No. 11 of 12 · Asymmetric horror · checked September 2026
Dead by Daylight
£17.19The hide-and-seek game for adults that has quietly become the home of every horror franchise you can name. Better with friends than with strangers, and best with exactly five.
Dead by Daylight is a four-against-one match. The four survivors repair generators, open the gates and get out; the one killer, played in first person, hunts them, hangs them on hooks and tries to stop anyone leaving. The killers include the game’s own creations and a long list of licensed guests from films and other games, each with a different power and a different rhythm.
Public matches with strangers are the standard way to play, and with a group of four survivors on a call they are already good: coordinating repairs, distracting the killer and rescuing each other from hooks is real teamwork. But the game changes character in a private match with five friends. Now the killer is someone you know, the chase has commentary, and the person who left you on the hook has to explain themselves over voice. It is the best five-person game on this site, provided one of the five enjoys being hunted by the other four.
Behaviour has run it since 2016 and it shows in the polish: cross-play across PC, PlayStation, Xbox and Switch, cross-progression through a Behaviour account for most content, and quarter-hour matches with fast refills. Seasonal sales bring the base game down to a few pounds, which is the cheapest moment to get a group in.
The reservations are the shop and the temperament of public play. New killers and survivors cost money, or a very long grind in earned shards, and the seasonal Rift pass expires. Public lobbies, especially for a solo killer, can be hostile in the post-match chat. Keep the group in private matches while learning, and treat the character store as a birthday-present list rather than a bill.
What works
- The best five-friend private match on the site
- Full cross-play across consoles and PC
- Quarter-hour matches with fast lobbies
- A decade of maps, killers and licensed guests
What to know first
- New characters cost money or a long grind
- Seasonal pass expires; cosmetics are expensive
- Public lobbies can be unpleasant to beginners
The first evening: four things to do
- Start in a custom match with friends only
Private games have no penalties and no strangers. Rotate who plays killer so everyone learns both sides.
- Learn one killer and one survivor
The Trapper and Meg are the teaching characters for a reason. Perks and add-ons can wait until the group knows the maps.
- Agree hook etiquette out loud
Who rescues, and when, is the whole survivor game. Decide that the nearest player goes and the others keep repairing.
- Turn off post-match chat on PC
The end-game chat with strangers is where the unpleasantness lives. The setting to hide it is under the options, and the group loses nothing.
In play
Screenshots and artwork © Behaviour Interactive, shown for review.
Verdict
Ready, with notes. If your group is exactly five and one of you likes wearing the mask, few games deliver a better hour. Just keep the wallet closed and the matches private at first.
Best for: A five who like being scared by each other rather than by strangers.
Ready to try it?
The official site has the current price, platforms and download links. We do not sell games or take a cut.
Go to deadbydaylight.com (opens deadbydaylight.com in a new tab)