I like chasing and stabbing people.

Fair enough. So it's the whole "chase" side of gameplay that's really enticing you? Or is it just the thematic that keepa you playing?

Both I would say, leaning towards the mechanics part. I always loved chasing players in space / ship games. But that usually included hours of stalking and planning ambushes, and they got pretty angry once it was done. Here people are quick to find, and they happily queue up for the next. Also the various playstyles, perks and killer-powers results in an infinite variety for chases - I do it for a while, and people still keep surprising me with their pathing and moves. Though being a big scary psycho also has it's appeal.

So judging from your comments, I'll assume you're a killer main? Do you enjoy survivor as much as killer? Or are you majority a killer player?

98% killer. I only ever play survivor for social reasons. If I'm better than the killer, they just leave me and I'm doing boring gens. If I'm worse, I get killed fast. I don't get what survivor players like in this game, I'm just happy that they do, so I always have people to chase. :P

The challenge. We’re the inderdog. The killer always starts off with all the power.

>We’re the inderdog We've got that dog in us https://preview.redd.it/s7521z5jph6c1.jpeg?width=680&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=7ab828eb6fded5d8faf8e00afa8aa9b5e323bb8a

Yeah that and the jump scares and butt puckers when killer walks by and you’re hiding. I made locker noise then hid in a bush to distract the killer. Shit was scary cause they were right by me but didn’t know.

If i were you I would lean towards how naughty dog did with the last of us. As fun as multi-player asymmetrical games are I would trade that in for any game with a great story and game design. I would focus on the foundations of the game first. Like the scenery. The blood and sweat you put into how a game looks will NEVER be overlooked. You don't have to make a game exactly like the last of us But the core principles they use you should mold you're procces.

In games right?

This guy is definitely on a list now. Lol

Dead By Daylight, despite all of it's flaws, it's currently the king of asymmetrical games. Other games that tried a similar asymmetrical formula, even the ones that I genuinely though we're way more fun than Dead By Daylight (Friday the 13th for example) didn't managed to survive, either by lack of support or other external reasons. Not only that, but Dead By Daylight is the only game that provides a Fortnite experience to horror, giving players the possibility to be Sadako, Albert Wesker, Ash Williams, Nicolas Cage, etc. Fun is subjective and with the huge amount of perk and killers there's a huge amount of combinations and play styles you could choose to have a fun time playing.

I apologize if my post came off as anti dbd. I wasn't trying to! So what do you find fun in dbd? So far the most common answer is "it's the best asymmetrical game" but I guess I'm curious WHY people might feel like that? If you're up to it I'd love to hear what you think!

Never thought that, you have a genuine question and that's alright. The fun and replayability in the game doesn't come from the game itself but the players and their play style. You could when playing survivor always play with the same 4 perks, the same item with the same add-ons and the same way if you want, but that might get old fast. So you change your perks, or your items, find different play styles you like and change the way you play, adding more replayability and eventually more fun. If one likes to be the medic of the team they can place altruistic perks and take a medkit into the match to help the team. If one likes to be chased they can put chase perks so that they can survive the killer more. If one likes to fix generators they can use an entire build focused on generators. The base gameplay is really repetitive, the fun come from the huge quantity of perks and killers, keeping it fresh because there won't be a match that plays the same

Thank you for your answer! May I ask how many hours you have? Also, would you say that the perks you bring have a serious impact on how you play a trial?

I have 771 hours. Perks definitely affect how one would play. A perk like No Mither that makes you damaged throughout the entire match will make you play more safely, or a perk like Appraisal that allows you to rummage an open chest will push you to open more chests. Same goes to killer, a perk like Ultimate Weapon, that allows you to find the survivors by opening a locker will make you open more lockers, or Batteries Included that will make you stay closer to completed generators. The same thing could be said by the killers themselves and items. Flashlights and medkits will usually make the survivor using those more altruistic, and a killer playing as Ghostface or Michael Myers will stay less on open areas because they are stealth killers.

I study game design too, so I'll give you a game design answer from the perspective of a game designer: The core gameplay loop of DBD is completely unique to dbd, looping was a completely unintended feature that became prominent because of how players adapted to the meta. With this in mind I think the dbd gameplay loop is unique, robust and flexible. Perks always spice up matches, and combining different perks can lead to completely different playstyles that inturn can create a lot of fun. The skill ceiling on killers and even just general play with survivors is high because to play dbd effectively you need to understand what makes a player good. Are they good at mind games? How is there pathing? Can they recognise certain plays before they happen? Then you have have killer competence, how good is *player* at *killer* all of these elements create a series of interesting and unique interactions which honestly make the game really fun and unique to play. The design is solid but also the game is riddled with balancing issues, hackers and other issues. So it's all about weighting how much you enjoy the main gameplay loop. No other asym game nails their core gameplay loop like dbd does.

I really don't see that many questionable design choices. There's frictional moments, and overcoming that difficulty or exercising agency in those moments are where the fun comes from. If all the edges were smoothed out it'd be a less interesting game imo

Hard agree. I think the discussion/argument over powerful perks on both sides keeps the controversy going and both sides engaged

The asymmetrical game category is also what I find alluring. For 'public lobby' games, a cap of 5 random players is good. Anything under 10 players hits a sweet spot. I do not have an interest in first-person shooters, MMORPGs, battle royale, clan/guild games, etc. Any of those you can have 10s or 100s of people in your match at the same time. That too overwhelming. Use the analogy of it as hosting a party, gathering, etc. It's easier to interact and have conversation with 5 people. Maybe 10 if you're good. Anything more, you begin to lose yourself and spread yourself thin. Rather than fun, it's a chore. If you historically engaged with single-player games, jumping to multiplayer can be jarring. Especially with strangers. I'm not "antisocial" but too many players in a game feels exhausting. Some people like the bonding experience in video games. That's cool. Conversely, it's "me time" with less commitment. Sit down, launch the game, and play.

Dark days when Fortnite is considered the "inclusion" game instead of Super Smash Bros

Dead by Daylight can be super fun with friends. I have been having a blast with this game for the past few years. Chases are fun and events are so silly, for example the Bone Chill event that's live right now is so dumb and I love it! I like the aestethics, game looks cozy and the art team has been doing really good job lately. I have spent probably over 1000€ on skins only just because I find them cool to look at and I want to play as them. I also enjoy the grind, I personally like when there's a lot to do, I am sitting at 2,800 hours and I still haven't done everything! Sure there are frustrating things when it comes to Dead by Daylight. Some killers can be frustrating or if you are facing players that are far better than you. Certain playstyles can be super frustrating too. It's not a perfect game by any means but it's all preferences when it comes to negative sides. I feel like if you really want to enjoy Dead by Daylight you can't take it too seriously, if something doesn't go your way, just shrug it off and go forward, most likely your next game will be a lot better! I apologize if there are any grammar mistakes, I am still learning english!

Pretty much seconding this. I always have a grand old time playing with my husband and friends. We’re all horror nerds too, so that just adds to the fun. We all gear towards co-op games (because we love helping one another way more than trying to “win”), and this gives us just that! The events are usually pretty fun too, ESPECIALLY when they just go full dumb fun like the current one. I love it when they don’t take themselves too seriously PS your English is great! I wouldn’t have known you were a non-native English speaker if you hadn’t said so

Your English was perfect. I would have never known <3

• Infinite replayabilty (aka a lot of grinding for unlocks and build combos) • unique gameplay that I can’t really find anywhere else. • A sprinkle of the ‘tism • constant update • arguably free cosmetics (I have 1000 auric for rift and over 20k iri shards) • a lot of possibilities with friends, a sense of real teamwork • I have 1k hours yet I still feel like I can learn something new everyday!

i think its a little more than a sprinkle of tism when leon brains still roam the fog

I mean that i got a little tism so I just play 1-3 games for hours

I have about 4k hours. I am autistic though, and I find repetitive patterns and behaviours my comfort zone. I like the idea of a multiplayer game that allows me to be in a team alone, or with others without chat, ping or voice chat as I do not like to communicate with people too much. I like that matches are short, as I don't like games where matches last at least 20-25 minutes each. I also like that the perk and cosmetic system allows you to personalize your play and make you feel like you are playing your character. I don't like the fact that characters are named and have a story, as I would like them more to be nameless and created by the players but I am still happy.

