Top 10 Dead by Daylight Gameplay Features that Make it Fun

Updated:

03 Jun 2023

Dead by Daylight has risen to popularity as a much-loved multiplayer horror game, and it’s a fun and engaging game to play - which, as we’ll see, is down to a few different things.

In this article, we’re going to take a look at the gameplay features in Dead by Daylight that make it fun.

1. Your Choice: Survivor or Killer?

The starting menu for anyone crazy enough to play as a killer on DBD!

In Dead by Daylight, you get to choose if you want to play as a survivor or a killer.

Every game of Dead by Daylight has up to six survivors and just one killer. Whether you’re playing as a survivor or a killer, you can always play online with strangers or friends in a lobby.

When playing as a survivor, your aim is to escape without being killed. You can do this by repairing four generators with your team of survivors and rescuing other players from the hook which killers can put them on. If left on the hook for too long, survivors can die.

When playing as a killer, your aim is to ensure no one survives. This can include running after survivors, putting them on hooks around the map and generally being a bit of a menace.

In Dead by Daylight, you get the choice to play as either a killer or a survivor, which is part of what makes the gameplay fun, because, as they say, variety is the spice of life.

2. DLC Options: The 39 Steps

The exciting and terrifying Stranger Things DLC.

Another fun part of Dead by Daylight gameplay is the added option of DLCs - and just like the steps in the classic 1935 movie, there are 39!

Dead by Daylight offers a wide variety of DLCs, including the Stranger Things DLC. This DLC gives you the chance to play as your favourite character from the Netflix show.

The lucky thirteenth chapter in the Dead by Daylight DLC, in the Stranger Things chapter, there’s a choice of two survivors to play as; Nancy Wheeler and Steve Harrington. Or, if you're feeling like taking a more brutal role in the action, you can even play as the Demogorgon.

Another of the DLCs available in Dead by Daylight is the Halloween DLC, which offers you the chance to play as Michael Myers from Halloween - known in the game as The Shape. If you’d rather play as a survivor, though, no fear! You can play as the iconic Laurie Strode.

The DLC options definitely enhance your gameplay experience, especially if you’re a fan of horror movies - which many Dead by Daylight fans probably will be.

3. Killers’ Different Abilities

The Hillbilly is coming to get you...

Whether you’re playing as a survivor or a killer, you’ll always feel the thrill that comes with each different killer’s abilities.

Every killer has different ways of moving around the map, different ways of killing, and different ways of announcing their presence, which makes for a very thrilling gameplay experience.

We’re going to take a look at two killers to see their differences and quirks: Max Thompson Jr (The Hillbilly) and Lisa Sherwood (The Hag).

The Hillbilly:

A survivor’s perspective:

The Hillbilly is a ferocious opponent with a terrifying appearance, wielding his cattle hammer as his main weapon of choice. The hammer can kill any survivor in one sharp blow, making the Hillbilly even more scary.

He also wields a chainsaw, which is his special power. When used, it sends him into a complete frenzy, and it can cut through skin, flesh and bone.

A killer’s perspective:

The Hillbilly is a great and powerful option for those looking for a character with presence. He also comes with three perks unique to him which can be used in the game; Enduring (meaning he can take a lot of pain, unless carrying a survivor), lightborn (meaning he's more resilient to light attacks like flashlights and flashbangs), and tinkerer (meaning when a generator is repaired to 70%, he hears a loud noise notification).

The Hag:

A survivor’s perspective:

The Hag is an equally terrifying menace, and she has her own weapon to make her even more terrifying; her own hand, which is called The Claw. Hideous and abnormally large, the claw can cut through skin, flesh and bone.

She also has a black finger, used to summon her power, which allows her to create clones of herself, made out of mud and clay.

A killer’s perspective:

The Hag is a great character to play, because of the power she has and the sheer scare-factor of her appearance.

The Hag also comes with three perks, all of which are as useful as they are scary. Firstly, she comes with Hex: The Third Seal (which weakens survivors’ aura-reading powers), Hex: Ruin (which allows her to lower generators’ repair percentage), and Hex: Devour Hope (which powers up every time someone rescues a survivor from a hook, as hope feeds this perk).

So, it’s clear that the differences between the killers make gameplay fun and bring variety for survivors and killers.

4. Repairing Generators to Escape

Another player hard at work repairing one of the generators.

In Dead by Daylight, as we’ve talked about above, to open the gate and escape, survivors need to fix four generators while staying hidden or running away from the killer. Survivors can repair the generators alone or can team up, which adds another element of fun for gamers playing together.

There is one other option for escape, though; if a survivor’s team have all died, leaving the survivor alone in the map with the killer in a 1v1 game, the Hatch - essentially a trap door - will open for the survivor to try and escape, which makes the game all the more fun with one survivor remaining.

Either way, no matter how you get out (if you do!) escaping is always thrilling and rewarding. The game is simple but challenging, and the different ways of escaping offer variety and give players an overall goal to work towards. So, it's clear that the generator repair part of gameplay in Dead by Daylight is fun.

