Since its original launch in 2016, Dead By Daylight has continued to evolve and grow within the video game and horror community. When it first started there were only three Killers and four Survivors, now there are 24 murdering psychopaths and 27 poor victims for them to hunt down.

RELATED: Dead By Daylight: Every Daily Ritual For Survivors (And How To Complete Them)

With so many characters in this, at times, brutally hard multiplayer survival horror game, it can be difficult for new players to figure out where to get started and what it is they need to do to survive. There's a vast ocean of meta gameplay and character builds that you could spend hours barely scratching the surface of, but instead of diving too deep into it here's a brief rundown of a few key things to know as a beginner.

Updated on October 8, 2021, by Matthew Mckeown: Dead By Daylight is constantly changing. Barely any time goes past without a new update patching in some new features, mechanics being balanced, or a big content drop in the form of some brand new DLC.

Their latest addition is a suitably spooking Survivor by the name of Mikaela Reid as part of their Hour of the Witch Chapter. Dead By Daylight is an ever-changing game, and with power levels regularly in flux, it can be difficult for new players to jump feet first into this game. To make that landing a little softer, here are some more Dead By Daylight Tips Survivor players need to know.

15 Don't Get Attached To Add-Ons

Dead By Daylight: Beneficial Add-Ons For The Blight

When you first start out in Dead By Daylight you don't have much to play with. Your pockets are empty and your survival chances are low, but as Trial after Trial passes you start to amass items and add-ons that can be collected from chests in-game.

These mysterious consumables can always give you an edge and their effects vary depending on what you get. They're finite and used after a Trial (unless you use a totem) and your initial instinct would be to hoard them. Don't do this, it's incredibly easy to get more and the benefits they can provide, such as allowing you to live longer than you would without them, far outweigh not using them.

14 Every Pallet Is A Lifeline

Dead By Daylight: Player Using Pallets To Escape Killer

As a Survivor, you don't really have a lot of things to use in your defense against what are some seriously strong and overpowered Killers. Whilst there are items such as flashbangs and torches that can give you a temporary reprieve, your main focus should be on finding where the best collection of Pallets are.

These big wooden stacks can be thrown down in front of a pursing Killer to slow them down or slid across to escape their grasp. Whilst they can be broken down, the animation for doing so takes a while giving you plenty of time to mount your escape. Try to hang out near a large clump of them on the map to give yourself plenty of ways to escape any murderous entity that's coming after you.

13 Cleanse Totems When You Find Them

Dead By Daylight: Hex Totem Model Ingame

A fairly recent addition to the game that came with Patch 1.3.0, Totems are small occult objects that appear on the map and they can be used by Killers to exert all sorts of nasty map-wide debuffs.

Each round spawns five of them in random locations and Survivors can cleanse them to gain Bloodpoints, the currency of Dead By Daylight, or to remove any hex that's been placed on it. They can be difficult to spot so scour every surface when you're running around the level.

12 Flashlights Are Great For Getting Away

Dead By Daylight: Survivor Blinding Killer With Flashlight

Even though it can seem at first that the odds are stacked against you as a Survivor, you still have a number of tools in your arsenal that you can use to keep yourself alive. From medkits to flash grenades, there's a lot to choose from but for those just starting out, one thing you always want in your inventory is a Flashlight.

RELATED: Dead By Daylight: Best Items For Survival

Not only does this illuminate some of the darker maps, but it can also be used to blind Killers allowing for a speedy getaway. Although some of them will go into a melee frenzy when they're blinded, so get ready to run if you're too close.

11 Don't Wander Off

Dead By Daylight: Survivor Cornered By KPop Killer

Some of the maps in Dead By Daylight are absolutely massive with most having multiple layers. If you're new to the game it can be incredibly easy to get turned around or separate from other survivors.

Being alone is one of the worst things you can do in Dead By Daylight as opportunistic Killers can pick you off from the shadows without anyone being able to come help. So if you find another Survivor running around, try to stick with them for a while because if one of you is downed, the other can still rescue them.

10 Teamwork Is Not Required, But It Helps

Dead by Daylight: Leon And Jill Repairing Generator

Although it is possible to completely win a Trial as a solo Survivor in Dead By Daylight, it's much easier and more fun if you work together as a team. Working as a group means you can keep an eye on where the Killer is, or mount a rescue mission for anyone they've captured.

RELATED: Dead By Daylight: Things That Are Good Team Etiquette (& Things That Are Definitely Not)

Or if you're feeling brave you could have two people off running distraction tactics whilst the other two go around repairing Generators as quickly as possible. So bring along a friend if you can or mic up if you can't otherwise you might be in for a rough time as a new player in Dead By Daylight.

9 Don't Run Away In A Straight Line

Dead By Daylight: Scratch Marks Left By Survivor Fleeing Killer

As a Survivor when you see a Killer your only real defense is to turn tail and run as fast as you can in the opposite direction and hope that they don't catch up. Whilst you're running your character will leave large glowing scratch marks on the ground which the killer can track.