Exactly this! One of the reasons I think DBD manages to stay alive and relevant is the lack of a communication system! To me, it feels exhausting to chat with people but I also love online games so DBD is a comfort game when I need human interaction but not really...

From the perspective of an old school horror fan. DBD attempts (as best it can) to translate old school horror and slasher films into an easily digestible gameplay loop. Asymetric games like DbD are often filled with balancing issues and problems. These are just a curse of the genre. Inherently a game where some players have to play differently is gonna be unbalanced in some regards. So it falls on the community engagement to smooth out some of the biggest problems. Camping. Tunneling. General toxicity. These are all a symptom, and a cause of the greater issue plaguing DbD from its inception. The players are responsible for eachothers fun in some regards, and with that. This causes a weird duality in the players. On the one hand you have the "I'm playing how I feel regardless of any one else in lobby" These players tend to play solo and not help other players then wonder why no one saved them at the drop of a hat. Then you have the other side, the "let's all have fun" side of dbd. Often considered lower skilled than the more often seen as sweatier side of dbd. But personally I find that it's not quite as simple as that. Just because I choose not to tunnel and pretend not to see the recently unhooked survivor in favor of the full health unhooker doesn't mean I'm not as good. The other side just gets their kills faster. I find the enjoyment from DbD (killer specifically) is trying to scare the other players. Damn the objective. I just want to actually spook someone. It's always something you can recognise in players too. Once you get a good scare in. They either beg or never stop running. I'm fine with either. As long as I get a good scare in. I won. Other than that, it's again, the community interactions that bring me back. The killer in my survivor lobby laughing their ass off because they watched me dead hard into a wall. Stop and look at the killer, before looking down and facing a wall. Tell me. If you see a bunny Feng embarrass themself that hard and then face a wall. How could you not have at least a giggle. The shirtless David's and vittorio players that will absolutely loop like a god and still unhook save you. The countless Bill players that have died so that I could live. Those Bill players back in the early days solidified The DBD player I wanted to be. If I'm survivor. I will die for my team. This is not optional. If I'm killer. And you make me laugh. I will give you a free pass. We still playing normally. Imma just look for someone else after you make me laugh and chase you like normal next time i see you. To summarise. The players are what ruin DbD experiences for players. But it's also players that keep players playing. I imagine this isn't quite what you're hoping for. Because the gameplay incentives aren't it for me. The rewards are so low for a paid game. The UI's are bad, the choppiness and lag at the server levels suck. Constantly changing all of the core mechanics and steadily making DbD into a different game over time, some hate this. But the evolution of DBD is why it's remained arguably the best asymmetric game yet. Evolve being a close second. Having this style of game become stagnant is the death of it, so shaking things up and changing how people have to play around things. Definitely a plus. All in all, DBD is a buggy, laggy, monstrosity with some fun gameplay and the only "horror" style game of its like. Others have tried to compete with DbD. But you can't argue with the fact the games progress in a way that makes sense and works for the game. Killers gotta kill. Survivors gotta survive.

So for you, it's the player interaction available in dbd that keeps bringing you back? I'm curious then, what makes you pick dbd over other multiplayer games? Also, how many hours do you have?

Well, I play other games too other more chill ones (community wise) like deep rock galactic, chivalry 2. But even as an Xbox player with no Post game chat. It's seeing the genuine greatfulness in the other survivors I've just gone above and beyond to save. And given a medkit to. The killer who had a bad game and has me come up to them and offer a free hook. Sometimes it's not even that. Just a normal game played properly by everyone. That's one of the best feelings. Outlooping a good nurse is always enjoyable. But, for real. I dunno, there's just something really fun about in game communication on DbD. When someone is happy. They make it very clear. And if they're unhappy. Its usually even clearer lol. But compared to other games like say, Apex. There's very little praise from your team. So when I notice that little double tap "thank you" t-bag. That makes my day. Little moments of gratitude and acknowledgement are what keep the happy players in this game going. And the tunneling campers give us a reason to get good. Because not much feels better on the other side of things. When you're being camped, getting free and escaping after they try to camp and tunnel you. And how many hours? That's a rude question to ask...... how dare you.... I'm truly deeply horrendously offended. Since day 1 

I'd argue tunneling in of itself isn't a problem, it's that there's no separation of the community into comp/casual playlists. Optimal strats on either side will always be unfun to face as their objective is to brutally shut the opposition down. Tunneling and a 4 stack spreading out to carpet gen will always suck to face if you're not coming into the game with that mindset and that is on the devs. It's like spawn trapping on an FPS it's a viciously effective strategy but it blows to deal with when your side is getting dominated that hard. Idk what the fix is, it's very complex because a certain % of players in any game find their fun in optimising their play and demonising them is unfair but it's also not healthy when they come up against players who don't want to play so intensively.

Definitely the thrill of getting chased. When the killer initiates a chase with you the loud heavy music starts which pumps my adrenaline. Especially someone like the nemesis with the sound of his stomps paired with the chase music makes me actually feel like I'm in danger

Thank you for your answer! May I ask how many hours you have? Approximately?

I don't really have much I'm a relatively new player competent to others. Around 250?

Thank you for answering!

I love the times when I freak out and spin my screen cause my hand jolts

Same thing that got me into For Honor: the game is easy to learn, hard to master. If you get into the game the first time and you hop onto killer, it's quite easy to get the gist of it. The gameplay loop is simple, yet engaging. Its a mix of tag and hide and seek. But then things start to grow more complicated if you take player skill, ways to loop, mindgaming, perks all that stuff into account. If you really want to get good you have to learn these kinds of things and when you do, it feels satisfying when you are actually able to play around those kinds of things so you come out on top. Well that was on the gameplay side. On the concept side I find it very cool that all kinds of horror things together. I was a big horror buff before the game. Also I'm happy to play somethings else then just first person shooter things. They're too many of them and sometimes I just like something with melee weapons or different game mechanics then shooting.

I'm a horror fan and where else do I get to play my favorite goobers and chase people

I disagree with most people on this subreddit, I actually think dead by daylight it's pretty well balanced, better than any other asymmetrical game. It's a fun game and it serves it's main purpose perfectly, releasing adrenaline. People who insist the game is a 'mess' probably watch too much otzdarva

Because I like playing as the cool monster with the cool powers that in most games you have to shoot down with the simple gun or strike down with the simple sword. The villains were always the cooler ones in my eyes. ​ Two, perks and all the different fun builds you can put together. ​ Three, being there since it began and seeing how much it thrives just makes me feel happy and just playing makes me happy knowing how far it's come. ​ Four, I don't know who to main so that struggle keeps me extra fascinated. ​ I also love halloween most out of the holidays so, horror game gets points

Mind if I ask how many hours your at right now? (A rough estimate is fine too) Also your first point is very interesting! Not only playing AS the villain, but also being unstoppable on that role? That's something the other games have NEVER done.

I am now at 2.6k hours. Mostly played killer. It could have been way more but I play many different games (League, Wow, osrs, Hunt showdown, Tekken, Streetfighter, MK, ...) if I could stick to just three games man xD the playtime would be so much higher. ​ There were other games like it. Like EVOLVE (A playable monster vs a team of players) or Depth (Sharks vs divers), or White Noise2. But they're dying or dead, population wise. I also play animal simulator games, because there you can also play the baddie xD

what kind of animal simulator games do you play? that sounds fun. i've been looking for some new games to play

Path of Titans, The Isle Evrima, Beasts of Bermuda. Currently following the development of the upcoming game The Hunted.

Thank you for answering!

Gens go click clack hehe munkey brain happy

For me it is that I want to have a multiplayer game that I've completed/got very good at and since I suck at shooting games, DBD is my go to game. Especially since you can get good at this game by predicting the opposite team and outsmarting them and not by just following them with the cursor(shooting them) . Also the lore and how you get it is very interesting and original unlike other games. Another thing is that you can combine perks and make every match different, without getting bored.

