The Nightmare - better known as Freddy Krueger - is Dead by Daylight’s dream demon who pulls survivors into the Dream World, where he becomes more powerful. He can place Dream Snares to slow survivors or fake Dream Pallets to trick them, and he can teleport directly to generators for map pressure. Freddy excels at anti-loop, map control, and catching survivors in his dream realm.
Freddy is one of the strongest killers for map pressure and has versatile anti-loop options. Let’s break down how to master him.
The Nightmare’s Power: Dream Demon
Ability: Freddy has two main powers - Dream World mechanics and Dream Projection (generator teleportation).
Dream World Mechanics
How Dream World works:
- Survivors start the match AWAKE
- When you hit a survivor OR after 60 seconds, they fall ASLEEP (enter Dream World)
- Sleeping survivors:
- Can be seen from ANY distance (no matter how far)
- Are affected by Dream Snares or Dream Pallets
- Have the Oblivious status (can’t hear your Terror Radius)
- See the world with a dreamy filter (darker, fog)
Waking up:
- Survivors wake up by:
- Failing a skill check on purpose
- Being woken by another survivor (takes 4 seconds)
- Using Alarm Clocks (spawn around the map)
- After waking up, survivors fall asleep again after 60 seconds
Key concept: Freddy wants EVERYONE asleep. Sleeping survivors are Oblivious (can’t hear you coming) and can be affected by your traps.
Dream Snares vs Dream Pallets
Freddy can choose ONE of two powers at the start of the match:
Dream Snares (Default):
- Place snares on the ground (M2)
- Sleeping survivors who step on snares are Hindered (slowed) for 3 seconds
- You can see their aura briefly
- Up to 8 snares active at once
Dream Pallets (Alternative):
- Place fake pallets at broken pallet locations (M2)
- Sleeping survivors see them as real pallets
- When survivors try to drop them, the pallet disappears and they’re Hindered
- Up to 10 fake pallets active at once
Which to use:
- Dream Snares are MORE CONSISTENT (anti-loop)
- Dream Pallets are MORE FUN but less reliable
- Most competitive Freddy players use Dream Snares
For this guide, we’ll focus on Dream Snares (the stronger option).
Dream Projection (Teleportation)
How it works:
- Hold M2 (while not placing snares) to channel Dream Projection
- Select a generator on the map
- After ~3 seconds, you teleport to that generator
- Cooldown: ~45 seconds
What happens when you teleport:
- You appear at the generator
- Survivors working on that gen fall asleep immediately
- You can hit them right after teleporting
Key concept: Dream Projection is your MAP PRESSURE tool. Teleport to distant gens to interrupt repairs.
Playing Freddy: The Strategy
Freddy’s gameplay loop is:
- Put survivors to sleep (hit them or wait 60 seconds)
- Place Dream Snares at loops to slow them
- Chase sleeping survivors (they’re Oblivious)
- Teleport to distant gens for map pressure
- Repeat
Dream Snare Strategy
Dream Snares are Freddy’s anti-loop tool.
How to Use Dream Snares
At loops:
- Chase survivor to a loop
- Place snares at the loop (M2)
- Survivor steps on snare, gets slowed
- You catch up and hit them
Where to place snares:
- At jungle gyms (place at both sides)
- At LT-walls (place in the path)
- At short tiles (place where they’ll run)
- At pallets (place on the survivor’s side)
Snare placement tips:
- Place snares DURING chases (predict where survivors will run)
- Don’t place snares randomly - place them strategically
- You can have 8 snares active - use them all
Key concept: Snares slow survivors and give you hits at loops. Place them where survivors HAVE to run.
Dream Projection (Teleportation) Strategy
Dream Projection is Freddy’s map pressure tool.
When to Teleport
Gen with progress:
- If a gen is at 50%+ progress, teleport to it
- Interrupt survivors working on it
- They fall asleep immediately
After hooking:
- Hook someone, then teleport to the opposite side of the map
- Pressure distant gens while someone goes for the unhook
Survivors split on gens:
- If survivors are splitting on different gens, teleport between them
- Keep everyone pressured
Endgame:
- Teleport to generators near exit gates
- Cut off survivors trying to escape
When NOT to Teleport
You’re mid-chase and about to down someone:
- Don’t teleport if you’re about to get a hit
- Finish your current chase first
Gen has no progress:
- Don’t teleport to 0% gens
- Focus on gens with progress
You just teleported recently:
- Teleportation has a 45-second cooldown
- Wait for it to recharge
Early Game Strategy
Freddy’s early game is about putting survivors to sleep and setting up snares.
