The Ghost Face is Dead by Daylight’s stealth stalking killer with full control over his power. Unlike Myers, Ghost Face can activate stealth on demand and stalk individual survivors for Exposed downs. He’s a hit-and-run killer who excels at catching survivors off guard and snowballing with quick downs.
Ghost Face rewards smart positioning, stealth play, and strategic stalking. Let’s break down how to play him effectively.
The Ghost Face’s Power: Night Shroud
Ability: Ghost Face can activate Night Shroud to become stealthy and stalk survivors to expose them for instant downs.
Night Shroud (Stealth Mode)
How it works:
- Press M2 to activate Night Shroud
- While active, you’re Undetectable (no Terror Radius, no red stain, no Heartbeat)
- You move at normal 115% speed (unlike Pig who slows down)
- You can stalk survivors while in Night Shroud
- Night Shroud lasts indefinitely until a survivor reveals you
- Cooldown: 30 seconds if revealed, 24 seconds if you cancel manually
While in Night Shroud:
- No Terror Radius - survivors don’t hear you coming
- No red stain - survivors can’t see your glow
- You can stalk survivors to expose them
When revealed:
- Survivors can reveal you by looking at you for 1.5 seconds
- When revealed, Night Shroud deactivates immediately
- You enter a 30-second cooldown before you can activate it again
- You make a loud sound and Ghost Face recoils
Key concept: Ghost Face’s power is about avoiding detection while stalking survivors for Exposed downs. Stay hidden, stalk from cover, and strike when survivors are vulnerable.
Stalking Mechanics
While in Night Shroud, you can stalk survivors by looking at them.
How stalking works:
- Look at a survivor while in Night Shroud
- Their stalk meter fills up (takes ~5 seconds of continuous stalking)
- Once fully stalked, that survivor becomes Exposed for 45 seconds
- Exposed survivors are downed in one hit
- Each survivor can only be stalked once per Night Shroud activation
- Stalking progress is saved even if Night Shroud is cancelled
Stalking from cover:
- You can lean around corners (press Space while moving toward cover)
- Leaning makes you harder to spot
- Survivors have a harder time revealing you while you’re leaning
Key concept: Ghost Face stalks INDIVIDUAL survivors, not the entire team like Myers. This means you can expose specific survivors and down them quickly.
Leaning Mechanic
Ghost Face can lean around corners while in Night Shroud.
How to lean:
- Activate Night Shroud
- Walk toward a corner or object
- Press Space to lean
Why leaning is strong:
- Makes you harder to spot
- Survivors have a harder time revealing you
- You can stalk from safety
- Essential for high-level Ghost Face play
When to lean:
- Stalking survivors at gens
- Peeking around corners at loops
- Hiding your position while stalking
Being Revealed
Survivors can reveal Ghost Face by looking at him for 1.5 seconds while he’s in Night Shroud.
How revealing works:
- Survivor looks at Ghost Face
- After 1.5 seconds, Ghost Face is revealed
- Night Shroud deactivates
- 30-second cooldown
How to avoid being revealed:
- Stay behind cover
- Lean around corners
- Don’t stand in the open
- Break line of sight frequently
- Position yourself so survivors can’t see you while you stalk
What breaks reveal:
- Losing line of sight
- Survivor looking away
- Ghost Face moving behind cover
Key tip: If a survivor is trying to reveal you, break line of sight immediately. Don’t stand there and get revealed.
Ghost Face’s Strategy
Ghost Face is a stealth killer who stalks survivors for Exposed downs. Here’s the core gameplay loop:
Standard Ghost Face Play
- Activate Night Shroud - Become stealthy
- Patrol gens - Check gens for survivors
- Stalk from cover - Lean and stalk survivors to expose them
- One-shot down - Hit exposed survivors for instant downs
- Hook and repeat - Hook them, activate Night Shroud, find next target
Key concept: Ghost Face is about catching survivors off guard and getting quick downs with Exposed. Don’t chase normally - stalk and one-shot.