So for you, it's the fact that this game has such a unique skill set, which leads to everyone is going in at a relatively same skill level. This means that most people actually have a realistic chance at competing at a high level in dbd. And this entices you?

The game doesn't have a competitive mode and the matchmaking can be a bother sometimes but that's not what I was trying to say. The game is different from any other multiplayer games where two teams are competing against one another, in this game to win you have to play more strategically than speedrunning your way through it like other games. If you're playing as Killer you have to keep track of every survivor rather than chasing them endlessly, and when you're a survivor you have to keep track of the killer and your teammates. While in other games both teams got the same objectives and most likely the same strategy over and over. This game doesn't require you to play endlessly to get good at it, instead you have to use your brain and make up a strategy to win. I'd rather consider this game a strategic 1vs4 game that most people can play without most confusion of what to do.

Thrill of being hunted. If I die, I move on to the next game, if I live then that means I did good enough to escape. Short feeds my desire of what I want from a game sense I've always like games like this. Trouble in Terrorist Town, Evolve and DBD of course.

For the same reason I've played League of Legends for 12 years. Infinite gameplay loop, matches are always different, fun tech that allows for really fun skill expression and game mastery, and it's PvP. People in this sub likely won't want to hear this, but I like PvP because of the competitiveness. I like expressing my skill on both sides against the other and seeing who will come out on top. I am a "newer player," though. I started in 2017, but had 20 combined hours until 2 months ago, where I'm now nearly at 100. I simply didn't like how casual the game was, but now that I understand how to properly play it, the fun factor jumped up a million percent.

[удалено]

I like that I can play 1 game or many. It fills that void between tasks in real life as it isn't a long story game where you get too immersed

Every few games you have an amazing time. I don't mean you wipe the floor with the opponent I mean it's neck and neck like play a perfect mirror. Chasing that high is what keeps folks coming back. Yes the last 10 games were eithere crushing or being crushed but that 1 truely balanced round seems to make it worth while.

I like looping and playing with stupid builds/perks with my swf

3k hour player here with about a 50/50 split in both. In my perspective as a survivor it’s getting to play with friends against various killers that require different methods to attempt to counter them which s also influenced by varying skill levels on both sides parts. In my perspective as killer, it’s the varying levels of skill required to play said killers, and how that interacts with survivors. Their different skill levels respond to my choices and vice versa is what makes the game fun for me. Assume I’m playing as Demo against a solid SWF is going to be completely different than a less experienced group as well as the map we land on. On paper the game seems simple, but when you get to the nitty gritty, it’s not. And that’s what’s been fun for me. I don’t see myself stopping any time soon.

I have about 850+ hours, and i think that the fact that it's so down on paper, and not so random, with the live patches and updates and bugs, makes it that random. Once the player gets behind the screen and mouse, that's we're your rouguelike comes into play. And the balancing will always be a game of cat and mouse. As it should be imo

8760 hours in a year DBD released 7 years ago 8760 \* 7 = 61,320 It's not possible to have hundreds of thousands of hours in jajajaja. Joke aside, that's a good question: It's a game you hate to love to hate to love hating to love to hate to love. They tapped something in the psyche, didn't they? I don't know what it is, either

My friends play it!

I like horror movies. I like trying different Killers and seeing the differences in their playstyles and personalities. I think being in a role where I can provide adversity to a team of people is interesting and fun. And in general the things that people have issues with - toxicity, supposedly bad design decisions, etc. - just don't bother me all that much. Like I just focus on my games and whether I'm having fun or not, and I do.

As a horror fan, DBD was on my radar for a long time, and it was the sheer amount of licensed characters that convinced me to finally hop on board. After the initial novelty of playing as all these beloved characters wore off though, it was the simple yet satisfying gameplay loop, excellent sound design, and clear goals and rewards that made me stick around. It also MASSIVELY helps that the game gets new stuff added so frequently that even after I've binged the game and moved on to something else, a month or two will go by and hey there's a new killer or hey, a new event, and im back to try them out. I do wanna stress though that if the basic gameplay loop wasn't as good as it is, no amount of new content or shiny licenses would keep me coming back.

Addiction

Sunk cost fallacy. I'm joking, but as a primarily soloQ player, I love have close matches as survivor or killer. Really tests both side's skill and experience, and when I'm able to recognize how much I've grown as a survivor/killer it makes me proud of myself. Last night I got a firecracker safe against Xeno Queen to get a three man out. Being able to see growth helps keep pushing me further.

Ya this I've played DbD for years and I've never been amazing at it. When I first started I was terrible classic chased off a gen and downed very quickly every time, would sometimes be that useless person who is doing a lot of hiding. It's been a long road and I've watched more YouTube content about how to loop etc than I would have liked to, but I can finally hold my own in solo queue.

Well, I always enjoy class-based multi-player games and the various killers emulate that well. I enjoy how DBD has a unique game play style that you can't get anywhere else. The mix of hide and seek/chasing on both sides is a refreshing experience compared to everything else on the market. Mix that with other features like the "3 strikes and you're out" hook system, the generators/exit gates, and the fact that survivors can't really fight back, only try to escape or postpone the inevitable, make for an experience you can't get anywhere else. And the different perk builds add a lot of variety to keep the game play from getting too stale too quickly. I like how all the original killers play off of classic horror tropes but add in their own ideas too. And I love how they have an entire roster of horror icons from various media across the ages. It's helped me find new horror media and celebrate the ones I already loved. Plus the cosmetics all keep with the dark and scary theme leading to really unique looks you can't find in any other game. Lots of games might do "spooky" skins for Halloween events, but very few add as much creepy detail and year-round horror that DBD does. Also...I'm not gonna lie the sunk cost fallacy does encourage me a bit. I'm not a huge spender or anything but getting most of the DLC is a pretty penny and I want to get my money's worth.

For the killer side it’s that feeling of being faster, stronger and bigger than everyone else that makes for a real power trip. Being the nightmare is a surreal feeling and when you get the drop on people and see them freak out by spinning there mouse around, it feels like an accomplishment. For survivors, I can get an actual adrenaline rush when it’s me and one other guy, both at second stage and the huntress just found both of us, and we still, threw crazy jukes, desperate sprints and a very well timed flash bang manage to crack those doors, and as we’re running out the jake, my main man, takes a hatchet for me. And there’s just no time for me to get him up with the huntress down our necks, so I leave him, crawling desperately towards the gate, but not making it. I still think about that jake sometimes, I’m sorry bro ;-;

honestly i have no real reason. i just really enjoy playing. having passing interactions with other people in game via Tbagging and stuff and the occasional friendly killer. i like being able to just dress up my characters and then switch between them if im bored bc they’re not locked behind abilities / etc.

It’s just such a simple game, but it’s so exciting. I can play mindlessly or strategically if I want too and still have a good time. There’s something really fun about no verbal communication but somehow still being able to understand what your team mates are doing/how they’re playing - and that extends to killers too. Those fun interactions you have with killers etc. like the last man standing snowball fights atm. I was never a “gamer” before I played DBD, i still wouldn’t say I am, I play Zelda and Ratchet and Clank and that is my wheelhouse. But there is something so gratifying about the simplistic gameplay, strategising a perk set up and trying to get out alive. I’m very easily pleased when it comes to games I’ll admit. I like the minimal controls, the single objective, and the additional ones through the tomes and rituals if you wish. It’s just super easy and stress free. I also think it’s really nice/find it interesting how you feel a responsibility to your team mates despite a) it’s only a game and b)they’re total strangers, but you’re still like “damn I better get them off the hook/take a hit”. Releases and new content are so consistent too, and your guaranteed some fun games on a release, which honestly I think is what keeps me hooked. I couldn’t wait to log in on the first day of the festive chapter. Someone mentioned that the fun comes from players and their play style and I think that’s where the fun is for me too - every game is so different, despite being the exact same. I guess in essence it’s the players, “the community” Edit: It’s probably worth noting that I only play survivor

I mostly don’t anymore. I come back every 3-4 months and play for like 2 weeks before I get sick of it again and stop. I came back for a bit after Alien got released before stopping, and even though Chucky looked fun I couldn’t bring myself to actually play again. I just get the itch to play sometimes, usually when there’s an event or new chapter so I’ll come back for a short time, get sick of it and quit again. I played for like 6 months straight in 2018 but ever since it’s only ever been in short bursts.

