Surviving the Fog: A Comprehensive Guide to Playing Dead by Daylight

Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical horror game that pits four Survivors against one terrifying Killer. It’s a tense, strategic, and often terrifying experience that has captured the hearts of horror fans worldwide. Whether you’re a newcomer drawn in by the suspense or a seasoned player looking to refine your skills, this guide will walk you through everything you need to know to survive (or dominate) in the Entity’s realm.

Understanding the Core Gameplay Mechanics

Before diving into specifics, let’s break down the fundamental gameplay loop:

The Survivor Role

As a Survivor, your primary goal is to escape the Trial. This involves:

• Repairing Generators: Five generators need to be repaired to power the exit gates. This is your main objective and will often be the primary focus of your attention.
• Avoiding the Killer: The Killer’s sole objective is to sacrifice you to the Entity. You must use stealth, strategy, and quick thinking to avoid them.
• Rescuing Teammates: If a teammate is downed and hooked by the Killer, it’s your responsibility to save them. Cooperation and timing are crucial here.
• Opening Exit Gates: Once the generators are powered, you need to open one of the exit gates to escape. This is a brief, interactive process that can be interrupted by the Killer.
• Surviving: Ultimately, your goal is to escape the Trial alive. This requires a combination of all the above skills.

The Killer Role

As the Killer, your goal is to prevent the Survivors from escaping by:

• Hunting Survivors: Use your unique powers and abilities to track down and injure Survivors.
• Downing Survivors: Once injured, a Survivor can be downed.
• Hooking Survivors: Carry downed Survivors to hooks and sacrifice them to the Entity.
• Patrolling Generators: The Survivors’ main objective is to repair generators. Prevent them by patrolling generators and disrupting their progress.
• Preventing Escapes: Use your skills to intercept Survivors as they attempt to open exit gates or escape through hatch.

Step-by-Step Guide for Survivors

Let’s delve deeper into the specific actions a Survivor needs to take to succeed. These are not ranked, and each is equally important for your survival:

1. Learning the Maps

The first crucial step is learning the different maps. Each map has a unique layout, and understanding it will give you an advantage. Pay attention to:

• Generator Spawns: Knowing common generator locations will help you find them quickly.
• Window and Pallet Locations: These are essential for escaping the Killer. Familiarize yourself with the loop structures.
• Safe Zones: Certain areas on the map offer more cover and escape routes. Identifying these will aid your survival.
• The Hook Placement: Knowing the general area of hooks can help you know how to approach a rescue situation.

You can learn maps by playing them regularly and focusing on identifying landmarks and areas of safety. Watch gameplay videos to familiarize yourself with specific map structures if needed.

2. Stealth and Awareness

Stealth is vital for surviving encounters with the Killer. Keep the following in mind:

• Walk When Needed: Running creates noise, making it easier for the Killer to locate you. Walk when you’re near a generator or are trying to be quiet.
• Crouch When Possible: Crouching reduces your noise radius and makes you harder to spot in tall grass or behind objects.
• Stay Alert to Audio Cues: The Killer’s terror radius (heartbeat) will indicate when they are nearby. Listen carefully for the Killer’s footsteps, sounds of their abilities, or other noises.
• Use Visual Cues: Pay attention to the red stain the Killer emits. The direction the stain is facing is the direction the killer is facing.
• Don’t Rush Generators: Generators produce noise, so be cautious while working on them. Move to cover if you hear or see a Killer nearby.

3. Repairing Generators

Repairing generators is the main objective, but it requires caution and efficiency:

• Skill Checks: During generator repairs, you’ll encounter skill checks. Missing these will alert the Killer to your location, set the generator back, and in some cases cause other negative effects. Focus on timing the skill checks well.
• Repair with Teammates: Repairing generators with other survivors increases repair speed. However, having more people on a single generator can also attract unwanted attention. Consider the situation and risks.
• Spread Out: Try to avoid all four survivors repairing one generator. This makes it easy for the killer to get you all in one go. Divide yourselves and repair different generators.
• Be Ready to Run: Have an escape plan in mind while working on a generator. Know where the nearest windows, pallets, or escape routes are so you can quickly move away if the Killer comes.

