ghost in Capital Cashino is easiest to grab if you follow the path detailed in the Sonar Splosion Platforms Tokens section in our guide to Capital Cashino. Once you reach the top level you should be able to see the yellow ghost over to the left. Hover over there and grab it.

Blue Ghost - Capital Cashino

Fly to the top of Capital Cashino in the area where you can see the platform pictured above. Land on the block in the middle and use your sonar to reveal the blue ghost writer.

Purple Ghost - Capital Cashino

Head over to the door locked by symbols, and shoot the Red Ghost, Snowman and Rextro pictures to gain access. Once you're in the room full of wooden crates on platforms, drop down and you'll see the purple ghost writer hiding. Fill him with berries and he's yours.

Red Ghost - Capital Cashino

Once you have the Reptile Rush roll ability, head up the ramp next to the slot machine that leads to a pane of cracked glass. Smash through it and head through until you reach the area below.

Once again use your fast roll ability to leap over the gap and into the dance room where you'll find the red ghost.

Ghost Writer Galleon Galaxy Locations

Yellow Ghost - Galleon Galaxy

From the book at the start of Galleon Galaxy, take an immediate right. You’ll see a wooden platform. Head to it and then walk right. You’ll see numerous spinning asteroid-like platforms with grapple points. Grapple all the way to the top, then jump across some platforms until you enter a small room.

Inside the room is the yellow ghost. Walk over and grab him. You can also use the cannonball berries to blast through the door.

Purple Ghost - Galleon Galaxy

Head to the platform on which you can find Trowzer and Vendi the tonic machine lady. Opposite Vendi is a wooden ramp. Near the bottom of the ramp, to the right, is a cracked bit of glass. Use Reptile Rush to smash it and enter Lunar Lockup.

Inside the room is the purple ghost. Eat some cannonball berries and fire them into the ghost’s mouth. Now grab him.

Green Ghost - Galleon Galaxy

You’ll need to have the Mollycool and transformed into the space ship (pirate ship). Burn the first ice ball, then the second, before shooting the switch. Head through and then over towrads the ice balls in front of what looks like a giant robot face.

Shoot the ice ball with fire and the green ghost will be released. These are always a pain to catch, but time your thrusts forward and you should be able to grab him.

Red Ghost - Galleon Galaxy

Fly over to the Black Hole in One building. Once you've entered take the door opposite the reception counter. Now fly to the top of the room and land on top of the large disc structure that has a hole in the middle. Drop down into this and you'll find the red ghost writer.

Blue Ghost - Galleon Galaxy

A Pagie is trapped in a cage suspended by a red crane. On top of the building you can find the blue ghost writer. Climb around the rocks to the side of the building then fly over and land on the roof. Use your sonar and the blue ghost will be revealed.

More Yooka-Laylee guides can be found elsewhere on the site, including Pagie Locations in Tribalstack Tropics, Pagies in Glitterglaze Glacier, Pagies in Moodymaze Marsh. We've also got a complete rundown of all Yooka-Laylee's special moves.

Those ghosts were a bit of a pain to find, right? Hopefully this guide has proved helpful and avoided some sleepless nights!