Dead by Daylight is split into two main roles: Killer and Survivor. The Killer's main goal is to hunt down and sacrifice the Survivors. The Survivors need to evade the Killer by repairing generators around the map to power the exit gates so that they can escape. Whilst each side has its own, clear objectives, there are certain play styles or tactics that are frowned upon more than others. Players on both sides just want to have a fun experience, and there are some unwritten rules that have been created to ensure everyone plays fair.
Dead by Daylight can be quite an overwhelming game to start, and players might not understand how to play fair when they're first starting out. Whilst these rules aren't written in stone, the community values them a lot, and they're important for ensuring both sides have a good time.
9 Killers - Let Survivors Do Their Glyph Challenges
Glyphs are interactable items that spawn whenever a Survivor has the associated Rift Challenge selected. Survivors must hunt these Glyphs down on the map, and complete different challenges, depending on its color, in order to receive the Rift Rewards. Some of these Glyphs are notoriously difficult, such as the Yellow Glyph, which makes players complete various consecutive skill checks.
Being interrupted in the middle of one of these challenges can be terribly frustrating for Survivors. To help their fellow players out, it's generally considered polite for Killers to give Survivors a few extra seconds to complete their Glyph before attacking them. Whilst they obviously don't have to, it's a respectful thing to do, and the players trying to complete these challenges will be forever grateful.
8 Survivors - When The Gates Are Open, Just Leave
Once the Exit Gates are open, Survivors should really try to leave as hastily as possible. It's fair enough to wait for teammates, and to make sure they also find the exit safely, but it can be incredibly disheartening for Killers who have just had a rough match to have to wait around for the taunting Survivors to leave. It's quite common for Survivors to stick around at the gates until the Killer shows up, just to belittle them before leaving.
For players wanting to show their appreciation for the Killer in the Exit Gate, it's commonly viewed as a respectful act for Survivors to leave their items behind for the Killer. It provides the Killer with no benefits, but it's just a cute interaction between players.
7 Killers - Tunnelling Sucks To Play Against
In Dead by Daylight, tunnelling is essentially when a Killer chooses to focus on one Survivor, that has already been hooked, more than others. It's generally considered bad manners and makes the game incredibly frustrating for the unfortunate Survivor who's being hunted down.
The game does have some features in place to discourage tunnelling, such as unhooked Survivors receiving a temporary speed boost and protection from one hit from the Killer. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop some Killers, and tunnelling is pretty commonly viewed as discourteous gameplay by most of the community.
6 Survivors - Unhooking Etiquette
When a teammate is on a hook, Survivors seriously need to consider making a save their main priority. However, there are some situations where they just shouldn't bother. For example, unhooking a Survivor whilst the Killer is already waiting at the hook means that players will be sending their teammate to another immediate death sentence.
This is a really frustrating situation for the poor Survivor being hooked, as it's almost as if they're up against the Killer AND their teammate. It's important for Survivors to make sure they consider whether going for the unhook will be safe, and not give the Killer a free extra hook state.
5 Killers - Slugging Is Very Frustrating To Play Against
In Dead by Daylight, slugging is when a Killer leaves a Survivor in the Downed state for extended periods of time. This can even extend to having up to the full team on the floor. It's one of the most boring, least interactive tactics a Killer can use in the game, and players should try to avoid doing it, unless completely necessary, out of respect for their opponents. Slugging leaves Survivors left with nothing to do but wait around to either bleed out or eventually be picked up by the Killer in an act of mercy, making it an incredibly boring gameplay experience.
Some Killers do have powers that promote slugging more than others, such as The Twins or The Oni, and it can be understandable in these cases. However, in most cases, slugging will just leave a sour taste in most players' mouths.
4 Survivors - Don't Waste A Teammate's Time
Survivors should make sure that they're being useful whilst their teammate is in a chase and buying their team time. Crouching around on the other side of the map is an insult to the Survivor risking their life by taking some of the heat from the Killer. A good teammate will make sure they're making valuable use of the time their teammate is buying for them.
This includes repairing generators, healing and unhooking other Survivors, cleansing or booning Totems, or dealing with Killer specific items. Generators should really be a priority, but anything that helps the team in some sort of way is always better than nothing.
3 Killers - Camping Is Situational, But Should Be Avoided
In some circumstances, camping is understandable. When Killers have very little options left to secure a kill, camping a hooked Survivor may be the only valid tactic left. Some Killers, such as The Cannibal, excel at baiting Survivors to come rescue their poor hooked teammates, only to ambush them, letting them score a few knockdowns.
However, in most situations, camping sucks for both sides. Killers will lose any pressure they have by camping if the remaining Survivors are smart, as they'll just continue to work on generators with no worry of being disturbed. It's also incredibly unfun for the Survivor, who just has to hang there on the hook, with very little counterplay available. Camping is one of the least interactive tactics in the game, and should really be avoided for the sake of both sides.
2 Survivors - Communication Without Communication
For players in solo queue, it can be difficult, and pretty much impossible, to communicate with the rest of the Survivors. However, players have somewhat developed their own language, using their character's body and the few gestures they have access to. For example, if a Survivor approaches another Survivor and stands still next to them, they probably want to be healed. Additionally, crouching a few times after a heal is a way to say "thank you", without words. This can also work the other way around - if a healthy survivor approaches an injured one and stands still next to them, they probably want to heal the injured Survivor. They may try to initiate this with the 'follow me' gesture.
Another way Survivors communicate with each other is through flashlights. Survivors will often click their flashlights to get someone's attention, and point it at whatever they want to bring their attention to. There are plenty of small, subtle gestures Survivors will do to communicate with each other, and it's something players will pick up on the more they play.
1 Killers And Survivors - Just Have Fun!
The most important thing to remember is to have fun. At the end of the day, Dead by Daylight is a video game, that people play to have a good time. The game is at its most fun when players don't take it too seriously. It's very easy to be kind.
Players should always make sure they're being a good sport and that everyone is having fun. Whilst it's undeniable that one side will always be better than the other, it's still possible for both sides to have a good time, as long as players are respectful to one another. By staying positive, everyone can have a better experience.
Dead by Daylight is currently available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.