4. Using Pallets and Windows

Pallets and windows are crucial for creating distance between you and the Killer. Here’s how to utilize them:

• Pallet Loops: Use pallets in conjunction with windows to create “loops” around obstacles. This will make it harder for the Killer to catch up to you.
• Dropping Pallets: If you are being chased by the Killer, dropping a pallet will stun the killer and buy you some time.
• Don’t Waste Pallets: Dropping pallets when the Killer isn’t near can be wasteful, leaving you vulnerable later in the game. Use them strategically.
• Vault Windows Quickly: When vaulting through windows, be mindful of the Killer’s location and vault timing. If the Killer is nearby, the Killer may be able to grab you during the vault process.

5. Teamwork and Communication

Dead by Daylight is a team-based game, and cooperation can significantly increase your chances of survival. Here’s how to play as a team:

• Communicate: If you are playing with friends in a voice chat, communicate your location, if the killer is chasing you, or anything relevant to the game.
• Rescue Teammates: If a teammate is hooked, be cautious and strategic about your rescue. Don’t rush in headfirst. Consider if the killer is nearby before trying a rescue.
• Take Hits: If a teammate is being chased or is going for a rescue, take the hit if you are healthy. This will buy time for your team and can often turn the tide.
• Heal Teammates: Heal injured teammates so they can remain active in the trial.
• Be Aware of Your Teammates: Stay aware of your teammates’ locations and help them when necessary. If a teammate is being chased, repair a generator elsewhere to help them gain the upperhand.

6. Managing Injuries and Health

Injuries are a common occurrence in Dead by Daylight. Here’s how to manage them:

• Heal Yourself: If you are injured and have a medkit, use it to heal yourself.
• Healing Teammates: If a teammate is injured, help them heal. This will save them time and keep them active in the game.
• Avoid the Killer When Injured: Injured Survivors leave a blood trail, making it easier for the Killer to track you. Be extra cautious and focus on healing.
• Use Perks for Healing: Some perks allow you to heal faster or to heal yourself without a medkit.

7. Escaping Through Exit Gates and the Hatch

Once the generators are powered, it’s time to escape. Here’s how:

• Open the Gates: One of the two exit gates needs to be opened to escape. This process takes a short time and can be interrupted by the Killer.
• Watch Out for the Killer: When opening the gates, be aware of your surroundings. The Killer will usually patrol the gates to prevent survivors from escaping.
• The Hatch: If only one Survivor remains, the hatch will spawn. This acts as an alternate method of escape if the gates aren’t accessible.
• Hatch Stand-Off: The Killer can close the hatch if they find it before the Survivor. Once the hatch is closed, it cannot be re-opened, and the last remaining Survivor must try to open the exit gates.

Step-by-Step Guide for Killers

Playing the Killer is all about hunting, intimidation, and controlling the map. Here are the key strategies you’ll need:

1. Choosing Your Killer

Every Killer has unique abilities and playstyles. It’s essential to pick a Killer that suits your preferences:

• Experiment: Try out different Killers to see which one you enjoy playing the most.
• Learn the Lore: Each killer has a unique story, which can influence how you enjoy playing them.
• Understand the Abilities: Become proficient with each Killer’s unique abilities to use them effectively during the trial.
• Consider Your Play Style: Choose a killer that aligns with your desired playstyle (e.g., stealthy, aggressive, etc).

2. Tracking and Finding Survivors

Locating Survivors is the first step to catching them. Here’s how to become a master hunter:

• Listen Carefully: Listen for the sounds of generators being repaired, running footsteps, or the cries of injured Survivors.
• Follow Blood Trails: Injured Survivors leave a trail of blood, making them easier to track.
• Check Generators: Survivors will often be close to generators. Patrol the areas around generators to find them.
• Use Your Power: Use your killer’s unique power to locate and track survivors. Some killers have abilities that provide audio clues, and some have tracking abilities.

