There have been a number of DLCs released for Dead By Daylight that fans both love and hate. Some have introduced terrifying new killers, strong survivors, and nightmarish areas to fight in. Others not so much.
Based on fans' opinions and how popular aspects of the DLC have been among the player base here are all of the DLCs made by Behaviour Interactive and how they stack up against each other.
Update February 27th, 2021 by Ben Baker: A lot has changed since this article first published in 2019. Five new DLCs have been released. Some have had interesting impacts on the game and have become fairly popular. This list has been adjusted to include the new DLCs and reflect their current popularity with the fanbase.
18 Ghost Face
The least favorite DLC has to be Ghost Face, it introduces a recreation of the killer from the popular movie series Scream and… that’s kind of it. Every other expansion on this list always includes a killer, survivor, and a new realm to explore, but this one had only the killer.
Unless you’re a dedicated Scream fan this DLC just wasn’t worth it.
17 Shattered Bloodline
Shattered Bloodline had a lot of potential, but poor design led to much of the fanbase not enjoying it. The Spirit is certainly a terrifying killer and Adam Francis was okay as a survivor, but the Family Residence map for the Yamoaka Estate realm is why this DLC is so loathed.
Related: 10 Things You Didn’t Know You Could Do In Dead By Daylight
It’s considered one of the least popular maps and neither the killer nor the survivor has been able to make up for that. It’s a shame considering how popular Japanse themed horror is, but this DLC just didn’t stick.
16 A Binding Of Kin
A Binding of Kin is great in concept but terrible in execution. The Twins make for a terrifying Killer, and the ability to swap between Victor and Charlotte is an interesting change of pace. Unfortunately, they’re built for camping. Seeing Victor on dark maps is next to impossible which makes playing against this killer annoying, and sitting around waiting for hooked Survivors to die isn’t fun for the Killer either.
Elodie was meant to be a great counter to The Twins but struggles to be a Killer kiter. Combine these issues with the lack of a map and this is one unpopular DLC that had a lot of potential.
15 Flesh And Mud
The third DLC ever made fell flat with fans pretty quickly. Many liked the aesthetics of The Hag, but her hex-based skills proved difficult to wield and many were unwilling to main as her. The Backwater Swamp was not a well-received map as it had pathing issues with logs and puddles of water that became annoying very quickly.
It’s another DLC that had a lot of potential and promise but failed to live up to expectations.
14 A Nightmare On Elm Street
The Nightmare (Freddy Kruger) wasn’t a great killer, but he wasn’t awful either, the survivor Quentin Smith was mediocre but capable of making it through the night. What really killed this DLC was the map Springwood.
The reason it doesn’t rank lower is some fans like Springwood, as killers, but as survivors there are too many corners, too many dead ends, and other places to be ambushed or cornered. Patches and slight tweaks have helped, but it’s still left a bad taste in players’ mouths.
13 Curtain Call
Many fans believe this was released shortly after the movie IT to capitalize on the creepy clown phase which may be why it isn’t more popular, but it was alright. The Clown wasn’t all that special of a killer, some fans swear by Kate Denson as a good distraction for the killer and Father Campbell’s Chapel is decent.
Related: Dead By Daylight: The 5 Best (And 5 Worst) Playable Survivors
Honestly it seems like maybe this DLC was rushed a little bit, but still had some good design choices at play.
12 Descend Beyond
The Descend Beyond DLC brought with it some graphical and animation updates that definitely improved the look of the game. The Blight is an interesting Killer that’s fun to play, but not very effective. He can pinball between survivors all day but winning the match can often be tricky.
The survivor Felix isn’t all that special either. He’s decent for solo players, which generally is a signal to allies that teamplay isn’t the player’s main goal. The DLC did not include a unique map, and in the end, it felt like a patch with an interesting new Killer rather than a solid DLC.
11 Demise Of The Faithful
This DLC introduced a unique Killer, The Plague, who’s backstory has been intriguing for fans even if her gameplay is a little tough for new players to pick up. Jane Romero is a capable survivor who introduced useful perks like Solidarity.
The only reason it doesn’t rank higher is the Temple Of Purgation. Lots of fans believe they smashed it over a forest map to save time and it makes the ancient Babylonian structure look weird (not in a good way) among the dense green foliage.
10 Silent Hill
The Silent Hill DLC was anticipated by some fans and made for a welcome addition. The Executioner is an interesting Killer that’s great at punishing enemies but seems to cater to tunneling. Cheryl is a great defensive survivor which often makes her the target of killers, especially because one of her abilities is negated by being the Obsession.
