Dead by Daylight is an online asymmetric multiplayer survival horror game where one player takes on the role of the Killer, and four others play as Survivors. Here's an overview of the game's overarching storyline:
The Setting:
•The Entity's Realm: The game takes place in a surreal, otherworldly dimension known as "The Entity's Realm." This realm is composed of various "Maps" or "Realms," each with its own theme, based on the memories and experiences of the characters involved.
•The Entity: The central antagonistic force, The Entity, is an eldritch, malevolent being that traps its victims in this dimension. Its goal is to feed on powerful emotions like fear, hope, and despair, which it does by orchestrating an endless cycle of Trials.
Characters:
•Survivors: Each Survivor has a tragic backstory explaining how they ended up in The Entity's Realm. They were usually led to their fate by misfortune, despair, or curiosity, often disappearing under mysterious circumstances in their previous lives. Survivors are tasked with repairing generators to power exit gates, aiming to escape the trial.
•Killers: Killers have their own dark tales, often involving murder, revenge, or madness. They are chosen by The Entity because of their potential for violence or their existing history of killing. Their objective is to hunt down and sacrifice Survivors to The Entity by impaling them on hooks, which not only serves The Entity's hunger but also gives Killers a twisted form of satisfaction or escape from their own torment.
Core Narrative Elements:
•The Trials: Each match is referred to as a Trial, where Survivors must work together to escape while the Killer hunts them. The outcome of each Trial feeds into The Entity's ongoing narrative, with no real escape or end for those trapped.
•The Campfire: Survivors who escape or are sacrificed wake up at a campfire, a sort of limbo within The Entity's Realm. Here, they can reflect, recover, and prepare for the next Trial, never truly escaping but gaining moments of respite.
•Lore Expansion: Through updates, chapters, and The Archives (an in-game lore repository), Behaviour Interactive expands on character backstories, introduces new characters (both original and licensed from horror franchises), and elaborates on the nature of The Entity and its realm.
•The Archives: Introduces a narrative system where players can unlock additional lore through challenges. It includes "Tomes" that tell stories, offer character insights, and sometimes hint at the broader mythology of Dead by Daylight.
•Character Interactions: While the gameplay is mostly devoid of direct narrative dialogue, the lore suggests interactions between characters, especially in how they perceive each other or The Entity. For instance, some Killers might see their role as a form of liberation or punishment, while Survivors could form bonds or rivalries.
Thematic Elements:
•Cycle of Despair: The game's core theme revolves around the futility of escape and the perpetuation of suffering. No matter how many Trials are survived, the Survivors are pulled back into the cycle, embodying themes of despair, survival, and the human spirit's resilience.
•Moral Ambiguity: The narrative questions morality, with Killers often having sympathetic or tragic backstories, challenging players to consider the nature of evil and redemption.
•Influence of Horror: The game pays homage to various horror genres and tropes, incorporating elements from slasher films, supernatural horror, and psychological terror into its characters and settings.
Dead by Daylight doesn't have a linear storyline but rather an ongoing, evolving narrative through its gameplay mechanics, character backstories, and supplementary lore. The story is told through the experiences of its players, each Trial adding to the tapestry of horror and survival within The Entity's grasp.
