💀 Dead by Daylight Build Guide

Perfect DBD builds for every role,
every trial.

Find high-impact survivor and killer setups, counter guides, beginner tips, or craft your own loadout in seconds.

⚅
Feeling Lucky?
—
Total Builds
—
Survivor Builds
—
Killer Builds
324
Perks
🏃 Survivor builds
🔪 Killer builds
⚡ Current meta

Strong picks in the current patch — updated with each major balance change.

All Builds
Create Build

Select perks, fill in the details, and save your build.

👤 Select Role
⚡ Perks

Click a slot to add or change a perk. Hover and press ✕ to remove.

📝 Build Details
👁️ Preview
ROLE
🏃 Survivor
BUILD NAME
Unnamed Build
PERKS
💡 Tips
  • • You can add up to 4 perks
  • • The same perk cannot be selected twice
  • • Saved builds appear in Browse
  • • Login to save and share builds
📋 Patch Notes

Live from Steam — Dead by Daylight official announcements and patch notes.

Loading…
Tier List

Current meta rankings — S through D, updated for the 2026 meta.

🕯️ Shrine of Secrets

Weekly teachable perk rotation — buy with Iridescent Shards, no grind needed

Loading Shrine…
Community Tier List
Loading…
📖 Beginner Guide 2026

How to Play Dead by Daylight

The complete beginner guide — from your first trial to understanding builds, perks, and strategy.

What is Dead by Daylight?

Dead by Daylight is a 1v4 asymmetric survival horror game where four Survivors face off against one Killer in a single match. Survivors must cooperate to repair five generators around the map, power the Exit Gates, and escape. The Killer’s job is to hunt them down, down them, and place them on hooks before they can flee.

Every trial is built around a loop of risk and reward. Survivors balance time spent repairing generators with the danger of being spotted. Killers build pressure by controlling territory, breaking pallets, and forcing survivors to make mistakes. A single bad chase or a missed save can swing the entire match.

DBD also includes progression outside the match. Bloodpoints are earned for actions like repairing, healing, and hitting survivors. You spend those points in the Bloodweb to unlock new perks, add-ons, and offerings. That means every trial matters, even when you lose.

1v4Asymmetric format
5Generators to repair
4Perks per loadout
30+Maps and realms

How to Play Survivor in DBD

Survivors win by repairing five generators and opening one of the Exit Gates. The match starts slowly, but the killer will soon begin to patrol the generators. Early in the trial, look for the three closest generators to your starting point and begin repairing the one with the best cover.

Repairing a generator takes around 80 seconds of continuous progress. Every so often a skill check will appear; hit the green zone to keep repairing silently. If you miss a skill check, the generator explodes loudly and the killer receives a clear audio cue.

Once generators are nearly complete, the Exit Gates can be powered. If you are the last survivor left, the Hatch will spawn instead. The Hatch gives an alternate escape route, but only if you are the last one alive and the killer is not nearby.

1
Repair generators
Find generators (yellow sparks visible in the dark) and hold the interact button. Keep repairing unless the killer is actively nearby — your team cannot win without gen progress.
2
Loop the killer in chase
When chased, run toward pallets, windows, and obstacles — not away in a straight line. Killers are faster than survivors, so surviving a chase depends on using the map, not raw speed.
3
Rescue and heal teammates
Hooked survivors pass through three phases before dying. Unhook them when the killer is away, then heal them behind cover. Healing alone takes longer, so working together is safer.
4
Escape through Exit Gates
After all generators are repaired, hold the interact button at an Exit Gate panel for 20 seconds to open it. If you are the last survivor, the Hatch may appear instead — finding it quickly is often the safest escape.

Best Perks for Beginners in DBD

Perks are the most important part of your build. They can help you repair faster, survive longer, or get rescued safely. For new players, choose perks that are easy to understand and that reward good positioning and timing.

Survivor perks like Borrowed Time, Sprint Burst, and Dead Hard offer clear, immediate benefits. Killer perks like BBQ & Chili and Corrupt Intervention help you track survivors and slow their progress without needing perfect aim.

Use one or two perks that change your playstyle, then keep the other slots empty or fill them with simple utility perks. This keeps your early matches easier to manage while you learn the map and chase flow.

How to Play Killer for Beginners

As Killer, you are the hunter. Your win condition is to hook all four survivors and sacrifice them before they can finish generators. Killers benefit from a larger movement pool and a unique power that can be used to pressure survivors in different ways.

Start each trial by patrolling the generators and the areas around them. Look for scratch marks, crows, and noise cues from skill checks. The faster you find a survivor, the less time they have to complete generator progress.

1
Patrol generators constantly
Do not stay in one area. Move between generators — especially clustered ones. Every interrupted repair slows the survivors down and gives you more time.
2
Down and hook efficiently
Survivors usually need two hits to be downed. Carry the first downed survivor to the nearest hook and place them quickly. Hook pressure is what forces their teammates to respond.
3
Avoid camping and tunnelling
Camping and tunnelling are common mistakes for new killers. After a hook, leave the area and look for the next survivor. This keeps gen pressure high and makes it harder for survivors to predict you.
4
Pick a beginner-friendly killer
Start with a killer whose power is easy to learn, like The Trapper, The Wraith, or The Hillbilly. These killers teach you patrol, chase, and hook pressure without overwhelming you with advanced mechanics.

DBD Tips and Tricks for New Players

These practical habits improve both survivor and killer play. Treat each match as a learning opportunity and focus on one or two of these tips at a time.

