I remember it well, in 2016 Dead by Daylight i got recommended to me by a friend of a friend. He described the game as so captivating that I absolutely couldn’t wait to play it. I bought it and after a download time of dinosaur time speeds, I was able to start. The game sounded so incredibly promising. But after a few play sessions and no one actively wanting to play it anymore, the game ended up in the fridge, like many others. I uninstalled game and left it in my library.
Your average type of map.
Until now, together with Nollie we started streaming in June. We were both incredibly looking for fun games to do. When we had eaten our breakfast together that one day in July and we both went to our own computers, I decided to have a look on twitch. After watching a few friends play the game, I suddenly discovered a whole new community of amazing people who were also into DbD. Let’s take a look together at how I re-experienced the game, how welcoming this community actually is and how I transitioned from beginner to Legion main and also avid player.
We go back to the fog and explain what is Dead by Daylight?
There are many who may not be entirely familiar with Dead by Daylight, but it is a game also known as an asymmetrical survival horror game. This game got released by Behaviour Interactive. In this game, you must try to escape from a locked room, preferably as a group of four, while being hunted by one player who takes on the role of an killer. The goal of this killer is to stop the group and feed their souls to the entity. Each killer has his own unique abilities, and each survivor can be equipped with perks (skills) to increase the chances of escape.
The game has seen tremendous growth from the time I remember the game to now. An incredible number of killers, survivors and even wonderful crossovers with wonderful horror franchises have come in, think of: A Nightmare on Elm Street, Stranger Things, and Resident Evil. These are franchises that, besides keeping DbD fresh, have also provided it with several unique features. By this I mean that through Dead by Daylight, players have the chance to play their favourite killers. In addition, they also have the chance to experience what it is like to be hunted by their favourite killer.
How did I go from casual gamer to Legion main?
When 2024 came around the corner and Nollie and I had talked about gaming many times before, we were both searching immensely for what we actually wanted to play. Although we love gaming together and really love to do so daily, on Wednesday nights we were still looking for what do we love enormously ourselves?
Nollie, for instance, loves cosy games where I started to develop an interest in streaming DbD. It may have been the nostalgia, the hype maybe? In any case, there was something that drew me back to the eerie fog of the game. I soon found out that I had to crawl before I could walk. Indeed, I started my DbD steams with a 15-hour playtime. I was still really at the beginning of the mountain and this mountain was steep.
What I noticed after a few matches played, was that I really loved one type of killer in this game, namely the Legion. Legion, from the lore point of view, consists of an killer group which consists of several characters. These are also known as Frank, Julie, Susie and Joey. The way you can play them makes them hugely dynamic and focuses on speed and confusion. Legion can quickly wound survivors with their powerful Feral Frenzy skill, where they can sprint through the level at lightning speed and attack multiple survivors in a short period of time. During these attacks, they can apply debuffs where survivors get a penalty while healing.
It felt like Legion suited me and my beginner’s style perfectly. Despite being a completely inexperienced player, I knew that with the right knowledge and training, I could learn a lot with this killer. My experience as a killer is already extremely limited and as a survivor I have absolutely no experience at all.
Dead by Daylight streaming on Wednesday night and Saturday morning
This helped me enormously to really appreciate DbD. Streaming and getting to know the incredibly friendly and, above all, super friendly communities. Because I started streaming the game, I learned an incredible amount about the mechanics, the game and also the experience. Apart from enjoying sharing my progress with my followers, I also enjoy getting tips and tricks from anyone who has even a little bit of experience with the game. I also like to get to know new viewers and players and make the game unique together. Streaming has made me play more consciously, analyse my mistakes and actively work on my strategies.
What I have learned from playing as a killer / legion is that there is still much more to it than I originally thought. Of course, in this game it doesn’t just come down to brute force and also speed, you also really need to apply a strategy and a little planning on how you plan to catch everyone without too many setbacks. Knowing when to chase, when to push and when to be patient. These are all incredibly important parts.
The evolution of Dead by Daylight
Whenever I returned to Dead by Daylight, especially after such a long time, I got to a point where I thought I was playing a totally new game. There was, to my mind, nothing left from the initial experience and I could also create new memories of the game. An incredible number of new killers and survivors got added to the game. Besides this, there have also been a huge number of maps added, tweaked mechanics and also definitely tweaked graphics. DbD’s community has very much grown and become much more diverse. This ensures that the developers remain active with updates and also balancing.
What I love to see is that the community has grown from a small and sometimes somewhat toxic group to what it is today. So incredibly passionate players, who are also all looking for new strategies and can also come up with so incredibly different builds. The community as it is now has helped me enormously in looking at the game in a new way and also taking it to the next level. This motivates me tremendously to keep going, despite the fact that losing in the game happens quite often.
What will the future hold?
Now that I am fully immersed in the world of Dead by Daylight, I am determined to keep improving my skills as a Legion main. Although I still consider myself a beginner in both killer and all survivor, I find that I am making progress every week. My goal, besides becoming incredibly good myself and also fully providing everyone with a super fun time, is to help other players understand the game better and allow them to enjoy their time in the fog as well.
When I look at Dead by Daylight, I really look forward to the future. It is a never-ending stream of challenges. I have learnt that my journey through the fog is far from over, for now I enjoy streaming, training, learn and also absolutely enjoy every round I am placed in. Are you yourself now ready to step into the fog and open the hunt? An adventure where every corner brings a happy or dangerous moment. Maybe I’ll be the one waiting for you, along with my feral frenzy. Hunting for my next prey. Do you love horror like games? Take a look at our review about Sons of the Forest.