Opening sequence:
- Patrol gens - Check 3-4 gens
- Find survivors - They fall asleep after 60 seconds OR you hit them
- Place snares at loops - Set up anti-loop traps
- Chase sleeping survivors - They can’t hear you coming (Oblivious)
- Teleport to distant gens - Interrupt repairs across the map
Goal: Get everyone asleep ASAP. Sleeping survivors are easier to track and can’t hear your Terror Radius.
Mid-Game Strategy
Mid-game is where Freddy dominates with map pressure.
Teleportation pressure:
- Teleport to gens with progress constantly
- Survivors fall asleep when you teleport
- You’re everywhere at once
Snare spam:
- Place snares at every loop
- Survivors are slowed constantly
- Easy hits at loops
Oblivious abuse:
- Sleeping survivors can’t hear your Terror Radius
- Sneak up on them at gens
- Free hits
Snowball potential:
- Everyone is asleep
- You’re teleporting constantly
- Snares everywhere
- Survivors can’t do gens efficiently
Endgame Strategy
Freddy is strong endgame with teleportation.
Teleport to exit gates:
- Teleport to generators near exit gates
- Cut off survivors trying to reach gates
- They fall asleep when you teleport nearby
Snares at gates:
- Place snares at exit gate switches
- Survivors opening gates are slowed
Oblivious endgame:
- Sleeping survivors can’t hear you at gates
- Sneak up and hit them
Best Perks for Freddy
Freddy wants perks that capitalize on his map pressure and slowdown.
Top Tier Perks
Hex: Ruin - Gens not being repaired regress at 200% speed. Freddy applies massive pressure with teleportation, so Ruin gets insane value.
Pop Goes the Weasel - After hooking, kick a gen to regress it by 30%. Teleport to gens and kick them. Very strong on Freddy.
Thrilling Tremors - When you pick up a survivor, gens not being worked on are blocked. Shows you which gens have survivors. Freddy can teleport to them.
Barbecue & Chili (BBQ) - See survivors’ auras after hooking. Shows you where to teleport next.
Strong Perks
Corrupt Intervention - Blocks the 3 farthest gens for 120 seconds. Gives you time to put survivors to sleep.
Discordance - Get notified when 2+ survivors are on the same gen. Teleport to them immediately. VERY strong on Freddy.
Deadlock - Blocks the gen with most progress for 30 seconds when a gen completes. Buys you time to teleport and pressure.
Tinkerer - Get alerted when a gen hits 70% and become Undetectable. Teleport there and surprise survivors.
Sloppy Butcher - Survivors heal slower. Keeps them injured longer.
Sample Builds
Slowdown Build (Best for Freddy):
- Hex: Ruin
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- Thrilling Tremors
- Barbecue & Chili
Information Build:
- Thrilling Tremors
- Discordance
- Tinkerer
- Pop Goes the Weasel
Beginner Build:
- Pop Goes the Weasel
- Barbecue & Chili
- Corrupt Intervention
- NOED
Best Add-Ons
Freddy’s add-ons modify his Dream Snares, Dream Projection, and sleep mechanics.
Top Tier Add-Ons
Red Paint Brush (Pink - Ultra Rare) - Survivors who are awake are Oblivious. EVERYONE is Oblivious all the time. No one can hear your Terror Radius. VERY strong.
Swing Chains (Purple - Very Rare) - Considerably increases Dream Snare Hindered effect. Survivors are slowed MORE when they step on snares. Easier hits.
Forever Freddy Build (Swing Chains + Jump Rope) - Increases action speed penalties for sleeping survivors. Repairs, heals, everything is slower. Classic slowdown build.
Class Photo (Pink - Ultra Rare) - All survivors start asleep. Everyone is Oblivious from the start. Strong early game pressure.
Strong Add-Ons
Jump Rope (Green - Rare) - Increases action speed penalty for sleeping survivors. Slower repairs and heals.
Outdoor Rope (Green - Rare) - Moderately increases Dream Snare Hindered effect. Budget version of Swing Chains.
Green Dress (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly reduces Dream Projection cooldown. Teleport more often.
Paint Thinner (Yellow - Uncommon) - Slightly increases Dream Snare Hindered effect.
Avoid These Add-Ons
Prototype Claws - Increases time for survivors to wake each other up. Effect is too minor.