🎯
Hit great skill checks. A great skill check gives a repair bonus and no loud sound. Practice the timing — it quickly becomes one of the biggest sources of extra progress.
👣
Watch your scratch marks. Running leaves visible red trails. Stop briefly or crouch near a loop to break the trail and make the killer lose your path.
❤️
Use the terror radius as a warning. The heartbeat grows louder the closer the killer gets. If it intensifies, prepare to stop repairing and move to the nearest safe structure.
🔧
Prioritise clustered generators. Working on generators near each other means the killer must cover less ground. Spread the map later, but early matches are easier when your team stays close.
🪝
Safe unhooks only. Don’t rush a rescue if the killer is watching the hook. Wait until there is a window to act, or use Borrowed Time to make the save safer.
🏃
Run toward structures, not away. Most beginners flee straight from the killer. Instead, head into a pallet loop or window to create distance and delay the chase.

Common Mistakes New DBD Players Make

Every new player makes mistakes. The key is to notice patterns and change your habits. Start by fixing one or two errors per session.

Many beginners spend too much time running or hiding instead of generating progress. Remember: the survivors only win if generators are completed, and the killer only wins if hooks keep survivors off the map.

Hiding in lockers or corners for most of the match
Fix: Generators are your win condition. Only hide when the killer is in your immediate area. Every second hiding instead of repairing is progress your team cannot recover.
Running directly away from the killer in a straight line
Fix: Run toward the nearest loop — a pallet, window, or obstacle. Killers are faster; you must use the map structure to survive a chase, not your speed.
Healing out in the open
Fix: Heal behind cover or in a corner with a clear sightline on approach. Healing in the centre of the map makes you an immediate, easy target.
Rushing to unhook while the killer is still nearby
Fix: Wait for the killer to leave. A failed rescue gives the killer two easy downs. Run the perk Borrowed Time if you must unhook under pressure.
Running multiple exhaustion perks at once
Fix: Run only one exhaustion perk (Dead Hard, Sprint Burst, Lithe, or Balanced Landing). They share the same cooldown, so stacking them wastes three perk slots.
Ignoring the generator closest to the killer's starting position
Fix: That generator is often the first the killer will check. If you start on it, finish it quickly or move to a safer one. Assess the killer's first patrol path and adjust.

Beginner Builds from the Community

Easy-rated builds from the community — a solid starting point before you unlock more advanced perk options.

Loading…
📜 Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated: June 21, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using DBD Companion ("the Site"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the Site.

2. Fan Site Disclaimer

DBD Companion is an independent, unofficial fan site. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Behaviour Interactive Inc. in any way. All Dead by Daylight trademarks, game content, perk names, and character names are the property of their respective owners.

3. User Accounts

To create builds, like content, or comment, you must register for an account. You are responsible for:

  • Maintaining the confidentiality of your credentials
  • All activity that occurs under your account
  • Providing accurate registration information
  • Verifying your email address to unlock full features

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms.

4. User-Generated Content

When you submit builds or comments, you grant DBD Companion a non-exclusive, royalty-free licence to display and distribute that content on the Site. You must not post content that:

  • Is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, or defamatory
  • Infringes on any third-party intellectual property rights
  • Contains spam, advertising, or unsolicited promotions
  • Impersonates any person or entity

We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these rules without notice.

5. Intellectual Property

The Site's original design, code, and structure are owned by DBD Companion. Dead by Daylight game assets (perk icons, character names, lore) belong to Behaviour Interactive and are used under fair-use principles for non-commercial fan purposes.

6. Disclaimers

The Site is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. Build information is community-sourced and may not reflect the current game balance. DBD Companion is not liable for any damages arising from use of the Site or reliance on its content.

7. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms at any time. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised terms. Significant changes will be announced via a site notice.

8. Contact

Questions about these terms? Reach us at the Contact page.

🔒 Privacy

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 21, 2026

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the minimum data needed to run the Site:

  • Account data: Username, email address, and hashed password stored via Supabase Auth
  • User content: Builds, comments, and likes you create on the Site
  • Usage data: Standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages visited) retained for up to 30 days

We do not sell or share your personal data with third parties for marketing purposes.

2. How We Use Your Data

Your data is used solely to:

  • Authenticate your account and keep it secure
  • Display your username and rank on builds and comments
  • Send account-related emails (verification, password reset)
  • Maintain site integrity and prevent abuse

3. Authentication & Storage

Authentication is handled by Supabase, a GDPR-compliant backend platform. Your auth token is stored in your browser's localStorage and is never exposed to other users. Passwords are never stored in plain text.

4. Cookies & Local Storage

The Site uses browser localStorage for:

  • Your authentication session token
  • A short-lived build list cache (5-minute TTL) to reduce server requests

We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking scripts.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

  • Supabase — authentication and database hosting. See Supabase Privacy Policy.
  • Dead by Daylight Wiki — perk images are loaded from the public wiki CDN. No personal data is shared.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access the personal data we hold about you
  • Request correction of inaccurate data
  • Request deletion of your account and associated data

To exercise these rights, contact us via the Contact page.

7. Data Retention

Account data is retained until you request deletion. Server logs are purged after 30 days. Build and comment data associated with a deleted account is anonymised but may remain visible on the Site.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy as the Site evolves. Material changes will be flagged on the Site. Continued use after a policy update constitutes acceptance.

✅