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Dead by Daylight has been adding chapters for so many years that the list is scarier than the game. The good news: none of them is required to play. The bad news: buy at random and you end up paying for killers you never touch. This guide sorts the catalogue out — what a chapter is, which ones are licensed, which are original, and the order that makes sense.
What does a Dead by Daylight chapter include?
Almost always the same thing: a new killer with three perks, and in most cases a survivor with three of their own. Some chapters also add a map. The important part is that perks are shared: once unlocked, you can teach them to your other characters, so buying a chapter is not just buying a character — it widens everyone's deck.
Do you need to buy chapters to play?
No. The base game ships with enough killers and survivors for hundreds of matches, and you will face paid characters even without owning them: you simply cannot play as them. Chapters expand your options; they are never a requirement.
What is the difference between licensed and original chapters?
Licensed ones bring characters from other horror franchises. They are the most recognisable, and also the ones worth buying sooner: licensing deals have an expiry date, and in this series a licensed chapter has already been pulled from sale once its agreement ended — while everyone who already owned it kept playing. Original chapters, made in-house, carry no such risk.
| Chapter | Source franchise | What it brings |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Hill | Silent Hill | Killer, survivor and a map of the town |
| Resident Evil | Resident Evil | Killer and survivors from the Raccoon City police station |
| A Nightmare on Elm Street | A Nightmare on Elm Street | The dream killer; one of the oldest |
| The Saw Chapter | Saw | A trap-based killer plus a survivor |
| Sadako Rising | The Ring | A killer with its own videotape mechanic |
| Ash vs Evil Dead | Evil Dead | A survivor whose perks see heavy use |
| Five Nights at Freddy's | Five Nights at Freddy's | One of the most recent in the catalogue |
In what order should you buy them as a beginner?
- Play the base game first and spend nothing. Twenty or thirty matches are enough to know whether killer or survivor suits you.
- Buy for perks, not for the character. If you lean survivor, chapters whose survivors bring healing and stealth perks are useful even if you never play that character.
- Licensed before original. Not for quality, but for availability: the originals will still be on sale later; some licensed ones may not.
- Bundles only from three chapters up. Expansion packs pay off from the third chapter onwards; below that, buying singles is usually cheaper.
Are chapters the same on PC and console?
The content is; the purchase is not. Each platform sells its own DLC and they do not transfer: a chapter bought on PC will not appear in the console version of the same account. If you play on both, plan to pay twice or pick the one you take seriously.
What if you just want to start cheaply?
Then the order is obvious: base game first, chapters once you know who you want to play. You can buy Dead by Daylight key and compare each DLC separately afterwards; there is almost always a bigger price gap between shops than between one chapter and another.
I have been a gamer for as long as I can remember, and for the last 14 years I have been making life easier for other gamers. CEO and co-founder of Gocdkeys.
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