When to Stalk vs When to M1
Stalk when:
- Survivor doesn’t see you
- You’re behind cover (leaning)
- You can fully stalk them before they notice
- You want to snowball (multiple exposed survivors)
M1 when:
- Survivor knows your location
- You’re already in a chase
- No time to stalk (survivor running away)
- Survivor is already Exposed
Don’t over-stalk: Sometimes it’s faster to just M1 twice than to stalk. If a survivor sees you, just chase normally.
Early Game Strategy
Ghost Face’s early game is about using stealth to find and stalk survivors.
Opening sequence:
- Activate Night Shroud - Become stealthy immediately
- Patrol gens - Check 3-4 gens quietly
- Stalk survivors at gens - Lean and stalk anyone you find
- One-shot down - Hit them for an instant down
- Hook and repeat - Hook, activate Night Shroud, find next target
Goal: Get your first down quickly by catching survivors off guard. Exposed downs are MUCH faster than two-hit chases.
Common mistake: Walking across the map in stealth. You move normal speed, but survivors can still see you visually. Move efficiently.
Mid-Game Strategy
Mid-game is where Ghost Face shines. You’re catching survivors off guard, stalking, and snowballing with Exposed downs.
99% stalking strategy:
- Stalk survivors to 99% (almost fully stalked)
- Don’t finish the stalk yet
- When you’re ready to commit, finish the stalk and down them immediately
- This gives survivors less time to react to being Exposed
Snowball potential:
- Stalk multiple survivors to 99%
- Activate them all at once
- You now have 2-3 Exposed survivors
- Chain downs quickly
Hit-and-run with stealth:
- Hit a survivor with M1
- Activate Night Shroud and disappear
- Survivors lose you and waste time healing
- Stalk someone else while they heal
Endgame Strategy
Ghost Face is decent endgame with stealth and Exposed.
Stealth patrol: Activate Night Shroud and patrol between exit gates silently. Survivors don’t hear you coming.
Stalk at exit gates: Stalk survivors opening gates. One-shot them when Exposed.
Bodyblock gates: Stand in front of the switch while stealthy. Survivors have to reveal you or leave.
NOED synergy: If you run NOED, Ghost Face becomes terrifying endgame. One hit downs + stealth = unstoppable.
Best Perks for Ghost Face
Ghost Face wants perks that help him capitalize on his stealth and quick downs.
Top Tier Perks
Save the Best for Last (STBFL) - Recover faster after basic attacks (up to 8 stacks). Ghost Face benefits hugely from this because he can land the first hit quickly, then follow up with a second hit almost immediately. Avoid hitting your obsession to maintain stacks.
Rapid Brutality - After hitting a survivor, gain Haste (movement speed) for 5 seconds. Synergizes perfectly with STBFL - you recover faster AND move faster, letting you catch up for the second hit instantly.
Surge (Jolt) - Downing a survivor with a basic attack causes nearby gens to explode and regress. Ghost Face gets frequent downs, so this triggers often. Automatic gen regression.
Help Wanted - When a generator is completed, gain Haste for 30 seconds. Synergizes with Rapid Brutality and STBFL for incredible movement speed after hits. Helps you pressure gens and chain downs.
Strong Perks
Thrilling Tremors - When you pick up a survivor, all gens not being worked on are blocked for 16 seconds. Shows you which gens survivors are on. Great info perk.
I’m All Ears - See survivors’ auras for 6 seconds when they fast vault within 48 meters. Helps you track survivors and line up hits.
Barbecue & Chili (BBQ) - See survivors’ auras after hooking. Tells you where to patrol next.
Whispers - Hear a sound when survivors are within 32 meters. Helps you find survivors to stalk.
Hex: Ruin - Gens not being repaired regress at 200% speed. Ghost Face applies pressure well, so Ruin can get value.
Sloppy Butcher - Survivors heal slower. Pairs well with hit-and-run stealth play.
