Dead By Daylight: Best Survivor Builds

Dead by Daylight continues to show off impressive staying power. With more and more chapters for the game on the horizon, the future of the game looks exciting, fresh, and full of new perks. As of now, there are over 100 survivor perks in Dead by Daylight, and while many rarely see regular play, there are plenty of very powerful Survivor perk synergies that go underused.

2024 added plenty of new content to Dead by Daylight and brought a meta shakeup for Killers and Survivors alike. There are numerous ways to play as a Survivor and plenty of niches that can be filled with the right builds. This guide breaks down multiple playstyles for Survivors looking to spice up their perks or try new builds.

Updated February 18, 2025, by Mara Cowley: Dead by Daylight is set to receive a huge quality-of-life update that seeks to improve the experience for all players overall, which is sure to not only keep their current player base active but to bring back long-term fans who took a much-needed break from the meta overrun by tunneling and slugging. This, plus various new killers and survivors that are soon to be joined by more, pushed DbD further than any players imagined, bringing in even more perks for players to enjoy while making slight changes to the existing ones. This opens the doors for more DbD survivor builds.

Altruism Build

Become the Hero

Altruism is not only a blood points category but an important aspect of the game as a whole, as the more players are alive, the more chances there are that everyone can make it out alive. In order to have the best chance possible, players might want to consider running an altruism build focused on saving the lives of others. With these perks that revolve all around saving other survivors from the hook, players can better their chances for survival while bagging themselves more points.

• Kindred (General Perk) – The Aura of the Killer is revealed to all Survivors whenever the Killer comes within 8/12/16meterss of the Hook.
• Borrowed Time (William “Bill” Overbeck) – Extends the duration of Endurance Status Effect for the unhooked survivor by 6/8/10 seconds and the duration of their Haste Status Effect by 10 seconds.
• Shoulder the Burden (Taurie Cain) – Trade 1 Hook State with the other Survivor to their benefit.
• We’ll Make It (General Perk) – Increases Altruistic Healing speed by +100 % for 30/60/90 seconds.

Aura-Reading Build

Read Aura’s to Play Around Killers and Other Survivors

One of the advantages Killers have is that sometimes Survivors just can’t see them coming, especially on certain maps where tall structures of darkness work in their favor. It can also be hard to coordinate with other Survivors that they are not in comms with, which is what makes solo playing so hard. But Survivors can even the playing field with aura-reading, keeping track of not only their fellow Survivors but the Killer as well.

• Kindred (General Perk) – The Aura of the Killer is revealed to all Survivors whenever the Killer comes within 8/12/16meterss of the Hook.
• Eyes of Belmont (Trevor Belmont) – Whenever a Generator is completed, the Aura of the Killer is revealed to you for 1/2/3 seconds. Extends the duration of all instances of the Killer’s Aura being revealed to you by +2 seconds.
• Open-Handed (Ace Visconti) – Increases the radius of all Aura-reading abilities emanating from yourself or other Survivors by 8/12/16 meters.
• Empathy (Claudette Morel) – The Auras of injured or dying Survivors are revealed to you within 64/96/128 meters.

Stun Build

Get Payback

There are few ways for the Survivor to defend themselves against the Killer, as more often than not, they will have to flee and hope they can out-loop the Killer. There are a few ways they can gain the upper hand, one of the main ones being stunning the Killer. By dropping palettes at the right time or equipping certain perks, Survivors can stun the Killer to gain precious seconds to make their escape while getting some much-needed payback.

• Blast Mine (Jill Valentine) – After repairing Generators for a total of 40 %, Blast Mine activates: Press the Active Ability button while near a partially progressed Generator to install a Trap, which stays active for 100/110/120 seconds. When the Killer damages the Trapped Generator, its Trap explodes halfway through:

1. Stuns the Killer for 4 seconds.
2. Blinds all Players within 12.5 metres of the Trapped Generator.

• Exultation (Trevor Belmont) – Stunning the Killer with a Pallet upgrades the Rarity of your held Item to the next tier. Recharges the Item by +25 %.
• Any Means Necessary (Yui Kimura) – Press and hold the Active Ability button for 6/5/4 seconds while standing beside a dropped Pallet to reset it to its upright position.
• Head On (Jane Romero) – After hiding in a Locker for 3 seconds, Head On activates. Performing a Rush Exit out of the Locker stuns a nearby Killer for 3 seconds.