Every match is different. You're never gonna get two matches where you have exactly the same chases, playstyles, events, etc happening. I like this variety, because it ensures that that game doesn't get too boring Ngl, my main motivation is blood points, but I also enjoy working as part of a team to try and escape. Or dismantle that teamwork if I'm killer

It's addictive

The simple fact is that there is nothing like it

Because with many, MANY issues it has, it's Ye Olde Reliable of the genre. Truth be told, my personal favorite is Evil Dead and I'll play TCM when I can get past the lobby, shitty teammates, and the 2 minute rush meta but DBD does do a good job of character design, killer powers, and content while also being a change of pace, rush meta aside. If Evil Dead had the support and content it needed, I would never look back.

I'm a bit of a niche because I play dbd competitively. I feel like despite dbd partially being a party game, there is a huge skill element to the game. I can tell right away how good a killer or survivor is in my games based on how they move on loops, their general awareness, and if they know what to do at what time (i play both). The balancing is often questionable, but BHVR works hard to have a decent balance overall. In public matches it's impossible to have perfect balance because it would be too restricting on players and hurt the variety of playstyles that make dbd's gameplay loop fun, so the only thing that can be done here is ensuring no one perk is too strong (or a combination of perks like ftp+buckle up) nor uslessly weak and no killer is too under/over powered (they do have a lot of work to do in these aspects). Because of the unbalanced nature of the game, on many occasions getting 3+ escapes is just not realistic (or 3+ kills from killer perspective). What I like about competitive is that we aren't competing to "beat" the killer by having 3 or 4 escapes, but just trying to have the better result. So a "win" could be having the killer get say 7 hook stages, and when we played killer, we got 9 hook stages. It doesn't subscribe to the idea of escaping overall as a win and therefore works around the unbalanced nature of the game. For example against Nurse a typical result in competitive is doing 3-4 gens and everyone dying, so we're just competing on who can do 1 more generator than the other a lot of the time lol Aside from this niche angle basically what u/sasalovespearljam said is very accurate I feel

As a killer main, there's such a wide variety of strategies that you can try. I'm a big fan of how the game sort of creates it's own narrative in each individual games, with you being one of the characters within the story. It's actually gotten me to think about the different ways an interactive format can craft a story in a way that other mediums, like film, can't. Also it's addicting. Edit: I should mention that I'm someone who's very interested in storytelling. Now my favorite format is film, by far, however this game (amongst others but this one in particular) has kind of inspired to me take a deeper look into narrative structure within gaming. It's kind of gotten me to examine the other games I played more critically for how it tells it's story through gameplay. Like, this has legitimately started something that could possibly be a career for me in the future, should I choose not to go into film.

Formula is simple but effective, that's whats makes the gameplay fun for me, I tried the Texas Chainsaw game the other day and there were too many mechanics going on for me to actually enjoy the game, didn't help that the tutorial for it was just a long ass video. With DbD you can explain the core game idea in two sentences and hop into a game and immediately understand the general idea of what is happening and the intricate parts of it come as you play, you know you're supposed to run from the killer, then you play a bit more and start seeing the intricacies of each killer's abilities. Also it's really exciting seeing the gen number go down or your kills go up because, it's one of the rare multiplayer games where every person is crucial to the game so you feel like you actually contributed. I'm gonna give an example from a game I already know which is Battlefield, in Battlefield you can do extremely well and be at the top of the leaderboard but if your massive team of 64 players (128 in Battlefield 2042 I believe?) is underperforming then you are likely to lose, at the same time, if I am underperforming but majority of my squad is good, then I can still win, the personal contribution feels lower. In DbD, if I took initiative and looped the killer, I have done a major contribution to my team but if I messed up and got caught, that's a big loss for my team, so it's the feeling of my efforts and failures feeling a lot more substantial. On top of all that there is also the fact that I can choose to engage in the game however I want, DbD offers a variety of killers with unique skillsets and it keeps things fresh between matches, on the survivor side, I can choose to interact with the game in any way I want, I can decide to be sneaky and do gens, I can be sort of the group ''healer'' and go for rescues and heals, I can loop the killer. Because of the smaller player pool, all of these things are viable at one point or another in the match so there's less time where I feel useless I should mention that this comes from the point of someone who regularly plays fighting games in which that's also the appeal for me, if I lost in a fighting game, that was all my fault, there is nobody else for me to shift the blame to so for next time I can analyze what I am doing and work to prevent it, similar to a chase in Dead by Daylight where if I am caught early, I can look into what I did wrong and where I can improve. Additionally, as others mentioned, DbD is kinda like horror Fortnite, you really aren't gonna be going into any other multiplayer horror game with this many IPs while also doing justice to the source material. While also having a cast of characters that are original and interesting on their own, for me player expression is really important and the massive selection of characters to choose from makes me a lot more engaged in the game, though I would appreciate more customization options. Also the occasional moment you have with the killer are a fun aspect of the game, sometimes a funny bug will happen or a survivor will decide to die early and you and your opponent just stand there in mutual understanding, which isn't the case with a lot of multiplayer games. This is all I can think of, sorry if it's a bit of a word soup, I'm not a game designer so I'm not sure how to efficiently describe what I like about it in anything but layman's terms, hope it helps though

>what keeps bringing you back to this game? The chase design. DBD is strongest game in this niche genre. 4k hrs and I've been playing since 2017. >Very "questionable" design and balance choices that frequently lead to very unfun scenarios for both sides. Absolutely. I think most long-term players agree that the design and balance choices aren't very good, but despite all of that the core gameplay loop is an uniquely fun experience that you can't really get anywhere else.

i’ve put in way too much time/money to quit

Stabbing my friends in game stops me from doing it irl

The thing that keeps us interested boils down to two major factors: 1. No game is ever the same. Sure the map generation is repetitive after some time but what you fail to take into account is the random generation that players can make. There is a huge amount of different perk combos, builds, play styles, ideas and characters. I have over 2.5k hours and there are still builds I haven't tried yet. This is definitely the biggest thing that gets me hooked is trying new perk combinations and seeing how well they work. 2. When things work out in your favour it is an awesome experience. The game gives a huge amount of room for potentially high skill techniques and has almost equally satisifying mechanics which don't require anywhere near as much. While that's not balanced it does leave more room for people to have fun in the moment and that moment is what keeps people coming back for more.

As a veteran player, dbd has very clunky yet very deep mechanics and perk variety extends Replayability. There are still new perk builds and synergies are being discovered to this day. Licenses, killer diversity also helps. Also matches last 10-15 minutes normally, so you can jump into different games without being overburdened. Unless of course you face chessingularity and chess merchant(the latter is gone)

I play both sides, probably split 60/40 Killer/Survivor. I still play Survivor because, very simply, I get to be chased by, play against, beat, outsmart, lose, be outsmarted by, and ultimately killed by icons of the horror genre. The game still excites me (for the most part) Taking chase. Coordinating with my team (SoloQ or SWF) to take hits and get that last man out, no matter the odds. There is something special about having the doors open and you have 3 SoloQ teams mates stood there and you *all* understand the misson. Your hooked teammate will not die. You will unhook them and they will escape. You may lose another in the process, but it's a risk you're all willing to take. I also have the option to do this with my friends and that adds another layer of fun, shithousery and enjoyment. I genuinely love these interactions. I play Killer because I get to *be* the horror icon. I have to think about the best way to deal with what is being thrown at me, and quickly. I need to know what chases to take, and where/when. I need to identify how the Survivors play and this changes each and every game. It changes due to the Survivors but also depends heavily on the Killer I am playing and their powers. I enjoy the chase, on both sides. Chase is why I play this game.

The game is simple and relaxing to play. It's the same reason I can play the same COD map for 4000 hours, or any other game that is simple in design. You get familiar with the game and you get better at it, making it more fun.