Sample Add-On Combos
Forever Freddy Build: Swing Chains + Jump Rope (maximum slowdown on sleeping survivors)
Oblivious Build: Red Paint Brush + Swing Chains (everyone Oblivious + strong snares)
Instant Sleep Build: Class Photo + Swing Chains (everyone starts asleep + strong snares)
Teleport Build: Green Dress + Jump Rope (fast teleports + slow actions)
Budget Build: Outdoor Rope + Paint Thinner (decent snare slowdown)
Playing Against Good Survivors
Good survivors make Freddy work harder.
They wake up constantly: Survivors wake each other up or use Alarm Clocks. Counter by hitting them (instant sleep) or accepting they’ll wake up.
They split on gens: Freddy’s strength is teleportation. Teleport between gens constantly.
They predrop pallets: Good. Place snares and force them into bad positions.
They avoid snares: Smart survivors avoid obvious snare placements. Place snares unpredictably.
They’re in a SWF: Comms let them coordinate waking each other up. Counter by applying constant pressure with teleports.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Not putting survivors to sleep: Hit survivors to put them asleep immediately. Don’t wait 60 seconds.
Not placing snares: You should place snares at EVERY loop. Use all 8 snares.
Not teleporting enough: Teleport every 45 seconds (when cooldown is up). Don’t walk everywhere.
Placing snares randomly: Snares should be placed at loops where survivors will step on them. Don’t place them randomly.
Chasing awake survivors for too long: If a survivor is awake, hit them ASAP to put them to sleep (or wait for them to fall asleep naturally).
Ignoring Oblivious: Sleeping survivors can’t hear your Terror Radius. Sneak up on them at gens.
Map-Specific Tips
Indoor Maps (The Game, Lery’s, Midwich, RPD) - Strong for Freddy. Tight corridors make snares deadly. Teleportation works through walls.
Open Maps (Coldwind, MacMillan, Autohaven) - Decent for Freddy. Snares work well at loops. Teleportation is strong for map pressure.
Large Maps (Mother’s Dwelling, Red Forest) - Still strong for Freddy. Teleportation covers huge maps instantly. Other killers struggle, Freddy doesn’t.
Multi-Level Maps (The Game, Midwich) - Great for Freddy. Teleport to gens on different floors. Snares work on all levels.
Why Play Freddy?
Pros:
- Excellent map pressure (teleportation)
- Strong anti-loop (Dream Snares)
- Oblivious on sleeping survivors (stealth)
- Can see sleeping survivors from any distance
- Versatile playstyle
- Good on most maps
Cons:
- Survivors can wake up
- Requires survivors to be asleep for full power
- Snares can be avoided
- Teleportation has long cooldown (45 seconds)
- Some survivors find him boring to play against
Advanced Tips
Snare during chases: Don’t pre-place snares. Place them MID-CHASE where survivors will run.
Teleport after hooks: Hook someone, teleport across the map. Maximum pressure.
Oblivious abuse: Sleeping survivors can’t hear you. Sneak up on them at gens for free hits.
Dream Snare zoning: Place snares to FORCE survivors into bad positions, even if they don’t step on them.
Teleport mind games: Start channeling a teleport, survivors panic and leave gens, then cancel and chase.
Forever Freddy: Swing Chains + Jump Rope = survivors do EVERYTHING slower. Oppressive slowdown.
Red Paint Brush: With Red Paint Brush, NO ONE can hear your Terror Radius. Extreme stealth.
Track sleeping survivors: You can see sleeping survivors from ANY distance. Use this to track everyone’s location.
Learning Curve and Practice
Freddy has a low to moderate learning curve.
Hours 0-10: Understanding Dream World. Learning snare placement. Using teleportation.
Hours 10-30: Snare placement improving. Teleporting efficiently. Winning matches.
Hours 30-60: Comfortable with Freddy. Map pressure is strong. Dominating most matches.
Hours 60+: Freddy main. Perfect snare placement. Unstoppable map pressure.
Practice tips:
- Place snares mid-chase (not randomly)
- Teleport every 45 seconds (maximize map pressure)
- Always hit survivors to put them to sleep ASAP
- Watch Freddy streamers (Otzdarva)
Final Thoughts
The Nightmare is one of Dead by Daylight’s strongest killers for map pressure and anti-loop. He rewards strategic snare placement, efficient teleportation, and capitalizing on Oblivious survivors.
Freddy is straightforward to learn but has depth in snare placement and teleportation timing. Master Dream Snares, teleport constantly, and keep everyone asleep.
Practice your snares, abuse Oblivious, and dominate with dream power.
Good luck, and welcome to the Dream World.
Last Updated: Patch 9.3.0 - November 2025