Sample Builds
Rapid Strike Build (Best for Ghost Face):
- Save the Best for Last
- Rapid Brutality
- Surge (Jolt)
- Help Wanted
- Add-ons: Olsen’s Wallet + Night Vision Monocular
How it works: This build turns Ghost Face into a speed demon with insane hit recovery. Stack STBFL to 8 stacks by hitting survivors (avoid hitting your obsession). Once stacked:
- Hit a survivor with M1
- Rapid Brutality gives you Haste (5% movement speed) for 5 seconds
- STBFL makes you recover almost instantly from the hit
- You catch up immediately and land the second hit for the down
- Surge makes nearby gens explode and regress
- When a gen pops, Help Wanted gives you even more Haste (30 seconds)
The add-ons boost your stalking and help you build STBFL stacks faster. Olsen’s Wallet reduces stalk time, and Night Vision Monocular increases stalk range. This build doesn’t rely on Exposed one-shots - instead, it focuses on lightning-fast two-hit chases with incredible speed and recovery.
Classic Stealth Build:
- I’m All Ears
- Thrilling Tremors
- Barbecue & Chili
- Sloppy Butcher
Exposed Build:
- Save the Best for Last
- Hex: Ruin
- Surge
- Whispers
Beginner Build:
- Whispers
- Sloppy Butcher
- Barbecue & Chili
- NOED
Best Add-Ons
Ghost Face’s add-ons modify his stalking, Night Shroud cooldown, and detection.
Top Tier Add-Ons
Olsen’s Wallet (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably decreases time to fully stalk a survivor. Faster stalking = faster Exposed = faster downs. Core add-on for Exposed builds. Also works great for the Rapid Strike build to help you get STBFL stacks.
Night Vision Monocular (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases maximum stalking distance. Lets you stalk from farther away, making it harder for survivors to reveal you. Pairs perfectly with Olsen’s Wallet and works great for the Rapid Strike build.
Chewed Pen (Green - Rare) - Considerably decreases Night Shroud cooldown when manually cancelled (from 24 seconds to ~15 seconds). Lets you activate stealth more often. Great for hit-and-run.
Driver’s License (Green - Rare) - Survivors take longer to reveal you (from 1.5 seconds to 2 seconds). Makes it much harder for survivors to reveal you while stalking.
Strong Add-Ons
“Ghost Face Caught on Tape” (Pink - Ultra Rare) - Survivors who reveal you become Oblivious for 60 seconds (can’t hear your Terror Radius). Punishes survivors for revealing you. Niche but strong.
Outdoor Security Camera (Green - Rare) - Reveals survivors’ auras when they reveal you. Shows you exactly where they are. Helps you commit to chases.
Walleye’s Matchbook (Yellow - Uncommon) - Decreases Night Shroud cooldown when manually cancelled. Budget version of Chewed Pen.
Knife Belt Clip (Yellow - Uncommon) - Moderately increases maximum stalking distance. Budget version of Night Vision Monocular.
Avoid These Add-Ons
Telephoto Lens (Pink - Ultra Rare) - Increases stalk range to 32 meters but you can only stalk ONE survivor per Night Shroud activation. This KILLS Ghost Face’s snowball potential. Avoid.
Drop-Leg Knife Sheath - Slightly faster stalk time. Effect is too minor to matter. Use Olsen’s Wallet instead.
Sample Add-On Combos
Rapid Strike Build: Olsen’s Wallet + Night Vision Monocular (faster stalking + longer range for building STBFL stacks and occasional Exposed)
Exposed Build: Olsen’s Wallet + Driver’s License (fast stalking + hard to reveal)
Stealth Build: Chewed Pen + Outdoor Security Camera (short cooldown + tracking on reveal)
Budget Build: Walleye’s Matchbook + Knife Belt Clip (decent cooldown + decent range)
Playing Against Good Survivors
Good survivors make Ghost Face work harder, but he’s still strong with the right adjustments.
They reveal you constantly: Position better. Lean more often. Break line of sight. Don’t stand in the open while stalking.
They spin camera to look for you: Some survivors constantly spin their camera to check for Ghost Face. This makes stalking harder. Use leaning and cover to stalk without being seen.
They predrop pallets: Good. Break the pallet and continue chasing. Or use Night Shroud to mind game loops.
They split on gens: Ghost Face has decent mobility with stealth. Patrol efficiently and stalk multiple survivors.
They use Spine Chill or Premonition: These perks reveal your approach while stealthy. Counter by approaching from unexpected angles or moonwalking (walking backwards).
They’re in a SWF: Comms let them call out your position and warn each other about stalking. Counter by applying pressure quickly and getting fast downs with STBFL builds.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Standing in the open while stalking: You’ll get revealed instantly. Use cover and lean.