The Non-Teachable Build

Best For Newcomers

For players completely fresh to the game, they may not have access to other Survivors’ teachable perks, as these are locked behind DLC characters or hours of investment into the Bloodweb. This build is made to accommodate those newcomers as they enter The Fog for the first time. While Kindred and Déjà Vu work to provide information to new players, We’ll Make It and Hope grant the player some impressive speed boosts that can help protect Survivors and escape during the endgame.

• Déjà Vu (General Perk) – The aura of three generators within close proximity to each other is revealed. Gain a 6% repair speed bonus when working on these generators.
• Kindred (General Perk) – The Aura of the Killer is revealed to all Survivors whenever the Killer comes within 8/12/16meterss of the Hook.
• Hope (General Perk) – Move 7% faster once the exit gates are powered.
• We’ll Make It (General Perk) – Increases Altruistic Healing speed by +100 % for 30/60/90 seconds.

The Beginner Build

Beginner-Friendly, But With Access To More Perks

For players new to Dead by Daylight, many of the confusing maps and mechanics can be overwhelming. This build is targeted at players who are less familiar with the game but have access to some of the perks available to paid Survivors. Windows of Opportunity will allow newcomers to find nearby pallets and windows around which they can learn to loop Killers. Meanwhile, Kindred and Déjà Vu reveal auras that can greatly help to coordinate hook rescues and break up sets of generators to make patrolling them more difficult for The Killer. Finally, Overcome is helpful in chase for any player not yet ready to learn the intricacies of other Exhaustion perks.

• Windows of Opportunity (Kate Denson) – The auras of pallets, breakable walls, and vault locations are revealed when within a 32-meter radius.
• Overcome (Jonah Vasquez) – Upon being injured, retain movement speed bonus for an additional 2 seconds. This perk causes the Exhaustion effect for 40 seconds.
• Kindred (General Perk) – The Aura of the Killer is revealed to all Survivors whenever the Killer comes within 8/12/16meterss of the Hook.
• Déjà Vu (General Perk) – The auras of three generators within close proximity to each other are revealed. Gain a 6% repair speed bonus when working on these generators.

The Self-Heal Build

Looking out for #1

In most situations, it’s faster to heal with another Survivor or use a Med-Kit than to solo heal. Regardless, some Survivors prefer the security of an extra health state when playing Dead by Daylight. If that sounds like you, consider using this build. With Strength in Shadows, heading to the basement is less perilous and allows you to get fast heals away from the action. Botany Knowledge makes those heals even faster, while Bond and Resurgence work to coordinate body blocks and reduce the effectiveness of tunneling.

• Strength in Shadows (Sable Ward) – While in the basement, gain the ability to heal yourself at 70% normal healing speed. After finishing a basement heal, see the Killer’s aura for 10 seconds.
• Botany Knowledge (Claudette Morel) – Healing speed is increased by 50%. Healing item efficiency is reduced by 20%.
• Bond (Dwight Fairfield) – See the auras of other Survivors within a 36-meter range.
• Resurgence (Jill Valentine) – Gain 70% healing progress after being unhooked.

The Anti-Slug Build

Avoid Bleeding Out

Slugging is the name given to the tactic of leaving Survivors bleeding on the ground instead of wasting time hooking them. When the risk of losing the game rears its head, Killers will often leave more Survivors on the ground in an attempt to make a comeback. This build counters that strategy. Unbreakable prevents you from being slugged, while We’re Gonna Live Forever helps pick other Survivors from the ground quickly. Sprint Burst and Decisive Strike further work to escape the Killer and counter tunneling.

