So you just picked up Dead by Daylight and have no idea what’s going on? Don’t worry - everyone gets stomped in their first few matches. DBD has a learning curve, but once you understand the basics, it’s incredibly fun. This guide will get you up to speed fast.
What is Dead by Daylight?
Dead by Daylight is an asymmetric 4v1 horror game. Four survivors try to escape while one killer hunts them down. Survivors work together to repair generators and open exit gates. The killer’s job is to catch survivors, hook them, and sacrifice them to a mysterious entity.
Each match lasts 10-15 minutes and takes place on various horror-themed maps. It’s tense, chaotic, and every match feels different.
The Basics: Survivor
Your Objective
As a survivor, your goal is simple: repair 5 generators, open an exit gate, and escape. Sounds easy, right? Not when there’s a killer chasing you.
Here’s the flow of a typical match:
- Spawn into the map - You start scattered around with your three teammates
- Find and repair generators - Hold M1 on a gen until it’s done (about 90 seconds solo)
- Avoid or loop the killer - If the killer finds you, run to safe areas and waste their time
- Complete 5 generators - This powers the exit gates
- Open an exit gate - Takes 20 seconds of channeling
- Escape - Run out and you win
Core Survivor Mechanics
Generators: Your main objective. You’ll spend most of the match holding M1 on these. Hit the skill checks when they pop up - missing them alerts the killer to your location.
Pallets: Wooden pallets scattered around the map. Drop them (space bar) to stun the killer and create distance. Don’t waste them early - you’ll need them later.
Windows: Vaulting through windows slows the killer down. Fast vaults are quick but require you to be sprinting straight at the window. Slow vaults are quieter but take longer.
Healing: You have two health states - healthy and injured. When injured, you’re one hit from going down. Heal yourself (takes 32 seconds) or have a teammate heal you (16 seconds). You can also bring a medkit.
Hooks: If the killer downs you, they’ll carry you to a hook. You go through three hook stages:
- First hook: Struggle for 60 seconds. Teammates can unhook you.
- Second hook: Another 60 seconds. Getting unhooked again is critical.
- Third hook: Death. You’re sacrificed and out of the match.
Totems: Glowing skulls scattered around the map. Hex totems (lit up) give the killer powerful buffs. Cleanse them to remove the killer’s perk. Dull totems (unlit) can be cleansed for bloodpoints or to prevent NOED (a killer perk that activates at endgame).
Survivor Tips
- Don’t hide in lockers all match. You’re useless to your team if you’re not doing gens.
- Look behind you in chases. You need to see where the killer is to plan your loops.
- Don’t unhook teammates right in front of the killer. Wait for the killer to leave or they’ll just down the unhooked person again (called “tunneling”).
- Spread out on gens. Four survivors on one gen is inefficient. Split up and pressure multiple gens.
- Don’t teabag at the exit gate. It’s toxic and unnecessary. Just leave.
The Basics: Killer
Your Objective
As the killer, your goal is to sacrifice all four survivors before they escape. You do this by downing them, hooking them, and preventing gen progress.
Here’s how a typical killer match flows:
- Spawn into the map - You start at a random location
- Find survivors - Look for scratch marks (red trails), listen for sounds, and patrol generators
- Chase and down survivors - Hit them twice (once to injure, once to down)
- Hook survivors - Carry them to a hook and sacrifice them
- Apply pressure - Interrupt gen repairs, defend hooks, and keep survivors busy
- Prevent escapes - Stop survivors from opening exit gates
Core Killer Mechanics
Basic Attack: M1 to swing your weapon. Hit a healthy survivor to injure them. Hit an injured survivor to down them. Most killers have a 115% movement speed, which is faster than survivors (100%).
Killer Power: Every killer has a unique power (M2). Trapper sets bear traps. Huntress throws hatchets. Nurse teleports. Learning your killer’s power is essential.
Carrying Survivors: When you down a survivor, pick them up and carry them to a hook. Survivors can wiggle to escape your grasp (takes about 16 seconds). Don’t carry them too far or they’ll wiggle free.
Hooking: After hooking a survivor, they go through three stages (explained above). Your goal is to get everyone to third hook. Some killers camp hooks (stay nearby), but this is generally a bad strategy since other survivors will do gens freely.
Bloodlust: If you chase a survivor for 15 seconds without landing a hit, you gain a speed boost. This helps catch survivors in long chases, but good killers don’t rely on it.
Red Stain: Your red glow (visible to survivors) shows which direction you’re looking. You can hide it by looking away during loops to mindgame survivors.
Killer Tips
- Don’t chase one survivor for 5 gens. If someone’s looping you well, drop the chase and pressure gens elsewhere.
- Patrol generators, don’t just wander aimlessly. Check which gens have progress and protect those.
- Learn to moonwalk. Walking backwards hides your red stain and can confuse survivors at loops.
- Don’t facecamp hooks (stand right in front of the hooked person). You’ll lose the match because other survivors will finish gens.