The map is the real meat of this DLC, as it sticks true to the source material to create a creepy and brooding atmosphere. It really caters to survivors in the beginning, but after some walls come down it’s the Killer’s stomping grounds. The DLC is neither amazing nor bad which puts it squarely in the center.
9 Stranger Things
In addition to being a nod to the popular TV show Stranger Things, fans really enjoyed this DLC because it had two survivors instead of the typical one. Other than that it wasn’t too special, Nancy and Steve weren’t terribly exciting and The Underground Complex ended up being an awkward map.
It did introduce the powerful Cruel Limits perk that makes repairing generators a nightmare, but apart from that, the Demogorgon was more terrifying in appearance than ability.
8 Cursed Legacy
Cursed Legacy introduced the popular Oni killer. He is a slow-moving juggernaut that struggles at the beginning, but as the round goes on he becomes more and more powerful. His ability to absorb Blood Orbs makes tracking survivors a piece of cake.
Yui is largely popular for aesthetics. Her ability to reset pallets with Any Means Necessary can make her fun for players that like to troll the Killer, but that’s about it. Yamaoka Estate is a beautiful map that’s functionally absurd. It’s universally hated by Survivors and Killers because of its size and the rampant long grass, so it sees very little use.
7 Halloween
Halloween was an early DLC that showed it was possible to pay homage to horror fiction and make improvements on the game. The Shape (Michael Myers) is a good killer that suffers a little by being one-track-minded thanks to Obsession. The survivor Laurie is ideally equipped to counter him and gets stronger the more of her team is dead.
Once again it would rank higher but the new map, Haddonfield, isn’t all that popular. Granted it’s not as disliked as other maps, but it's not played very often.
6 Chains Of Hate
Chains Of Hate was the developer's attempt to test out some new mechanics and flip the game’s model on its head a bit. The map is really well designed and the destructible walls are a neat new mechanic. Essentially it’s pro-survivor in the beginning and pro-killer towards the end of a match.
The Deathslinger is a unique killer with some flashy moves and interesting abilities. Unfortunately, the Killer has to be diligent about punishing Survivors or the match is over in a flash. Zarina is a new survivor, but she’s not terribly special and doesn’t bring a whole lot to the table. But overall, it’s a great DLC that makes the game feel a bit fresher.
5 Last Breath
The first DLC ever released is a surprisingly good entry. The Nurse is a strong killer with her ability to see any survivor healings via Nurse’s Calling. Nea Karlsson is also a powerful survivor for kiting the killer and avoiding detection.
Related: Dead By Daylight: The 10 Best Survivor Perks, Ranked
The map, Crotus Prenn Asylum, is a very popular map among players for having great aesthetics and good balance between Killers and Survivors.
4 Spark Of Madness
The Spark Of Madness introduced players to the now popular Killer, The Doctor, whose very presence causes Survivors to struggle in their tasks thanks to Overwhelming Presence. The survivor Feng Min is also a nice teammate to have as she can repair generators and get away once they’re running.
The map Lery’s Memorial Institute is also a popular place to compete as the very walls seem to be dripping with insanity.
3 Saw
By far the most popular homage to modern fiction is the Saw DLC. David Trapp is a survivor who’s good at finding the next generator to fix via Detective’s Hunch. The map is also a nightmarish facility full of dark shadows for both survivors and killers to hide in.
But what really makes this DLC shine is The Pig. A horrific killer who’s creepy visage is matched by Make Your Choice which causes Survivors to second guess whether saving another from a Hook is truly worth it.
2 Darkness Among Us
This DLC gave fans the terrifying killer The Legion whose Discordance Perk incentivizes Survivors to split up which makes killing them easier. Jeff Johanson can avoid detection via tokens, permanently see the aura of survivors he unhooks, and breaks hooks when freed from them.
The Mount Ormond Resort is a popular map given it’s the only one with snow and the woods are horrible, dark, and deep.
1 A Lullaby For The Dark
By far the best DLC in the game is A Lullaby For The Dark. It gave players David King whose perks make him an absolute tank. The Red Forest is largely considered one of the better maps in the game as it has clear lines of sight for killers and trees to weave around for Survivors.
But what makes this DLC truly remarkable is the Killer, The Huntress. The perks are decent, but the throwing axes are a great ranged weapon for downing fast survivors. The small tune she whistles and her bunny mask is enough to put many players off their game. She also has the best backstory of any of the killers.