Dead by Daylight Interview – Devs Open To More Analog Horror

Expert Verified By

We delved into Dead by Daylight with Behaviour Interactive, discussing the upcoming chapter and all things analog horror.

Story Highlights
  • Dead by Daylight has made a huge name for itself among horror games over the years.
  • We recently got the chance to interview Behaviour Interactive about the game’s latest chapter.
  • In our interview, we went over the team’s first experience with analog horror, the design philosophy behind The Unknown, and more.

Dead by Daylight is a staple of the horror genre, combining multiplayer with elements of classic slasher films for a thrilling experience comprising an expansive roster of killers and survivors.

All Things Wicked, is Behaviour Interactive’s first venture into analog horror, with the latest chapter emanating an unparalleled sense of mystery and terror. To delve further into the themes of this chapter, we sat down with Dave Richard, the Senior Creative Director of Dead by Daylight.

Dead by Daylight All Things Wicked
Dead by Daylight All Things Wicked Art via Behaviour Interactive
What motivated the team to try an analog horror theme for this year`s new chapter?

Dave: The short answer is that it was an interesting theme. Dead by Daylight is a place where we want to explore all that horror can be. We had touched upon analog horror with Sadako and wanted to try our hands at it.

Which famous horror IPs were used as inspiration for All Things Wicked s map, character designs, and lore?

Dave: I wouldn’t be able to pinpoint one thing as an inspiration. I will say that the whole team really immersed itself in it. Analog horror is very accessible, and we took inspiration from a lot of mediums.

The Unknown seems to be one of Dead By Daylight`s most unique killers, defined by his mysterious persona. Can you explain how the sense of mystery translates to his gameplay?

Dave: Part of The Unknown’s gameplay and a huge factor in embodying this sense of mystery has to do with perception.

What we see with its husks – it’s trying to create an illusion so that the Survivor is never sure if what he is seeing is the real deal. The Unknown really wears its name well – because you may think you know what you’ve seen, but you really can’t be sure.

Following the PTB, players have requested the ability to crawl with The Unknown during gameplay. Is that something we can expect in the future?

Dave: Sadly, no.

The chapter has been playable in PTB for a while. Has player feedback led to any changes for the new killer and survivor abilities?

Dave: I always talk about how important player feedback is to us. And it really is, and we haven’t been afraid to enact the necessary changes after a PTB when we see that it makes sense.

This time around we’ve only had to enact minor tweaks – which really speaks, I think, to the fantastic job our team has done on this Chapter.

With All Things Wicked being so different from Dead By Daylight`s usual themes, how did the team prepare for this update before development began?

Dave: Our preparation for All Things Wicked has not been different than with any of our Chapters. Whether we tackle K-pop, Slasher, or analog horror, our preparation is very much research-based.

We sit down and establish core pillars for the Chapter that really dictate what direction it will take.  We ask ourselves: what makes this scary? As it really boils down to that: provide our players with the scariest, funniest, and most entertaining gaming experience we can.

Did you research specific elements of popular analog horror games like Discover The Ocean, Maple County, etc, for the chapter?

Dave: While these are great games, we did not research or look to emulate specific elements of this genre. Rather, we went to the essence of analog horror and focused on its crypticness and use of perception to build our Chapter pillars.

Our game has specific metrics, and we would rather develop our own unique pillars and define what makes it scary for us rather than revisit other games’ mechanics.

Since Sable Ward, the new survivor, was Mikaela Reid`s friend, will players find any easter eggs expanding on this relationship in the chapter?

Dave: They’ll be able to dig deeper into both characters’ histories in the next Archives’ Tome.

Do you think Dead By Daylight will revisit the analog horror theme in future chapters?

Dave: Never say never, and certainly, why not? The response we’ve seen so far to this Chapter has been phenomenal. I think we’ve only scratched the surface of what analog horror can be.

What has been the team’s favorite part about working on an analog horror chapter?

Dave: I think, and it’s a very personal anecdote, but very early in our team play sessions, there would be some pretty visceral reactions to The Unknown.

A hefty mix of disgust and fear but also pride and fear – for instance, when using his power in a very clever way. And, for me, that’s when I knew we had a special character on our hands that wouldn’t leave players indifferent.

What other themes have you wanted to explore besides analog horror in Dead By Daylight?

Dave: I can’t share, but what I can say is that for us, anything can be horror. So, you’ll just have to keep your eyes peeled!

What are the team`s personal favorite killer and survivor picks?

Dave: I’ll speak for myself, and it is very hard to pick only one of each. I prefer playing the Killer, and I love our classics, so I’ll go with The Wraith – also because I love being invisible and surprising Survivors.

Dead by Daylight
Dead by Daylight Screenshot via Steam

All Things Wicked is now available worldwide. Introducing survivor Sable Ward and killer The Unknown, it expands this title’s already impressive roster for more competitive and causal gameplay alike.

We thank Behaviour Interactive and its team for this opportunity. Dead by Daylight is currently available across all major console platforms and PCs, and we hope this expansion opens this popular title to even more people around the globe.

Was our article helpful? 👨‍💻

Thank you! Please share your positive feedback. 🔋

How could we improve this post? Please Help us. 😔

Gear Up For Latest News

Get exclusive gaming & tech news before it drops. Sign up today!

Join Our Community

Still having issues? Join the Tech4Gamers Forum for expert help and community support!

Latest News

Join Our Community

104,000FansLike
32,122FollowersFollow

Trending

The Forever Winter Interview – New Take On Survival Horror

Fun Dog Studios' debut game, Forever Winter is an upcoming survival horror that is set to release on 24th September 2024.

The Outlast Trials Interview – Red Barrels Intends To Establish Second Team

The Outlast Trials is more of a marathon than a race, so Red Barrels intends to steadily add to this experience over the years.

Wobbly Life Interview – Ports Planned For More Platforms

Wobbly Life combines the bizarre nature of exaggerated physics and open-world games into one comedic, exciting, and often wild experience.

Necro Story Interview – Rablo Games Spent 6 Years On Development

Necro Story brings together RPG systems, creature collection, light-hearted tones, and necromancy for an engaging joy-filled experience.

Arena Breakout: Infinite Interview – PC Release Was Planned From Day One

Arena Breakout: Infinite offers engaging first-person shooter gameplay as players fight to survive in an exhilarating extraction shooter.