5. Small but Fun Maps

One of the scary maps on Dead by Daylight - a classic horror scene.

Another fun part of the Dead by Daylight gameplay is the map design.

Dead by Daylight is a quick, fun little burst of thrills and adrenaline, and it optimises the maps and overall gameplay with this in mind, making it a fun, casual game for anyone looking for a bit of horror-based escapism with a group of friends.

So, it's fitting that the maps are small but absolutely bursting at the seams with opportunity - which we will explore later.

The small maps mean that, especially for smaller teams, other survivors are easy to locate - for killers and survivors alike - which always makes it interesting.

Killers can find their victims quickly, and they can locate generators and launch attacks, which makes the game evenmore fast-paced and exciting.

For survivors, smaller maps mean it's easy to go from fixing a generator to finding and rescuing a captured survivor. The other side of that coin, however, is that the small map means the killer is always lingering close…

This is definitely part of what makes the gameplay in Dead by Daylight fun!

6. Interaction with Environment

Another map option ready to be explored.

There are many gameplay features in Dead by Daylight which allow you to interact with the world around you. We’re going to look at the survivor’s POV (point of view) in this section, as most of the environment interaction takes place when you’re playing as a survivor.

Survivors can manipulate the world around them, which can include plays like throwing objects behind them to create obstacles to confuse the killer and keep them away to give survivors more time to run and hide or repair generators.

There are other ways to outwit the killers too, depending on who the killer is. With some, options like flashbangs and flashlights (which we’ve already talked about above) can throw them off and damage or confuse them, which plays into the survivors’ hands.

In addition, every map is well-equipped with areas and buildings to hide in, either while healing or while you’re psyching yourself up to get back out there and try and escape.

The maps in Dead by Daylight are always fun to play around with and explore, which is a big part of what makes the gameplay fun and exciting.

7. Tone & Graphics of the Game

Making a run for it from one of the killers.

The tone of Dead by Daylight, which is echoed throughout the gameplay and graphics, is what you’d expect from a horror game - terrifying but exhilarating!

The game invokes a feeling of paranoia when you’re playing as a survivor, because you’re always having to look out for the killer, aware of your every move and your location at all times.

Also,many of the Dead by Daylight maps - as the name suggests - are set in the nighttime, which means there are so many hidden and unseen threats, which again just adds to the sense of fear.

For killers, there’s a rush to playing too due to the tone; the encounters with victims can be fleeting, meaning you need to think on your feet and use your powers the right way.

The nighttime setting of a lot of the maps also makes it hard for the killers; it means the survivors can hide easier, making it harder for the killers to find people to kill and place on the hooks.

The dark tone of the film is part of what makes it such a fun game to play for all the horror nerds out there.

8. Scary Sound Effects and Music

The Huntress is waiting.

Another part of Dead by Daylight which makes it so much fun to play is the sound effects and music.

Firstly, perhaps one of the most terrifying noises for survivors is the sounds the killers make, which depends on the character. The Huntress, for example, is well-known for singing a particularly creepy version of a Russian lullaby. As soon as you hear that song, you know she’s nearby, and it’s time to run.

The killers also all have different breathing noises which the survivors can hear when the killers are nearby. As well as being very scary noises on their own, with the adrenaline of just moving through the map, the breathing noises are great at invoking terror in survivors.

In addition, elements of music like the menu music and the overall score of the game make the whole tone so much scarier, in particular for the survivors. The music also just reinforces the horror elements of the game which make it such a classic among horror movie and game fans alike.

The sound effects, and music definitely are part of what makes Dead by Daylight a really fun game to play.

9. Forgiving Gameplay… at least, if you're a survivor

A player on the killer's hook, waiting to be rescued.

Another great part of the gameplay in Dead by Daylight is how forgiving it can be, which is great for beginners and people who like horror movies but haven’t yet dipped their toe in the bloody waters of horror games.

If you are playing as a survivor and have the rotten luck of being captured by a killer and placed on a hook, any of your teammates can rescue you before you die.

Team members can also work together to repair generators, so if your gaming skills are a little more on the novice side, you can rely on your team to help you out when needed.

As a killer, though, gameplay can be a little more challenging and lonely as you don’t have a team to help you out, but that’s why the more experienced gamers choose this role.

But, it’s definitely clear that the accessibility of Dead by Daylight for all levels of player is part of what makes Dead by Daylight fun for all!

10. Simplicity of Gameplay

The gate is open!

This point ties in with the section above; Dead by Daylight is a simple game to play for both survivors and killers, which is all part of what makes it so much fun.

For survivors, there are three main elements of gameplay; repairing the four generators, rescuing their teammates from the killers’ hooks, and escaping with as many other survivors as possible.

For killers, there are also three elements of gameplay, which oppose the survivors’ gameplay; weakening the generators, killing and putting survivors on the hooks, and ensuring no one escapes.

The simplicity of gameplay is part of what makes Dead by Daylight such a fun and enjoyable game to play.

So, it’s obvious that there are so many gameplay and overall features that make Dead by Daylight a fun game - if you’re new to gaming or a seasoned gamer, it’s a great time for all!