Dead By Daylight is an asymmetric survival horror video game. Originally released by Behaviour Interactive for PC in June 2016, it has been modified to run on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and even the Nintendo Switch. Its community has grown tremendously since its PC release, causing the game to get mainstream recognition. Whether you are new to gaming as a whole or are curious about this game in particular, this article will fill you in on everything you need to know about it and whether it would appeal to you.
What is Dead By Daylight?
First, let’s break down what Dead By Daylight (often abbreviated as DBD) actually is. It’s classified as a survival horror video game, which is a sub genre of horror that involves scaring players by removing their ability to fight back; while players can often expect to get a gun or melee weapon in most horror themed action-adventure games (The Evil Within or Silent Hill, for example), survival horror games offer no such luck. Players of these games know their only options are typically to run, hide, or die.
Now, let’s tackle the ‘asymmetric’ part of DBD’s title. In the gaming world, asymmetric refers to a game in which different players take on entirely different roles, with entirely different capabilities. With Dead By Daylight, those different roles are killer and survivor. In any given match of DBD, some players (typically four) will take on the role of a survivor, whose job is to complete a set number of tasks and escape before the other player, a killer, can find them and stop them, often killing them in the process. The killer’s job is to locate survivors by using their unique tracking abilities and increased speed, then stop them from completing their tasks by placing them on hooks.
Survivor: How do you play?
While each game of Dead By Daylight varies heavily due to unpredictable events and ever-changing environments, some events are constant. First, the four survivors are tasked with locating generators and repairing five out of seven of them. Once they do this, they can open one of two exit gates and escape. If they manage to do so, the word “Escaped” will pop up on their screen in big, bold letters, congratulating them on their victory. If they fail to do this, they will either be sacrificed on the hooks we mentioned before, or killed (which each killer has a unique way of doing). Depending on the way they meet their demise, their screen will either display the word “Dead” or “Sacrificed,” although they both mean failure for the survivor.
The exception to this is the hatch, which will always opens when one survivor remains. It opens instantly, unlike exit gates, which take twenty seconds without interference. But, also unlike exit gates, the hatch can appear anywhere on the map. It emanates a humming noise that everyone in the match can hear, even the killer. If they find it first, they can close it, crushing what little hope the survivor had left.
Killer: How do you play?
While survivors are cranking away at one of any generators scattered around the map, or hiding in fear of the killer, the killer has its own set of tasks, and varying ways of accomplishing it. The killer’s main task is to sacrifice survivors by knocking them to the ground, then picking them up and impaling them on the hooks located throughout the map. At the end of every game, they get one of four messages to tell them how well they did: Entity Displeased, meaning they should have done better; Brutal Killer, meaning while they weren’t the worst, they did nowhere near well enough to be rewarded; Ruthless Killer, meaning they did well; and Merciless Killer, meaning they were near perfect.
Killers need to sacrifice survivors to win, making it their main goal. However, it becomes much harder to do this if the survivors complete their goal. If they have already repaired all the necessary generators, killers have a harder time pinpointing where they might be hiding, and knowing they could open an exit gate and leave at any moment surely doesn’t help. Because of this, the best killers switch between slowing down generator repair progress and hunting down survivors.
Varying Playstyles
One of the major appeals of this game is all the different ways one can play. While the objectives are pretty straightforward, the way one goes about achieving them is up to the individual. The game currently has twenty-four playable killers, and they all work in vastly different ways. If one seeks the adrenaline rush of a chase-heavy, hyper focused killer, they could play Anna, who is more commonly known as the Huntress. She works best when directly engaging with survivors, chasing after them and throwing hatchets to hit them from afar. Alternatively, players who prefer a good mind-game to a brainless chase can pick up a killer like Evan MacMillan (AKA the Trapper) or Lisa Sherwood (AKA the Hag). Both of these killers rely on players to decide where they think survivors will run to if startled, then place traps that will act as an ambush later on.
The twenty-seven survivors in the game also work differently, although not as much as the killers. Players often choose which survivor they want to ‘main’ (meaning put the most time and effort into) based off the particular survivor’s outfits, as well as their size and the amount of noise they make. If one enjoys blending into the background when they hear a killer approaching, they may feel more inclined to play Claudette, who has dark clothing and is naturally quiet. Conversely, a player who likes the thrill of being chased may play a more flashy character, like Nea, and a player who doesn’t mind drawing attention away from their teammates might be more inclined to pick up Bill, who is louder than most survivors.
Unpredictable Environments
Another factor that affects both killers and survivors are the maps that they play in. The game has sixteen realms, and each realm has been separated into individual maps, which change their layout in every match. This makes it hard for players to memorize the location of any items, including generators, or where any other players started the game. Since it’s difficult to memorize all the different variations, players are forced to think on their feet instead of falling into a routine.
Some maps make the game easier for the survivors, and others help killers. For example, a flat map with a lot of open space makes it easier for a killer to spot a survivor from far away. On the other hand, a map that is dense and has a lot of walls and buildings makes it easy for survivors to slip past a killer unnoticed.
An Ever-Evolving Fanbase
Do you enjoy horror movies? What about other video games? Did you see the most recent season of Stranger Things?
If you said yes to any of these, or even know anyone who would, then you may be more familiar with this game’s characters than you think. Behaviour is constantly coming out with new content, namely adding new killers and survivors. They’ve added characters from popular movies such as Saw and Halloween, as well as from the game I mentioned earlier, Silent Hill. They even added some beloved characters from the popular Netflix show, Stranger Things! It’s because of updates like these that they keep acquiring new fans, as well as give their old fans something to look forward to. Some people who had never even heard of Dead By Daylight before took interest when they learned they could play as the Demogorgon, or that Silent Hill’s Pyramid Head had entered another fictional universe.
More than just a game
While most players find running and hiding from a bloodthirsty killer to be fun on its own, DBD has a lot more to offer. Each killer and survivor, whether unique to the game or not, has a backstory explaining who they are and how The Entity ended up taking them. Their backstories also explain why the killers of the game agreed to… be killers. Some agreed right away because they thought it would be fun, but most of them had to be ‘convinced.’ Evan MacMillan, for example, was tortured by The Entity until he agreed to serve her, and the metal spikes sticking out of his back and arms are a constant reminder of that. Rin Yamaoka, more commonly known as the Spirit, made a pact with The Entity on her death bed to get revenge on her father, who murdered her mother before trying to do the same to her.
Dead By Daylight has also implemented daily challenges. They vary heavily from day to day, often encouraging survivors to try out a different character or play style than they’re used to. Players are rewarded with ‘bloodpoints,’ which can be used to upgrade any character of their choosing. If players complete challenges in the Rift, they may also win exclusive outfits or unlock extra lore for their favorite characters. Playing every day, even if for just half an hour, is highly encouraged because of these mechanics.
Conclusion
Dead By Daylight is a popular game, and it appeals to gamers for a lot of different reasons. Whether one intends to frighten their friends by playing a killer capable of jump scares, or they would rather run away from a masked madman, horror fans can find something to come back for. The lore makes the game feel deeper and more complete, and new content constantly pulls new people in. If anything I said in this article interests you, then it may be worth it to give this game a try. If not, that’s fine! There are still so many games out there to explore.