- Listen carefully. Survivors make noise when injured, vaulting windows, and working on gens. Sound is one of your best tools.
Understanding Perks
Both survivors and killers equip four perks that give special abilities. Perks are the core of DBD’s strategy and customization.
Popular Survivor Perks (You’ll See These Everywhere)
- Windows of Opportunity: Shows aura of pallets and windows. Great for learning maps and planning chases.
- Lithe: Get a speed boost after vaulting a window. Helps you create distance in chases.
- Adrenaline: When the last gen is completed, you instantly heal one health state and get a speed boost. Clutch endgame perk.
- Decisive Strike: After being unhooked, if the killer picks you up within 60 seconds, you stab them and escape. Anti-tunneling perk.
Popular Killer Perks
- Pop Goes the Weasel: After hooking someone, kick a gen to regress it by 25%. Strong gen slowdown.
- Scourge Hook: Pain Resonance: When you hook someone on a scourge hook (white hooks), the gen with the most progress loses 15%. Automatic gen regression.
- Barbecue & Chili (BBQ): See survivors’ auras when you hook someone. Helps you find your next target.
- Corrupt Intervention: Blocks the three farthest gens for 120 seconds at the start of the match. Forces survivors to come to you.
Perks are unlocked through the Bloodweb (explained below). You’ll start with limited perks and unlock more as you level up characters.
The Bloodweb and Progression
Every character has a Bloodweb - a skill tree where you spend bloodpoints to unlock perks, items, add-ons, and offerings.
- Bloodpoints: Currency earned from matches. Use them to level up characters.
- Leveling Up: Each level you unlock nodes on the bloodweb. At level 50, you can “prestige” (reset to level 1 with better rewards).
- Teachable Perks: Each character has three unique perks. At levels 30, 35, and 40, you unlock these perks for all other characters.
- Items/Add-ons: Survivors can equip items (medkits, toolboxes, flashlights). Killers get add-ons that modify their power.
Tip: Focus on leveling a few characters first rather than spreading bloodpoints thin. Get their teachable perks, then prestige them for cosmetics and better bloodwebs.
Map Knowledge
DBD has 40+ maps across different realms (Coldwind Farm, Autohaven Wreckers, etc.). Learning map layouts is crucial for both sides.
For Survivors:
- Learn where strong loops are (jungle gyms, shack, main building)
- Know where gens spawn
- Memorize exit gate locations
For Killers:
- Learn where gens are most likely to spawn
- Know where strong survivor loops are so you can avoid them
- Understand each map’s unique features (Midwich has two floors, Swamp has dark areas, etc.)
You’ll naturally learn maps over time. Don’t stress about memorizing everything immediately.
Common Mistakes New Players Make
Survivors:
- Urban Evasion walking everywhere (move faster, don’t crouch constantly)
- Self-caring in a corner for 32 seconds (bring a medkit or have teammates heal you)
- Not doing gens (sitting in lockers or hiding doesn’t help your team)
- Unhooking without Borrowed Time against a camping killer (you’ll just trade hooks)
Killers:
- Facecamping hooks (you’ll lose to gen pressure)
- Chasing one survivor all match (spread pressure)
- Not using your power (learn your killer’s ability - it’s stronger than basic attacks)
- Breaking every pallet immediately (sometimes it’s better to leave them and mind game)
How to Improve
Play Both Sides: Playing killer helps you understand survivor strategy. Playing survivor helps you understand killer pressure. You’ll improve faster by experiencing both.
Watch Streamers: Otzdarva, Ayrun, and JRM are great for learning. Watching skilled players shows you advanced techniques you won’t discover on your own.
Practice Looping: As a survivor, looping is your most important skill. Go into custom matches and practice running tiles efficiently.
Learn One Killer Well: Don’t jump between 10 killers. Pick one (Wraith or Trapper are great starters) and learn their power inside and out.
Don’t Tilt: DBD can be frustrating. You’ll get tunneled, camped, teabagged, and stomped. Take breaks when you’re tilted. It’s just a game.
Game Modes
- Public Matches: Standard 4v1 matches. Ranked matchmaking (MMR-based).
- Custom Matches: Create private lobbies with friends. No bloodpoint rewards.
- The Rift: Battle pass system with cosmetics and challenges.
- Tomes: Lore challenges that reward bloodpoints and cosmetics.
Most players stick to public matches, but customs are great for practicing with friends.
Final Thoughts
Dead by Daylight has a steep learning curve, but it’s one of the most unique multiplayer games out there. Every match is different. Every killer plays differently. You’ll have matches where you clutch a 4% self-unhook and escape. You’ll have matches where you get destroyed in 5 minutes.
The key is to learn from each match and not take losses personally. Everyone gets stomped sometimes. Even the best players lose.
Start with these goals:
- Learn one survivor and one killer
- Unlock their teachable perks
- Practice basic looping and chasing
- Don’t stress about winning - focus on improving
The rest will come with time. Good luck in the fog.
Last Updated: Patch 9.3.0 - November 2025