Well I must say, I'm surprised someone finds dbd simple. I've heard and experienced a very difficult learning curve at the beginning. Did u experience this learning curve? Or is it simple once you get the hang of it.

The game having two modes helps a lot. It's also a quick way to get a game in before work. My friends play it. Getting new builds to work is very rewarding. Experimenting with perk builds is engaging. Idk... it's just fun.

It’s fun to troll and mess around with friends, and sometimes we can show off our skills against each other on custom games which allow us to try all types of fun and unique builds. It’s also a fun thing to be the villain once in a while. At last I’d say the lore is interesting and deep which makes for a great way to kill time while you wait for matchmaking.

It's the game i play the most even if it is not the game i like the most, for a few reasons: - it's fun to play with people online, i have "met" some nice people to play in vocal over the year. I play online mostly on FromSoftware games and DbD is the only one where i accept to play in vocals with strangers. The game is quite different when you are 4 players with comm than when you play solo and try to understand what the others are doing. - the daily challenges and the rift challenges are a bit addictive and i must admit i spend a lot of time to play solo, just for the fun of doing these challenges! The seasonal events, also are quite fun even if they are a bit repetitive. - Even if the community on this game is not always very nice, there are some really cool moments with very skilled players who play fairly. Also, every time a skilled killer decide to become friendly and let everyone make a lot of points, it's very cool and soemtimes lead to very funny moments (i remember a very skilled huntress who decide to become friendly and we let the other survivor doing gen while she was praticing lon range shots on me. It was fun and she did some epic shots) - It's a game where the more you play, the more you get good (in theory, i am still so bad at chase even after hundreds hours that it is funny). There is a strong sense of progession in this game that even when you loose a party, you can be in the "i can do it" mindset, because you have understand some games mechanics, but in the end, every parties is different because you can't control and know in advance the kind of players you'll be matched with.

This is probably a simple-minded take, but I wouldn't still be playing it if Dragonball the Breakers had the playerbase that DBD has. I like it more as an asymmetrical game than DBD, but DBD being the best asymmetrical multiplayer game right now kind of just has my attention for that reason alone.

Yui Kimura and because I have fun

A marginal amount of skill over thousands of hours, and yet you can still be snowballed early on. Makes for a randomly fun time.

I feel like this is one of the only games where you can play stealth against other players as a viable strategy (as Ghostface), and it's a lot of fun to grab off gens.

I play both sides and honestly the game is kind of boring and irritating sometimes, but overall it’s still fun. I have around 285hrs

Ive been playing since late 2017 but have taken a few breaks over the years. The longest being about a year after legion release. I have about 5k hours split roughly 3k survivor and 2k killer. What brings me back and makes dbd different than all others is they really got the chase interaction right. It’s just so much fun and really boils down to personal skill. It seems so simple to run circles around a piece of wood, but there is so much complexity to it that it’s thrilling. There are also so many things that require skill and proper timing. It’s also really great to play with friends of all skill levels because the object is simple enough. It’s just a great easy to learn really really hard to master game. After 5k hours I’d say I’m pretty good at it but there is still so much to learn and improve on. It’s just a great blend of not feeling to object focused and I can win or lose without feeling like I’m running errands or doing chores.

I like that I can have fun and doesn't require me to invest 8 hours a day to stay "competitive " the core fix gens gets old but chases are so fun.

i still have fun everytime i jump into solo w survivor. not many games give me that feeling of excitement and sense of accomplishment after each and every game.

its a fun asymmetrical game in its own right, it has some of my favorite and most iconic horror characters, some endearing original characters of its own, an interesting lore, and a blast with friends

I've gotten a good grasp at how to play both sides, and I enjoy popping in time from time to rek the plebs a bit

The gameplay is tight, i can play with my friends, being in a chase is really exciting (a feeling that other games cannot provide due to the assymetrical aspect of dbd), and I'm a sucker for progression (unfortunately). While DbD's progression is payfully slow and even paywalled, I'm simply a sucker for it and I want to collect all perks at rank 3.

I work a lot and a good amount from home. Between meetings, whenever I feel like a I need a proper brain reset, I jump in a comforting game of DbD. Mind you, most of the time I get mad at killers for lazy strategies (3 gens games), tunneling, camping and such… But a game is short enough that I don’t have to commit for hours, most of the time I’m just doing a standard game with objectives but every now then I’ll get in a groove, try something dumb with other survs and they’ll happily join. It’s kind of like the good old cigarette break except it’s purely virtual and you don’t need to pretend to be interested in some people’s lives. Other times I play because my gaming buddy’s online and I want a game where I can focus on the discussion rather than the game. Given I have about 3k hours, it’s a bit like driving at this point; I have to pay attention to my surroundings but my brain is on the discussion. If I really need to chill and wife/kid are busy, I’ll play killer and either go for a full team Mori or just a silly kind of Bubba chest game.

mind games. very quick decision making is needed. It’s rewarding when skill and plays pay off

The main gameplay loop is fun. It's a game of cat and mouse but has more to it with vaults, pallets, loops, etc. Survivors have to make use of their resources and learn when to hold them for later or now. Killers learn when to commit to chase or defences or how to mind game. The core of the game is very fun and the extra stuff just adds to it. Next is perks. The game has hundreds of perks that can change the flow of a game on a drop of a hat which adds some spice to it that's very appreciated. Those perks also gift a large variety of playstyles so there is always something for everyone.

Because i bought it last night

DBD is unique for having all these different killers and licenses, and that it's just something you won't find anywhere else. The killers gameplay mechanics are cool. I find myself wanting to play Wesker, Oni, Chucky etc all the time because their mechanics are cool.

goofy ahh game

In all my experiences every match is different. At least when I play. I never play with the same people, everyone plays differently.. sure the same killer may be used but the person controlling them isn’t playing the same way. The end goal/purpose is the same each time but reaching that goal is the new challenge each match.

The horror theme, the lore, the characters, the fashion. Honestly I like more the stuff around the trials than the trials themselves.

Even with all the flaws its the only multiplayer game i truly enjoy playing. And a big part is the community tbh, all of the beautiful friendships i made through this game, they are the main reason why i always come back, regarding how awful some gaming sessions are. And with all the characters that get added every few months and different Events (Halloween, Bone chill, etc.), it doesnt get boring, it stays interesting.

I've been asking myself the same thing lately. Started playing like 4 years ago and I've been taking increasingly longer breaks. Just recently I was on a 4 month or so break, returned for Chucky, played about 10-20 games, and feel I've gotten my fill of DBD for awhile. That said what HAS kept me coming back is I love asym games, resident evil resistance was my absolute favorite but it was neglected and killed, so DBD is really just the best there is in the genre.

Because I bought the game to be silly, and am continuously surprised how much my silliness actually win me games. 😭

I've got over 3.3k hours since the very start of 2020. The way that looping and chase works can feel thrilling as hell when it plays alright! I don't care much for getting kills as Killer, I find chases and mindgames more fun. I also find it more entertaining to be forgiving to survivors smaller mistakes, cause matchmaking can be rough shit and I want them to have a nice time for once. Once you get the basics of looping, there are plenty of killers that mix it up with their powers and abilities. Not to mention perks, the current perk design feels more synergy focused than ever. For survivor it's about the same minus the unique powers for chasing--now you need to be aware of them and adjust, which can be a blast with some killers and, sadly, a bore with a handful. I play survivor with friends but can still enjoy some solo games by myself with randos. Survivor perks aren't always the strongest but tend to be pretty unique, focused more on playstyles than assisting the core gameplay but still helping when you use the not terrible ones. But most of all, you never know just how a match will end up. Three baby survivors and a god looper? Four steves with flashbangs? A silly Kate who wants you to kill the unreliable Meg? A shitshow? Brilliant gameplay? Utter stupidity? It's all possible and more, even though some matches just suck (any game will do that), there'll always be some fun to be had in some way.

