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Don’t let Ghost Face’s Mortal Kombat guest appearance fool you: no game has a better roster of horror baddies than Dead by Daylight. Every chapter brings some fresh nightmare to The Entity’s Realm, whether it’s a new killer, survivor, or map to play in. Buffs and nerfs have kept the meta in flux, so there’s an argument for pretty much every chapter, but some stand out from others. Whether they brought important perks, classic characters, or even brand-new mechanics, these are the 10 best Dead by Daylight chapters for chills and thrills this Halloween, in no particular order.
Chapter 5: A Lullaby for the Dark
(Updated on October 11, 2024 – updated intro, entries, and links)
A Lullaby for the Dark is the chapter that introduced The Huntress. This hatchet-throwing killer proved so popular that she even earned a spot in Hooked on You, DbD‘s official dating sim. “Throw hatchet, hit target” is an easy concept for new players to grasp, but there’s almost unlimited potential for growth and skill expression. From cross-map snipes and gap shots to orbitals, DbD just wouldn’t feel the same without Huntress. This chapter also gave us David and Dead Hard, which remains one of the game’s strongest perks.
Chapter 16: Silent Hill
Cheryl Mason and her variants (in particular James Sunderland) remain some of the most popular licensed characters, but Chapter 16 delivered much more. Pyramid Head feels somewhat clunky after his rework, but delivering a mid-match Final Judgment Mori is super satisfying. Even more satisfying? Nailing a blind Punishment of the Damned shot through a wall. Chapter 16 also gave us Midwich, which makes all the Nurse mains happy.
Chapter 3.5: Left Behind
Yes, Left Behind is technically a half-chapter DLC, but 3.5 had a bigger impact than most full chapters. In addition to bringing beloved veteran of the apocalypse Bill Overbeck into the Trials, it brought his perks. Left Behind is meh, but Unbreakable and Borrowed Time were the undisputed kings of Anti-Slug and Anti-Tunnel builds. Given the popularity of those strategies, Chapter 3.5 was the defining chapter for the survivor meta. Even after all this time and countless buffs, nerfs, and reworks, Bill and his perks still get love.
Chapter 31: All Things Wicked
Totems remain ignored by many despite their game-changing potential. Killers had Hexes, but survivors had no counterpart until Mikaela brought Boons. All Things Wicked brought Sable Ward memes but also Invocation: Weaving Spiders, an all-new mechanic. Though we haven’t seen its real potential yet, it leaves room for big things to come. Best of all, however, All Things Wicked introduced The Unknown, one of Behaviour’s most fun and dynamic original killers, even if Blight and Nurse remain the strongest.
Chapter 5.5: Leatherface
Another half-chapter with sweeping changes for the game, 5.5 added the Cannibal. Best known for face-camping and Basement Bubba, Texas Chain Saw Massacre‘s favorite son may have done more for the game’s memes than anything else. Even after the anti-face-camping rework, nothing thrills quite like getting chased by a bloodthirsty Bubba during End Game Collapse. Even if you’re not a fan of Leatherface, Chapter 5.5 is great. Barbeque & Chili was a must-have Bloodpoint factory for years and is still a solid aura perk.
Chapter 30: Chucky
There were many attractive features with the Chucky release, but in particular, his mechanics were a real stand-out. Given how Chucky has a major height disadvantage, Behaviour incorporated the spirit of Charles Lee Ray in assisting Chucky with lifting, carrying, and hooking survivors. He can also scamper under pallets, lunge at Survivors, and enter Hidey-Ho Mode to remain undetected. Overall, Chucky was a very clever, well-executed addition to the game, and the inclusion of Tiffany makes it all the better.
Chapter 2: The HALLOWEEN Chapter
Perhaps the most famous horror movie to ever exist, Halloween follows the rivalry of Michael Myers and his estranged sister, Laurie Strode, at least in some versions. Not only are Michael and Laurie an infamous duo, but they also contributed to Dead By Daylight‘s popularity.
The HALLOWEEN Chapter peaked the interest of countless players, who have since stuck around dozens of Chapters later. We would even be so bold as to say DBD owes most of its loyal fanbase to the introduction of Chapter 2 with a crossover no one ever saw coming. You tried, Trapper.
Chapter 23: Sadako Rising
Along with Sadako came Yoichi Asakawa, a character from the 1998 film adaptation of Ring. He is based on the novel character Yoko Asakawa, daughter of Kazuyuki Asakawa. What makes Sadako Rising such an engaging Chapter is the intricate tie-ins to the Ring lore, especially those alluding to Yoichi’s future as an adult. In the film, we only see seven-year-old Yoichi, so it speaks to Behaviour’s creativity that they developed a whole personality for his older self and incorporated that into the Ring timeline.
Chapter 25: Resident Evil: PROJECT W
Five Chapters before PROJECT W, Dead By Daylight paved the way with Jill Valentine, Leon Kennedy, and Nemesis. With The Mastermind came Ada Wong and Rebecca Chambers, two highly respected characters in the horror sphere. We could go on and on with all the positives that PROJECT W brings to the table, but the biggest reference comes with Wesker replacing his glasses after his Mori. We’re kidding, of course. The character designs are impeccable and the Perks are excellent adaptations of each character’s attributes. But the glasses are still a big bonus.
Chapter 13: Stranger Things
Nothing could compare to the collective excitement DBD fans experienced when it became common knowledge that a Stranger Things Chapter was on the way. We got Steve Harrington, Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers, and the Demogorgon. What else could any Stranger Things fan need? If there were ever any doubt as to how beloved the Stranger Things Chapter truly is, just compare the monthly players during the times where the Chapter was active versus when Behaviour had to remove it due to licensing issues. When the license was reinstated, fans went bananas.
