To break it down, the onryo's flame mechanics are pretty straightforward once you understand the core rules. It takes three extinguished flames to trigger a guaranteed hunt regardless of sanity levels, so keep track of those numbers carefully. Any lit flame within 4 meters will stop a hunt attempt but the flame gets snuffed out, which is actually super useful for protection.

Something interesting to note is that if multiple flames go out at once they all count towards that three-flame limit but here's the catch, if you relight them too quickly before the 6-second delay it'll reset that specific counter. The ghost really wants to put out nearby flames before hunting, and that's definitely worth using to your advantage.

Tip: placing flames strategically around your setup lets you control hunt attempts pretty effectively but don't get too comfortable because if all flames are gone and you mess up the counting, you might get a surprise hunt at any sanity level. The crucifix still works normally within 3 meters when no flames are around, so maybe keep one as backup just in case things go south.