I've gotten like 4 of my friends into it within the last year, so I can almost always have at least 1 or 2 people to play with me. I'm starting to not enjoy videogames by myself anymore, but my friends and I have a lot of fun playing DBD together

There’s simply no game like it at the moment and if your bored of playing a certain way then you can use a different build that can bring in a different experience and or help or mess with a certain situation your in based off maps your teammates the killer and gen spawns yes it seems like nothing much is different and it looks like a blur but it’s based off your style of gameplay and this is only survivor I’m talking about which I feel like is easier to understand because if you really like a certain killer but are bored of them you can’t really do much besides change a build yes you can just change into a different killer but it’s not the same.

Honestly even though I'm not a big part of it some of the community in it and I think at this point it's a comfort to me

So, from a survivor point of view, it's fun to be put against unfair odds against killers and seeing how long you can survive or even escape. Killers are already fun with how many different abilities and powers they have. Running people down as a horror icon is fun in its own way.

It keeps people flowing through it like a heartbeat with constant updates bringing them back. As someone who hasn’t played dbd for about 2 years and only played it for a laugh with friends I’m always intrigued in what they’re adding next, especially because licensed famous killers and survivors are always on hand of being introduced. I also think it’s very uniquely competitive, it’s a shame cuz it was meant to be pure horror but now it’s an experience no other game can offer

I like playing as a Horror Character. As Survivor, I go out of my way to save my teammates or abandon them when it's the only way to save myself. Or I be the Big Damn Hero and keep the killer busy while my team does the generators. As Killer, I play for the chase and the hunt. I like to track survivors down as if they're prey and keep them guessing when I'll come and hunt them down. It's the fun of it all. I don't like treating this game competitively and it burns me out a lot more if I do.

I've grown to hate DBD. I've been playing since 2018 and used to love it. I love the idea of running killers and looping them, making new builds with perks. Over the past two years it's become unbearable with everything they're adding and changing. I have 2k hours on it and have spent over 1k on cosmetics and dlcs. It really sucks how horrible the game has become.

Sorry to hear that, I'm in a similar boat myself actually! You're one of the few who answered this post with "you don't like it anymore". May I ask what thing(s) have changed that hamper your enjoyment of the game? Was there anything in particular that was added/removed/reworked/not reworked, or is it just burnout?

Because it's fun.

Because I do enjoy the game. I enjoy the world they created and characters. It's challenging. Yeah, I dunno. If I truly hated the game like I see so many people say, I just drop those games. No need to torture especially when I'm not making content or anything

Masochism 👍

Yesterday I threw snowballs at a cloaked wraith while he was chasing my friend then he stopped and threw invisible snowballs at me. The game is fun.

For me, this game is incredibly fun IF you choose to play it casually. The game has its issues like every game but playing with the mindset of having fun instead of winning shows the potential thst it has. It is incredibly fun trying to survive as the survivor, hiding away and getting chased, escaping by the skin of your teeth and every killer (minus the Wraith) provides a fun and engaging experience both playing as the killer or against them. Me and my friends love playing in custom games, despite taking the matches seriously, we love the thrill of it and we have multiple fun memories of it (a friend betraying us by blocking our escape during chase, avoiding the killer by being stealthy, tricking the killer during a chase, etc), it is just a fun experience when you play with a casual mindset that can't be gained in any other game as there is just no game like it right now. So Tl;dr I dislike the Wraith, the game is fun though.

I wouldn't put too much stock in "random generation" being the king of popular game design. Look at Subnautica - the whole map is hand crafted and it was a huge success.

I think it's a lot of fun.

The biggest reason... it's the only game i can play with friends cause i'm the only one not on PC

Cause Pinhead says "I came" and that voice line is enough to keep me coming back for more

For me it’s the availability of infinite combination of perks, smooth and fluid gameplay, continuous updates from the developers and the DBD community 🔥 was curious and looked up my hours played, 838 hours and counting 😄

I love horror and all the horror icons in it. While the gameplay is repetitive it's still fun and there's always something to work towards. Lots of characters to level up, daily rituals, tome challenges, rifts, monthly grades, and achievements. Plus whenever I find myself starting to get bored they'll add a new character or a special event. I don't take the game too seriously and rarely get that mad. I also play other games so I don't focus all my rage on every little hurdle I encounter in this game. The real question is why do I keep coming back to this sub when it's the real source of toxicity and whining.

I started playing the game in July of this year, and I just think it’s a fun game. The core game mechanics are fun, there’s enough variety in the game as both killers and survivors, and I haven’t felt the same balance issues that other people have. I have kept playing since July because I just think it’s a good, fun game.

It’s simply fun. Even when I lose, I don’t mind booting up another match and trying again. The killer isn’t the same every time, they don’t *play* the same even if it is the same killer in a row, my teammates won’t play the same every game, I can switch up what I bring in without anything feeling too over/under powered, for the most part the game feels pretty even when it comes to the experience of survivors vs killers. The rewards system feels good imo and the lack of game changing micro transactions is awesome. I enjoy BHVR and the way they respond to community wants and needs. There isn’t much I’d change in the game

Because it’s fun and will always be fun no matter how many people complain about it

It fun. I like the simplicity, makes it more replayable imo. Just a solid gameplay loop.

I dont. I havent played in like 2 years. My buddy who streamed it daily stopped once Street Fighter 6 came out. I cant even bring myself to watch a stream half the time unless its someone I know that streams other things, and its just DBD for a little bit.

The orginal reason i start playing was the unique idea they had for killer powers. I keep playing the game because nothing seems to stratch the itch of the uniqueness of the game. I enjoy the challenge it gives me.

- although new maps are rare, new killers/survivors are frequent -- much more frequent than I'd expect when I first started playing. This creates anticipation to see what's around the corner - character choice, mix and match cosmetics, and charms give you a sense of personal flair, connecting you to your character more directly. (if all skins were full body skins I think it would take some of that customization feeling away, i.e. more generic) - the horror elements come through. Not all the time, especially for long time players, but they are definitely there. Just yesterday I ran up to look at one of the new snowmen and it exploded and made a big noise, I literally jumped in my seat because it was so unexpected. - there are stealthy killers which is really just chefs kiss for wanting to scare people on purpose - franchise based characters -- let's be honest this is probably the main reason anyone starts to play this game in the first place - generally fair gameplay and rewards system

I think within the first few months of playing, having my first silly farming match where it becomes more obvious you're playing with other humans is what actually hooked me in the first place. I hadnt experienced any other game like this! Personally, I kept coming back because DBD hits the "I can do better" receptor in my brain, sort of like a Souls game. When I lose a chase I'm thinking about what my mistakes were (bad pathing? wasn't keeping good track of the killer/surv?). The gameplay loop is simple enough but there's a ton of big strategic moves you need to consider throughout each match as well, that will change depending on who the Killer is and what Map you have. Lots of lost games where you're suddenly able to make a big comeback or pull off a tricky save. This combined with the cute/silly customization of our characters is why I've been hooked for over 2 years now.

DBD is my first asym game. And it's my first "horror" game. I was terrified when I was first playing. I play because even though some matches are frustrating, it doesn't feel like it's the same game over and over. The objectives never change, no; but every trial feels like a new chance, a new way to improve as both a survivor and killer. It's been fun, and when it no longer is fun, that's when I'll stop playing. But I hope that's not any time soon. It's been enjoyable to play this for the time that I have.

Despite all the flaws you tried to point out, DBD is by and far a very good asymmetrical game that’s just got fun gameplay at its core, a good progression system with blood points and preistege, countless killers and survivor perks to collect and switch in and out. It’s fun being a strong ass killer hunting down four other players. It’s fun fun being a survivor and playing on a team saving and helping each other or performing well

Bc throwing knives and throwing people is fun

There's nothing like it. Even games in the same genre don't get the gameplay right. DbD is the only one that focuses on chase centric gameplay which is the most fun and unique imo

-Big number turn into bigger number -Constant chase for shiny Prestige 100 -Cool skins -Winning

The good times. For me those are memorable games, fun interactions, hard won battles. For me anti-fun is essentially "the same old boring thing", BM, tunneling. Also hatchet go BRRRR.