Over-stalking: Don’t stalk every survivor before committing. Sometimes it’s faster to just chase normally.
Not leaning: Leaning makes you MUCH harder to reveal. Use it constantly while stalking.
Staying in Night Shroud during chases: If a survivor sees you and you’re in a chase, deactivate Night Shroud. You don’t need stealth during chases, and you want to avoid being revealed mid-chase.
Forgetting to 99% survivors: 99% stalking is CRITICAL for high-level Ghost Face play. Stalk to 99%, then finish when you’re ready to commit.
Hitting your obsession with STBFL: If you’re running Save the Best for Last, AVOID hitting your obsession. You lose stacks. Down them with Exposed or stalk instead.
Not using Night Shroud off cooldown: Use it constantly. Stealth is free information and pressure.
Map-Specific Tips
Indoor Maps (The Game, Lery’s, Midwich, RPD) - VERY strong for Ghost Face. Tons of cover, lots of corners to lean around, hard for survivors to reveal you. Ghost Face dominates indoor maps.
Open Maps (Coldwind, MacMillan, Autohaven) - Harder for Ghost Face. Less cover means easier reveals. Use loops and structures as cover while stalking.
Corn Maps (Coldwind Farm) - Strong for Ghost Face. Corn blocks line of sight, making it hard for survivors to reveal you. Stalk through corn.
Multi-Level Maps (The Game, Midwich) - Great for Ghost Face. Survivors on different floors can’t reveal you. Stalk from cover on different levels.
Large Maps (Mother’s Dwelling, Red Forest) - Rough for Ghost Face. Huge maps mean longer patrols. Use Night Shroud to move quickly and stalk from distance.
Why Play Ghost Face?
Pros:
- Full control over stealth (unlike Pig)
- Exposed downs (one-shot potential)
- No Terror Radius while stealthy
- Normal movement speed while stealthy (115%)
- Leaning mechanic for mind games
- Strong hit-and-run potential
- Fun and satisfying stalk gameplay
- Great with STBFL builds for rapid two-hit downs
Cons:
- Can be revealed by survivors
- Requires good positioning
- Stalking takes time
- Weaker on open maps
- Survivors can counter with Spine Chill
- Relies on catching survivors off guard
Advanced Tips
99% multiple survivors: Stalk 2-3 survivors to 99%, then activate them all when you’re ready. Snowball with multiple Exposed survivors.
Teabag as Ghost Face: Crouch repeatedly (teabagging) to mind game survivors. It’s funny and tilts survivors. Part of Ghost Face culture.
Moonwalk to avoid Spine Chill: Walk backwards toward gens. Spine Chill won’t trigger because you’re not looking at survivors.
Stalk through windows: You can stalk survivors through windows while they’re repairing gens. Lean and stalk for free Exposed.
Use Night Shroud to hide red stain: Even if survivors know you’re there, Night Shroud hides your red stain at loops. Use this for mind games.
Cancel Night Shroud before being revealed: If you’re about to be revealed, cancel Night Shroud manually. This gives you a shorter cooldown (24 seconds vs 30 seconds).
Hit-and-run with stealth: Hit someone, activate Night Shroud, disappear. They waste time healing while you pressure others.
Chain STBFL hits: With max STBFL stacks and Rapid Brutality, you can chain hits so fast survivors don’t have time to reach safety. Practice this for oppressive chases.
Final Thoughts
The Ghost Face is one of Dead by Daylight’s most versatile and fun killers. He combines stealth, stalking, and quick downs into a satisfying playstyle.
The Rapid Strike build transforms Ghost Face into a speed demon with insane hit recovery. You’re not relying on Exposed - you’re using STBFL and Rapid Brutality to land two hits so fast that survivors can’t react. It’s incredibly oppressive and feels amazing to play.
Classic Exposed builds are also strong - stalk survivors, one-shot them, and snowball. Both playstyles are viable and fun.
Practice your leaning, manage your stalking, and learn when to commit. Ghost Face rewards smart positioning and strategic play.
Good luck, and may your stalks always land true.
Last Updated: Patch 9.3.0 - November 2025