Deal | Free for a limited time: Multiplayer survival horror on Steam
In Dead by Daylight, players step into the role of a ruthless killer or join a team of four survivors fighting to escape. The killer hunts from a first-person perspective, while survivors use a third-person view to evade capture and repair generators to unlock the exit. The game draws heavily from classic horror films and games, featuring both original characters and licensed ones from series such as Resident Evil, Silent Hill and Five Nights at Freddy’s. With procedurally generated maps, each match offers a fresh and unpredictable challenge.
At the core of Dead by Daylight is its asymmetrical multiplayer design. The killer uses clues such as scratch marks, blood trails and sounds to hunt down survivors, aided by unique powers like teleportation or bear traps. Survivors, on the other hand, rely on stealth, clever hiding spots and teamwork to stay alive. Cooperation is key – while one player distracts the killer, others might finish repairing the final generator. Sometimes survival means making tough choices, like sacrificing yourself so the rest of your team can escape. A deep progression system lets you customize each character to suit your playstyle, offering strategic perks for both hunting and surviving.
Reviews: Thrilling gameplay, but heavy grind
The German gaming site Gameslore.de reviewed Dead by Daylight in August 2021 and gave it a consistently positive verdict. The review praised the game’s thrilling and varied gameplay, driven by its asymmetrical design, which manages to remain accessible despite its depth and complexity. The extensive progression system was highlighted for keeping players motivated in the long term, while regular content updates help keep the experience fresh. Testers also appreciated the fair access to original content – non-licensed characters can be unlocked using in-game currency.
However, Gameslore also pointed out some drawbacks. The large amount of paid DLC was a major criticism, especially since killers and survivors from popular franchises are only available for real money. The review also highlighted the heavy grind involved – unlocking new perks and characters can take considerable time. Although Gameslore did not assign a final score, the review clearly recommended the game despite the mentioned drawbacks.
On Metacritic, Dead by Daylight holds a Metascore of 71 and a relatively low User Score of 5.5, largely due to ongoing complaints about balancing issues. The Steam community is a bit more generous, with 79% of over 580,000 user reviews giving the game a positive rating.
Free weekend followed by a 60% discount
Dead by Daylight, developed by Behaviour Interactive, was released in June 2016 and typically sells for around $20 on Steam. Right now, you can try it for free until June 22. If you decide to keep playing, the full game is available for about $8 thanks to a 60% discount running until June 26. According to SteamDB, this price is fairly common – the game was even slightly cheaper last December with a 65% discount. So if you're not in a rush, waiting might get you a better deal.
Disclaimer: Notebookcheck is not responsible for price changes carried out by retailers. The discounted price or deal mentioned in this item was available at the time of writing and may be subject to time restrictions and/or limited unit availability.
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