Shade is one of the ghost types in Phasmophobia, the cooperative horror game where players investigate haunted locations and identify the entity haunting them. Its reputation for being shy and less active around groups made it a natural target for jokes, especially when paired with the word shady and the Akon track Smack That. On soundboards and in short gaming clips, the name alone does much of the work, signalling a sneaky or suspicious presence without needing a longer explanation, which is why it keeps appearing in Phasmophobia edits and reaction videos.