3. Chasing and Downing Survivors

Chasing is an essential part of being a Killer, and there are a few things to consider:

• Mind Games: Don’t be too predictable in your chase path. Change your route, and try to make the survivor think you are going to one place but then turn the other way.
• Anticipate Survivor Actions: Predict where a Survivor will go and try to cut them off.
• Utilize Your Power: Use your killer’s unique power to injure or down survivors during the chase. Some killer’s powers allow for quick downs.
• Be Patient: Don’t get frustrated if you can’t catch a survivor quickly. Try a new tactic and keep at it.

4. Hooking Survivors

Once you’ve downed a Survivor, your next goal is to hook them:

• Pick Up Quickly: Pick up a downed Survivor as fast as possible so nearby survivors have less time to intervene.
• Hook Placement: Try to hook Survivors in the center of the map or near generators, making it harder for their teammates to rescue them.
• Camp Hooks: If you are having trouble getting kills, camping near the hooks will be a good option. When camping, be aware that you may be giving the other survivors a good opportunity to fix generators.
• Monitor Rescues: If you are camping a hook, try to anticipate when the survivors might try to rescue.

5. Generator Patrol and Defense

Preventing generators from being repaired is a crucial part of the Killer role:

• Patrol: Patrol the map and check generators frequently to disrupt Survivors’ progress.
• Kick Generators: Kicking a generator will slightly reduce its progress.
• Apply Pressure: Be aware of the generator locations, and apply pressure to survivors by moving between the generators.
• Down Survivors On Generators: If you catch a survivor working on a generator, try to catch them as soon as possible.

6. Endgame Strategy

The endgame is the final test of your ability as a killer:

• Patrol the Exit Gates: Once the generators are complete, patrol the exit gates to prevent survivors from escaping.
• Close the Hatch: If only one Survivor remains, find and close the hatch before they can escape.
• Use Your Power: Use your killer’s power to intercept survivors at the exit gates and during the end game.
• Don’t Give Up: Even if survivors are close to escaping, do not give up, and do your best to get at least one kill.

Perks and Loadouts

Perks add an extra layer of strategy to Dead by Daylight. Each Survivor and Killer has their own set of perks, and you can unlock more through gameplay. Here’s how they work:

Survivor Perks

• Healing Perks: These perks allow you to heal yourself or others faster.
• Escape Perks: These perks give you an advantage when escaping the Killer.
• Generator Perks: These perks allow you to repair generators faster or more efficiently.
• Stealth Perks: These perks make it harder for the Killer to find you.
• Information Perks: These perks give you information about the killer, allowing you to make better decisions.

Killer Perks

• Tracking Perks: These perks make it easier to locate Survivors.
• Chase Perks: These perks give you an advantage during chases.
• Generator Perks: These perks help you disrupt Survivors repairing generators.
• Hook Perks: These perks help you when hooking survivors.
• Endgame Perks: These perks help you during the endgame portion of the trial.

Loadout Strategies

Combining different perks can create powerful loadouts that cater to your playstyle. Try experimenting with different combinations to find the ones that work best for you. Here are some tips:

• Balance: Don’t focus too much on one aspect of the game. Instead, have a well-balanced loadout that supports multiple aspects of gameplay.
• Synergies: Look for perks that synergize well with each other. For example, healing perks can work well with perks that make you stealthier.
• Adapt: Adjust your loadout depending on the Killer you’re facing and the map you’re playing on.

Tips for Beginners

If you’re new to Dead by Daylight, here are some tips to help you get started:

• Play Both Roles: Try playing both Survivor and Killer to get a better understanding of each role.
• Watch Gameplay Videos: Watching experienced players can teach you new techniques and strategies.
• Practice: The more you play, the better you’ll get. Don’t get discouraged if you struggle at first.
• Learn from Your Mistakes: Analyze what went wrong in each trial and use that to learn and improve.
• Have Fun: Dead by Daylight can be a tense and challenging game, but ultimately it’s about having fun.

The Entity’s Realm Awaits

Dead by Daylight is a challenging yet rewarding game with endless possibilities for improvement. Whether you choose to become a stealthy Survivor, a relentless Killer, or something in between, this guide provides a solid foundation for your journey. So, step into the fog, sharpen your skills, and may the Entity be ever in your favor!