So if you run in a straight line away from the current rounds murderous psychopath they're going to find you in a couple of seconds. Try to throw in some zigs and zags, double back on yourself, and switch to walking as that doesn't leave scratches. Your objective is to confuse your pursuer as much as you can, so get creative with your escape.

8 Play As A Killer

Dead By Daylight: Blight Closing The Gap On Survivor

Yes the list is about Survivors, but the quickest way to learn how the other side thinks is to get in their shoes. Spending time playing as a Killer can be beneficial to first-timers that are trying to learn the ropes of this game.

But, this doesn't mean you should sink hours into a Killer, instead try a few rounds, watch what other Survivors do to avoid you and then replicate it yourself in your own games. Knowing what simple tricks the Dead By Daylight Community uses to escape and confuse Killers can be quite handy and there may be things that other players do that you never would have considered.

7 Most Killers Have A Weakness

Dead By Daylight: Masked Killer Legion Attacking

Whilst the Killers may seem like unstoppable forces of nature and they may feel like that at times, they do have their own drawbacks that you can take advantage of and use to run rings around them.

RELATED: Dead By Daylight: Ways The Killers Are OP (& Ways The Survivors Can Be)

The chainsaw-wielding hillbilly for example can only go in a straight line once he launches his attack, whilst the Deathslinger has a long wind up to retract his chain after missed shots. So when you see a Killer winding up an attack, try to duck, dip, dive, and dodge around them to make them waste it then use this time to run away.

6 Stay On The Move

Dead By Daylight: Dwight Survivor Running From Killer

There are a lot of great places to hide in Dead By Daylight, from under beds to inside closets dotted around the maps. Whilst these are good for quick escapes, staying inside them for too long turns them into a guaranteed death trap.

Killers tend to check known hiding spots fairly often and the longer you hide, the more scratches will appear around your spot. So try to keep on the move if you can, or since Survivors have more freedom of movement with their camera, try to track the Killers movements from afar and always keep a wall or tree between you or them.

5 Know Your Characters Perks

Dead By Daylight: Original Non-DLC Survivors

There's quite a lot of character customization available in Dead By Daylight, especially once you push up into those higher levels. There's a ton of perks that each Survivor has as well as some pretty powerful ones that can be taught to them once they hit level 40 and above.

Dwight for example is more tech-focused and his skills buff Generator repair, whilst Meg is an athlete who's all about putting distance between herself and any threat. Try to find a Survivor and list of perks that work for you as the right loadout can make you pretty powerful.

4 Try Teachable Perks

Dead By Daylight split image Cheryl Mason official art in center with screenshots of the game's perk selection menu on either side.

The Survivor Perks you can unlock for each character are pretty strong and you can have plenty of successful runs without changing them. But if you want to improve your chances of late-game survival then swapping in some Teachable Perks is an absolute must.

For example, using Self-Care allows you to heal without requiring a healing item, with the downside of a slow healing animation speed. There's also Decisive Strike which lets you escape from a Killers grasp by successfully performing a skill check. There are some seriously strong buffs in there and you can unlock most of these at level 30, but there are also a few available at levels 35 and 40. So as soon as you hit that cap start getting creative with your character's Perks.

3 Survivors Have Their Own Unique Stats

Dead By Daylight: Meg, Dwight, Feng Survivors

Each Survivor in Dead By Daylight is more than just a different skin, these poor tormented souls come with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Mastering those should be your goal as the stronger they get, the more useful they are to the team and the easier it becomes to escape.

For example, Meg is good at scouting, so she's perfect for running around to locate where generators and exit gates are, whilst Dwight is slower but better at repairs. If you're playing with friends, find a Survivor setup that works well together and you eventually you'll breeze through Trials.

2 Generators Should Always Be Your Goal

Dead By Daylight: Players Repairing Generator Together

The main goal of Dead By Daylight is getting out alive and this is managed by turning on Generators, powering a gate or escape grate, and then leaving through it before you're caught by whatever masked murderer is prowling around.

Whilst running around trying not to die will take the majority of your concentration, the way out won't open unless it's powered. It takes a while for one survivor to fix just one Generator and the longer it takes the more time the Killer has to whittle down your numbers and shrink your chances of getting out alive. So the second you hit the ground running you should make a beeline straight for the Generators as soon as you can.

1 Learn The Maps

Dead By Daylight: Snow Covered Resort Map

One of the most simple and best Dead By Daylight beginner tips that can be given is, just learn the maps. Some areas are more beneficial to Survivors, whilst others are a Killers playground. So knowing your way around a level can be a lifesaving skill in a chase.

Knowing a level inside and out also means you'll have a better idea of where generators, hooks, and exit gates are as well as what the best loop or escape routes are located. Although prop placement is mostly random, knowing the general area to head to as soon as a Trial starts means you can hit the ground running.

NEXT: Dead By Daylight: A Complete Guide