Behaviour Interactive’s ‘Dead by Daylight’ is getting a board game adaptation

Popular horror game Dead by Daylight is set to get a board game adaptation, pitting players against each other in a new Kickstarter-funded game.

The original Dead by Daylight was released in 2016, setting a single player up against four others for a nerve-racking multiplayer horror experience. In the video game, a single player takes on the role of a deadly killer, who spends each match tracking down and attempting to off every remaining survivor. Survivors work together to avoid the killer and repair a handful of generators, which — when powered up — will allow the survivors to escape.

There are a variety of killers to choose from in the Dead by Daylight video game, each of whom offers up a different set of perks. The Nurse can teleport short distances, the Wraith can turn semi-invisible, the Trapper lays out bear traps for unwitting survivors to stumble into, and each of the game’s other killer options — of which there are 24 — offer up their own unique benefits.

Some of these rules will likely carry over into the board game, which strives to maintain the cooperative nature of its namesake. Here’s everything we know about the upcoming Kickstarter game.

Dead by Daylight: The Board Game

Interactive gaming business Level 99 announced its involvement in the Dead by Daylight board game on March 1, explaining via a simple post that the game has been in development “since the middle of 2021.”

The game has yet to launch on Kickstarter, but a webpage for the upcoming project does exist. Gamers eager to follow the board game adaptation’s journey can select “notify me on launch” to stay in the loop. As the project moves closer to its official Kickstarter launch, Level 99 advises fans to keep an eye on its social channels to stay up-to-date on emerging details.

The announcement post from Level 99 also includes several teaser photos of the game, which features intricate, unpainted miniatures, a straightforward board, and character cards. Additional photos show what the miniatures can look like painted, courtesy of Level 99’s “eminent sculptor,” Sergey Popovichev. The figures included in the images show what survivors Meg, Jake, Feng Min, Charlotte, and Dwight can look like for players who purchase the game.

It also comes with an intimidating hook, which killers presumably use to ensnare captured survivors.

Because the game has yet to launch on Kickstarter, details about what to expect remain rather slim. It looks like at least five players can enjoy the game at once, similar to the video game, and appears to have tokens that can be collected. It appears, based on the photos, that players navigate the board to collect bonuses and tokens, all while avoiding the killer.

Dead by Daylight: The Board Game looks to be a worthwhile adaptation of the original. The released images indicate that the game maintains the soul of its predecessor while also carefully shifting certain elements to ensure it works in the board game format.

I, for one, can’t wait to play.