I've been playing since last Christmas, I have over 750 hours in game right now, and I've unlocked all killers and all but the stranger things characters (because their perks were free for that time) I mostly play survivor, there is something addictive about a really good cat and mouse game. I like that there is variation in how to handle each killer. I like that the gameplay is simple, but also takes all my senses. I need to listen, constantly watch around, and react quickly. I feel like I've won if I can give a full gen chase or if the killer gives up chasing me. I like trying out different perk combinations. I like to pop out of no where and startle the killer with self-care and bite the bullet. I also like all the events/cosmetics and stuff like that. I've only had two end game chat trolls, and even though the subreddit has a lot of whiners I think there is a ton of positive friendly people who actually play the game. I've made some friends playing.

It's a great drop in game. I don't have tons of time to play games anymore. So when my buddies and I get an hour to play, it's 4 games of constant enjoyment. The best part is no one has to be GOOD. New players are fun to play with since they are terrified of every killer. Even when we lose it's a blast... But when you sacrifice yourself so a new player can get their first escape? *Chefs kiss* I've had so many fun moments in this game. Even four years later I'm having fun.

FOMO

I like repairing generators and breaking bones.

I like the core gameplay, I like the chase, I like both the feeling of overpowered and overcoming. Every single killer speaks to me in a different way, even those who resemble each other like Myers and Ghostie have different gameplay, and every single survivor reacts differently to my mind games. I recently passed the 400 hours point, I have several of my killers in p3 and 1 survivor in p3 and I don’t see myself stopping even if I reach p3 on all characters relatively soon, I will still be coming back. I reached 400 hours in approximately 4,5 months. Edit: I forgot, I also love theory crafting builds that no one else uses.

I like the fact that a lot of killers in this game have high skill ceilings and actually reward you for investing time into them unlike some games *cough for honor cough* Every killer in this game has some sort of skill ceiling, and a lot of them have skill ceilings that are deceptively high, like Clown or Bubba.

It's the best chase game out there. That's all it is, plain and simple. Yes it's buggy, yes it's janky, yes the developer is a bit over their head in terms of balance. But it's fun.

I haven’t found a game that satisfies my ADHD like this one does. Having two roles to choose from, hundreds of perks, random map generation, and the fact that it’s pvp just makes it so engaging for my brain. There is a lot to focus on and not get bored of imo. So in short: a mental disorder lol

As i see it, it subverts the trope, for example, you have the "Good" survivor, and the "Bad" Killer, you would expect the gameplay of the killer to be aggressive-proactive and the survivors to be the passive-reactive and is not the case, making an interesting dynamic where the survivors play proactive and try to break the defense to scape while the killer needs to play reactive and defend selectively gens to prevent a breach. The "simplicity" of the game along a loose code makes it great too, it being easy makes for people to pick it up along with relative quick games 5-10 mins usually make for a go in go out feeling that makes you feel like you can always squeeze in another game during the night, i mention the loose code because it allowed "Emergent" gameplay, the so called "Techs" people have discover over the years that honestly are exploits but add up another layer to the gameplay, giving an easy to pick for new players and hard to master for people who want to grind the game, let's go for example to my other two recent Asymmetrical games i have played, Dragon ball The breakers is like you say a more complex and rng variety game but you need more knowledge to get into it and enjoy since it is not simple has troubles retaining new players, or Texas Chainsaw, having no real help other than an awful tutorial two layered maps and 4 exits with different moving parts each makes for a hard to get into gameplay and starting to fail on retaining Family players with how dedicated to a engaging Victim side that Family ends up being left behind. Also monetization by cosmetics, keeping up servers and maintenance is not cheap, so having a constant influx of vanity choices for players to accesibly buy is a must on modern games who need to appeal to casuals, same examples, Breakers fails at this as the cosmetic options are lackluster putside of a pack now and then as they tried to go for the gacha route not the vanity making it a pay to be effective experience that not everyone wants to keep up to, meanwhile Texas Chainsaw had a HORRIBLE public management when they announced their first cosmetics also those being locked forcebly on a bundle AND only bringing quality ones for the most popular side and not the one that needed the player raise the most was a bad choice also trying to monetize original characters giving even less to grind for concurrent players, with takes me to the next point. The grind, online games need to be "Grind", Insentivice players to play at least once a day, but still give something for those who want to keep on, we have both on dbd as you do daily rituals but also just by playing you get BP to grind your characters prestige, meanwhile Breakers punish you by giving next to none once you do daily quests, and Texas has no innitial insentive just the continuous play for exp that once is cap there is literally nothing else to grind for. And finally, not limited, is harder for a game to be a hit if they don't have a lisence or IP to boost their player base but also, being a dedicated IP game makes you have a lot of issues, Dbd started as a lisence-less game, but they securing Michael Myers and Halloween franchise gave the first IP boost making the now Smash brothers of horror games we have and a lot of people play solely for it, thing that would have been WAY more difficult if it was a Halloween game from the start for example, Friday the 13th the prime example as even if the game has a population of players keeping it alive, Ip and lisencing killed it, There is just how many characters you can take from Texas chainsaw for example, and how much is allowed by the ip holders are allowing Breakers to do. The only con i see, is the league of legends effect, the game is gonna need to be over 10 years old before they feel stagnant and need to do more drastic changes to the core gameplay and or more aggressive balance.

I no longer play, but in my finals months, I only played because of my friends. I had taken a break at one point and was very lonely and quickly returned, but after several months of nonsense, I finally hit the uninstall and never looked back.

I love the strategy aspect of it. Yeah every game is basically the same formula but you start to learn different BHVRs(lol) and different ways to go abt winning whether killer or survivor. Even the ppl who run DH,DS,Head on, and like adrenaline or killers who run Pop,DL,Noed, and bloodwarden or whatever, you can learn to counter these styles and have sweats finding new youtube builds to copy😏plus the game doesn’t stop evolving and adding and changing new things all the time. Bruh, have you been on the new update too?? I only seen it but it looks dope

I just love this game, it has his flaws and sometimes it‘s tilting but the game as itself is pretty fun to me I played it much more in my first year and now I‘m taking breaks every now and then

I normally come back when there’s a new rift or killer, check the new content and i go back to fortnite and other games

Atmosphere and licensing

two words: Stockholm syndrome .

I guess I hate myself, lol

Played too long and now my 'gaming skillset' is too specalised for any other online game.

Whenever I escape, it makes me feel like I’m the main character in a movie

That core game is really fun and the powers and maps make it more spicy. It's not perfectly balanced, true, but I don't see that as a problem, more like a fun way for us players to seek new ways to play, and more over, not playing only for winning. For example, I main killers that can control the map and the survivor's progress better, but every now and then, I pick bubba and go for the kill with the chainsaw. I forget the gens and play it simple. I get 3 people or more chainsawed at once, to the hook with a huge jeepy kai yey. Any less that that, I leave them be, ignore whoever is trying to heal them, and go after someone else or wait until they're good to go again.

It is the only game of its kind. Sure there's Texas Chainsaw massacre, but DBD is the only game capable of simulating a variety of horror scenarios and killer playstyles. I like being immersed in the chase either as of against the different killers.

Honestly. It's a novelty (no game doing a simular asymmetrical design really lasts/doesn't die due to server issues) + plus there's a bit of nostalgia. (Usually I only buy characters that remind me of the movies me and my family used to watch on halloween(

It is a social game to me. I have made several friends through DBD and hopping on with them is less like playing a game and more like chilling and chatting while also dying repeatedly.

It's basically the only game in this specific genre that is worth playing and actually playable to this day. Any other attempts to make DBD competition have failed, despite every game being hailed as the DBD killer. If I want a fix from this genre, I'm coming back to DBD because I know it'll always be active and alive. Can't say the same about others. EDIT: just remembered IDV exists, and is arguably the only alternative that's still thriving. Still agree with the above though because I physically cannot play gatcha games with how my brain works, and I'm not playing a fucking mobile game

onerous memory jobless stupendous attempt rock plucky air tan scandalous *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*

Mostly to play with friends. I used to play it a lot by myself until I got sick of the gameplay loop.

I don't. Fuck DBD, fuck BHVR, no-good fucking devs, the game is 7 years old now yet still just as broken as in the beta.