• Unbreakable (William “Bill” Overbeck) – Upon entering the dying state, recover 35% faster and gain the ability to fully recover once per trial.
• Sprint Burst (Meg Thomas) – Upon running, sprint at 50% increased speed for 3 seconds. This perk has a 40-second Exhaustion.
• We’re Gonna Live Forever (David King) – Healing speed is increased by 100% when healing Survivors on the ground. Once the heal is finished, the healed Survivor gains Endurance for 10 seconds.
• Decisive Strike (Laurie Strode) – After being unhooked or unhooked yourself, Decisive Strike activates for the next 60 seconds. After being picked up by a Killer while the perk is active, succeed at a difficult Skill Check to break free from their grasp, stunning them for 4 seconds. Powered exit gates and Conspicuous Actions disable this perk’s effects.

​​​The Endgame Build

Outrun The Killer In The Endgame

Despite the introduction of an anti-camp feature in 2023, Killers will often resort to camping and tunneling in the Endgame to secure a kill. This build seeks to counter the more brutal playstyles that Killers adopt in the Endgame Collapse. This build allows players to outrun The Killer in the Endgame. By Reassuring Survivors on the hook, players can extend the struggle timer, giving others more time to reset or cleanse any nasty endgame Totems. When paired with powerful healing items, this build can ensure a speedy escape.

• Hope (General Perk) – Gain a 7% Haste effect once the exit gates are powered.
• Reassurance (Rebecca Chambers) – Within a 6-meter radius of any hooked Survivor, use the second Active Ability button to pause their struggle progression for 30 seconds.
• Adrenaline (Meg Thomas) – Once the exit gates are powered, instantly heal one health state and break into a sprint at 50% increased speed for 3 seconds. This perk causes Exhaustion for 40 seconds.
• Sprint Burst (Meg Thomas) – Upon running, sprint at 50% increased speed for 3 seconds. This perk has a 40-second Exhaustion.

The Anti-Tunnel Build

Divert The Killer’s Focus Somewhere Else

Players who are sick of getting immediately chased after being unhooked may want to consider running a certain set of perks that waste The Killer’s time when they choose to engage in those types of chases. Being hit off the hook will send players being tunneled into Deep Wounds, after which they can safely enter the dying state within one minute to allow Decisive Strike or Bill Overbeck’s Unbreakable to hit The Killer. Better yet, if The Killer continues to tunnel, now out of Deep Wounds, players can hit a well-timed Dead Hard to utterly ruin the tunneler’s day. While this build takes a lot of skill and practice to pull off, when it works, it can massively waste The Killer’s time.

• Dead Hard (David King) – After being unhooked or unhooking yourself, Dead Hard activates. While injured, use the Active Ability button while running to gain the Endurance effect for 0.5 seconds, after which Dead Hard deactivates. This perk causes the Exhaustion effect for 40 seconds.
• Off The Record (Zarina Kassir) – Upon being unhooked or unhooking yourself, for the next 80 seconds, gain the Endurance status effect, have your aura hidden from The Killer, and have all grunts of pain made silent.
• Decisive Strike (Laurie Strode) – After being unhooked or unhooking yourself, Decisive Strike activates for the next 60 seconds. After being picked up by a Killer while the perk is active, succeed at a difficult Skill Check to break free from their grasp, stunning them for 5 seconds. Powered exit gates and Conspicuous Actions disable this perk’s effects.
• Unbreakable (William “Bill” Overbeck) – Upon entering the dying state, recover 35% faster and gain the ability to fully recover once per trial.

The Runner Build

Can’t Catch Me

Being chased is the most thrilling aspect of Survivor in Dead by Daylight. If you like being the center of the Killer’s attention, with Sprint Burst and Lara Croft’s perk Finesse, you can elude the Killer’s attacks and bait them into missing. Blood Rush will further enhance your chase and deny tunneling Killers as you power through Exhaustion when unhooked. Finally, Window of Opportunity highlights nearby resources to make use of.

