Dead by Daylight is an asymmetrical online multiplayer game always played with five people. The 4vs1 gameplay has two teams where the player is either a killer or one of four survivors. Survivors attempt to escape an environment, while the killer needs to stop them. The killer cannot be killed, so the survivors need to work together to outsmart the hunter and get away.

Each environment has two large metal gates that can be used for the survivors to escape, along with some hatches as an alternative for a selfish getaway. The environment is usually dark with fog and fires. There are many trees, rocks and some structures and buildings. A gate is opened as soon as five generators in the environment are repaired. This takes some time and leaves the survivors vulnerable to the killer. The process can however be sped up by working together. The killer hunts down the survivors and it generally takes two hits with a melee attack to bring one down. He also moves slightly faster than the survivors even when they sprint. Downed survivors can be picked up and carried to hang on one of the many meat hooks in the environment. They are kept there while a life meter drains. When the meter is empty, the survivor is sacrificed and removed from the game. Survivors can attempt to free the hanged team mate before that happens and they can also heal each other to remove the effects of the first hit or when largely incapacitated after two. While being carried the survivor can wriggle to make it harder for the killer to move around. A similar hook struggle mechanic is used to slow down the sacrifice. When another survivor uses a flashlight on the killer while carrying someone, that character will be dropped, sometimes providing an opportunity to heal. Once hanged however, no further movement is possible until freed or sacrificed. Survivors that are hit once will moan when moving, producing sound that can reveal the location. Running also leaves behind red scratches that act as a trail the killer can follow.

Survivors have access to a broad third-person behind view, while the killer uses a narrower first-person perspective. During actions such as repairing, healing or sabotaging Skill Shot is sometimes activated at random. It is a type of Quick Time Event that requires a fast response and forces the players to watch both the environment and actions. When successful the process is sped up, but when failed the action needs to be started over. While survivors cannot outrun a killer, it is possible to slow down the hunter by quickly creating an obstacle at specific locations, jumping through windows which is much faster for them, or simply ducking and hiding based on stealth, or inside a locker. The hunter can open lockers and loud sounds such as interactions and running are visualized in the environment through icons. The killer has all generators highlighted in the environment, while survivors can see each other when someone else is hurt or hanged. Survivors generally can move around stealthily, but as soon as an action or sudden movement is performed, the killer is made aware of that. Survivors are warned of the killer's proximity through a heartbeat that increases when he closes in. Levels have crows that reveal positions for both sides when they fly away because of nearby movement.

Levels have elements of procedural generation and spawn points are never the same. Sometimes there are chests where items can be found for the survivors. There are four survivors (Dwight Fairfield, Meg Thomas, Jake Park and Claudette Morrell) and three killers (Trapper, Wraith and Hillbilly) to choose from. Each survivor has three unique perks and killers have a specific ability next to perks. These abilities include a chainsaw that brings down a survivor right away, a cloaking bell or a bear trap. They provide an advantage, but also have drawbacks such as a slight delay or sounds that alert the survivors.

For each character there is a progression and leveling system. During matches many actions based on four categories and these are rewarded with bloodpoints. They can be used afterwards in a the bloodweb, which is a skill tree. This too is procedurally generated and an entity resides in it, removing certain choices for the player after a while. Unlocking nodes provides different types of rewards such as offerings, perks, add-ons and other content. They generally provide perks and items that are either permanent or single-use and can be defined in a character's loadout. The bloodweb can be leveled up, accessing a new node system with each new level and rarer items. Additional bloodpoints can be earned by completing daily rituals. Next to the public, matchmaking multiplayer with ranked matches the game also supports private matches with friends.

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Screenshots

Dead by Daylight Windows Match results playing as the survivor Jake Park.

Dead by Daylight Windows Character selection and loadout for the Wraith

Dead by Daylight Windows It is visualized where the fourth generator was just repaired. The survivors can now open the metal gate.

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Critic Reviews

Stevivor	Oct 25, 2016	9 out of 10	90
IGN	Mar 12, 2021	9 out of 10	90
GameSpot	Aug 24, 2020	9 out of 10	90
Game Informer Magazine	Jul 06, 2016	8.25 out of 10	82
IGN España	Jun 29, 2016	7.5 out of 10	75
Jeuxvideo.com	Mar 31, 2018	15 out of 20	75
GameStar (Germany)	Jun 24, 2016	73 out of 100	73
videogamer.com	Jul 27, 2016	7 out of 10	70
Vandal Online	Jun 30, 2016	6.8 out of 10	68
GameSpot	Jul 03, 2016	6 out of 10	60