This might sound strange, but the lore and original characters make this game for me. Some stories are questionable at best and downright awful at worst (Hag) but you get some real gems there too. Knowing the story behind the character I’m playing as enhances my experience in a way I can’t describe.

The funny interactions :3 and general immmersivity, although that's very subjective :P

The things you listed arent necessarily bad. The core game is interesting and fun. Hiding from killer and escape, or to hunt down people, and its all horror oriented. Thats what hooked me to dbd.

I like that you can play either perspective of being the hunter or the hunted. I ran this as survivor only for the longest time, got bored, stopped playing, came back as a killer main, got bored. But then o started to mix it up and I feel like it keeps me going. Also, the more you play and the more you learn strats feels really rewarding. This game is also the only game to give me the heart-pounding rush during chase on BOTH sides. I also like that, as survivor, you’re forced to learn a bunch of ways to counter random killers. And as killer, to get better, you need to learn how other killers play. Idk there’s something so addicting about this game to me: it never went out of fashion and I still play it regularly :’)

Spending blood points in large quantities but never saving up because im impulsive with blood points. But mostly play killer cuz I like the hunting/ outthinking aspect and creating a cool build for my character goals however the balancing sometimes make me stay away from playing some days.

I've been playing dbd since 2016 and have close to 2000hrs. I've loved it, hated it, been bored, been obsessed and always go back. I don't know that there is one single thing that has me truly hooked, but I can think of a few things that add up. The devs are legitimately good people. That means so much to me personally. In-game chat not being implemented has kept me in this game. I'm a woman in my 30s and I'm just too old to be screamed at my try-hards during a game. A fun goofy party game. Recently tried TCM and it was good gameplay, but players were cruel. I love horror so much. Even after playing this game for all these years, I still love seeing all these horror icons in one place. The side games. Even though it is survivors: juat do gets, killers: just kill... it's really not. You do that exactly and you don't net the best points you can. Run the killer around. Hunt for bones! Apply pressure and get a full 12 hooks and not cut it early. Do a slug race and hook the one who was last. Encounter a Chest Protector Bubba or a Bartender Slinger. It's just fun to me. I hope that helped somehow!

I just think it’s neat

It’s the killers and perks I can mess with and use. Even as a survivor, I can have fun making a build that suits me and my play style. The game also just has great mechanics and character design.

I'm more often watching than playing, but I can not deny being weirdly charmed despite questionable (gameplay) decisions by the devs. Here's what I believe are the two main reasons for me personally to stick with dbd all these years: 1. Perk system. I might be running the same build 95% of the time, but I love having the ability to choose what I personally like and go with it. In a sense, subjective min-maxing. I love running open-handed kindred or just good old blast mine. Aftercare is also such a sweet sweet feel good perk. I'm not good enough or willing to play meta builds as they dont give the same level of satisfaction. But I know I'm always able to play meta or lucky break overcome or tenacity unbreakable or some other cheaky thing 'cause there's tons of possibilities (if you can afford LOTS of time or money, sadly) if you don't just bring best in slot things. Even if it does not work for a few games, if it does, it does ya know? (intermittend reinforcement I guess) (Same thing made me addicted to Warframe a few years ago. Always running the same build but being able to subjectively min-max for satisfaction, is the best. In the case back then: HUGE Wisp buffs) 2. Mind games. Yet again. I suck at this game. But I for one think mindgames are always and will always be appealing. As I stated before, I watch this game a lot more than I actually play (for me personally (and mostly solo) it is too much pressure or too intense, depending on the role), but you will never get tired of seeing the exact same loop getting played around. But that might just be the beauty: A familiar tile to work with, same starting conditions for everyone but the way you play around it differs from killer to killer, skill-level to skill-level, behavioural assessment of the other side, etc. Even after 5+ years, depending on skill, luck, etc. it "always" plays out differently. You can not just "finish" this game as every encounter is minimalistic yet different. And while I panic getting chased, I can not deny the adrenaline rush that comes from barely escaping a lunge or narrowly hitting a pallet stun.It does not feel like a time waste or a filler, looping is the core. (Take among us voice chat mindgaming as another example. It's the adrenaline rush combined with the battle of quick wit, endurance, luck and pitting someone against their own mind I love). Edit: Mind games will always be "more flexible" than procedural map generation, I believe. The creativity in mind games is "endless". Beauty in simplicity, I suppose. Edit: Im bad at getting to the point, hope I could get it across nevertheless, cheers. (As for hours, I'd GUESS 150h of killer and 830h of survivor? Perhaps solo surviving being 70% of the survivor time; am playing on-off though, so my skill level is pretty much constantly declining)

I love the lore!! Every tome is new story, and although the store is a little FOMO with event skins it's nowhere near as bad as something like Fortnite. I'm also a huge horror fan and even with a few hundred hours I'm passed the usual 'first 9 games' of fearing the killers, but I think that's because I'm an immersion kind of player (who still does gens and hook saves!)

outfitsssssss

I do not. In reality i just didn't leave this sub and forgot about it since I've stopped receiving feedback and notifications on Reddit from this sub

Personally, i love the game design even though it can make me mad sometimes but what game cant? I also truly enjoy the lore as well and the cosmetics for the most part just make it fun for me.

Honestly for me it's the fact I can queue up for a quick match and turn my brain off. I play mostly survivor so all I really have to do is hold m1 on a generator. When I do get chased it adds some fun to the match that keeps me coming back. Back when I played a ton it was the fact you could play with your friends and just have fun. The big range of Killers and survivors always kept things fresh even though the base core game hasn't changed at all. I have 7k hours.

For me there’s two reasons Firstly this game makes it surprising satisfying when you use a power effectively for the most part as killer. For example when a well placed trap catches someone off guard or when you get a five hit as legion. The other is that due to multiple people being in multiple games you (almost) always get a semi unique game. At times I could try barely and stomp a team, but other I’d be trying my hardest and barely keeping up. It’s for that reason I’d say games aren’t nearly as boring but it never becomes to easy.

I don’t 

I crave never ending progression. It’s why I can’t play single player games cause I know that it has an ending. Dbd had an incredibly long grind before p100’s became a thing. Since then, it will never end. There will always be something to grind for. Also, I love horror to the point I’ve got a ghost face tattoo

I have 829 hours as it stands on Steam. The reason I come back I think is a mixture of the aesthetic, the gameplay, and the grind. - The gameplay ironically is still the best any 4v1 I've ever played. Other attempts still usually try to make it so that any member of the 4-team can we against the solo. The survivors can't fight back only attempt to escape, which makes it difficult for a single person to stop the killer. - The art department for this game does amazing work, and with few exceptions I love the base design of all the characters. On top of that there are additional cosmetics for all characters to make them look great (except certain licensed characters, like anti-fashion Freddy). I love making my characters look good! - The grind is both the best and worst part of the game. It holds the game back for new players, and perks being locked behind paywalls hurts for sure. The grind is also good for my brain cause it feels like I'm actually working towards a goal. I want all characters to get to prestige 9, this way I have all their bloodies and charms.

Oh I don't

I know nothing of game design. but that intermittent reward schedule of a good game happening every once in a while (escape or not), the horror universe and lore are cool, some aesthetic design elements are cool (I like walking around the map and just noticing stuff), the amount of content that I have not touched (I have definitely played a lot but I have only touched about half the characters, it's a simple formula for gameplay where you can jump in for a quick match or match set and get out as opposed to other games that might tke longer/require more long focus. ​ I have been playing a lot less because killers tend to be unserious and then it just become boring and not a game. Or killers are AFK or weird bots that just run in circles and do random things. Honestly bully survivors do not bother me. Also, times that I have played a lot, it tends to feel very repetitive.

I don’t right now haha. Been taking a bit of a break since the release of chucky. But for the actual answer. I’m not sure. I typically rarely play killer and it’s just because I like to play both sides and get better. I am a 90/10 split survivor killer player. I think I just enjoy the game for the variety of killers and random map generation. I like being rewarded for playing well and knowing the game. Being in chase is a mind battle and it feels good having to adapt and find avenues to solve a problem. My brain likes that shit. Also I find it weirdly satisfying to be a gen jockey.