• Sprint Burst (Meg Thomas) – Upon running, sprint at 50% increased speed for 3 seconds. This perk has a 40-second Exhaustion.
• Finesse (Lara Croft) – While healthy, vault 20% faster once every 30 seconds.
• Windows of Opportunity (Kate Denson) – The auras of pallets, breakable walls, and vault locations are revealed when within a 32-meter radius.
• Blood Rush (Renato Lyra) ­– After being unhooked, this perk activates for the next 60 seconds. While Exhausted, press Active Ability Button 1 to recover from Exhaustion instantly. This perk is disabled when the exit gates are powered or after performing a conspicuous action.

The Generator Build

A Gen-Rush and a Push

Generator speeds have been slowed over the past few years to give Killers a chance to catch Survivors. There are still a few great perks that allow you to speed up the game, however. Quick Gambit and Sprint Burst ensure that generator speeds increase as long as you remain in chase, uninjured. Meanwhile, Deja Vu and Prove Thyself make your own generators get done just a little faster.

• Quick Gambit (Vittorio Toscano) – When being chased by the Killer, you see the aura of all other Survivors, and all generators receive a 5% repair speed bonus. This perk goes on cooldown for 60 seconds after losing a health state.
• Prove Thyself (Dwight Fairfield) – For every Survivor within 4 meters, gain a 10% repair speed bonus. This effect can only be applied once.
• Déjà Vu (General Perk) – The three closest together generators have their aura revealed. You gain a 6% repair speed bonus for these generators.
• Sprint Burst (Meg Thomas) – Upon running, sprint at 50% increased speed for 3 seconds. This perk has a 40-second Exhaustion.

The Wallhacks Build

The Key to Escape

A key with the Blood Amber add-on is the most powerful chase tool there is in Dead by Daylight. To make the most of it, run Poised, Dark Sense, and Wicked to see the Killer almost constantly. Eyes of Belmont will extend each of these aura reads to keep the Killer in sight during those tense chases, and Sable Ward’s Wicked can help in escaping the basement.

• Eyes of Belmont (Trevor Belmont) – When a generator is completed, reveal the aura of the Killer for 3 seconds. All aura reading effects are extended by 2 seconds.
• Dark Sense (General Perk) – Whenever the Killer enters a 24-meter radius around you after a generator is completed, their aura is revealed for 10 seconds.
• Poised (Jane Romero) – Reveal the Killer’s aura for 6 seconds when starting work on a generator. When a generator is completed, leave no scratch marks for 14 seconds.
• Wicked (Sable Ward) – Self-unhook attempts in the basement always succeed. Whenever you are unhooked, you see the aura of the Killer for 20 seconds.

Counter the Killer

Players looking to maintain a generally good build will find that the core meta perks, while different from those before, feature various perks with similar effects. The best all-around Survivor perks center around getting a speed boost in the chase and the safe rescue of hooked teammates. These perks are very common among Survivors and are effective against every Killer in the game. Sprint Burst causes Exhaustion, so it must be managed correctly for maximum efficiency. It can prove to be incredibly powerful against most Killers. Meanwhile, Decisive Strike and Resurgence help Survivors avoid being tunneled out of the game while buying the team more time to do generators.

• Resurgence (Jill Valentine) – Gain 70% healing progress after being unhooked.
• Sprint Burst (Meg Thomas) – Upon running, sprint at 50% increased speed for 3 seconds. This perk has a 40-second Exhaustion.
• Decisive Strike (Laurie Strode) – After being unhooked or unhooking yourself, Decisive Strike activates for the next 60 seconds. After being picked up by a Killer while the perk is active, succeed at a difficult Skill Check to break free from their grasp, stunning them for 4 seconds. Powered exit gates and Conspicuous Actions disable this perk’s effects.
• Unbreakable (William “Bill” Overbeck) – Upon entering the dying state, recover 35% faster and gain the ability to fully recover once per trial.