Dead by Daylight Mobile

App review by Chad Sapieha, Common Sense Media
Dead by Daylight Mobile Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 18+

Bloody multiplayer horror game about murderers and victims.

iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android Free Action Games
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Parents say

age 12+

Based on 4 reviews

Kids say

age 10+

Based on 5 reviews

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  • Dead by Daylight app screenshot #1
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A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this app.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know Dead by Daylight Mobile is a multiplayer action game for iOS and Android devices. This is the phone and tablet version of a popular multiplayer horror game, which is about a murderer on the hunt for victims. One player takes on the role of a serial killer whose only goal is to capture, kill, and sacrifice all the other players, who attempt desperately to escape. The killer uses vicious looking weapons -- such as a large blood-stained blade or a chainsaw -- to attack victims, then carries them to a meat hook and mounts them for sacrifice while they're still alive. Meanwhile, victims work together to help each other survive and evade the murderer. Dialogue contains some profanity, including the word "s--t." The game's free to play, but encourages players to spend money on in-app purchases to gain new characters, including familiar fictional killers such as Halloween's Michael Meyers.

Community Reviews

KarakH
KarakH Adult
January 7, 2021
age 12+

Less gore, more thrill.

My daughter first got the PC version of this game before asking if she could also get the mobile version since there appears to be a difference between the two, nonetheless I’ve watched her play a few matches on both platforms and my opinion has remained the same. This game is a horror-thriller, not a gory slasher. When playing as a survivor, you repair generators and complete other objectives to power the exit gates which you can escape through when opened. When playing as the Killer, your job is to hunt down the survivors and stop them from completing the certain number of generators by hitting them with your weapon twice and then putting them on a sacrificial meat hook that slowly summons the game’s main antagonist, “The Entity”. A hooked survivor must rely on their 3 other teammates to rescue them before the entity essentially kills them. What I described may sound very violent, and I’ll admit, it is, but the graphics and noises aren’t horrible. When a killer hits a survivor, there’s a small burst of blood, and the survivor will lead blood puddles until they are healed. After the initial hit, there is no visual wounds or gore other than these puddles. When a killer hits a survivor a second time, they can put said survivor on a meat hook. The survivor will scream as they are placed on the hook, but the graphics are not gory and they simply hang there limply. So simplified, yes there is gore. Is there a lot? No. Is it realistic? No. As long as you believe your child is mature enough to handle seeing some blood and getting jump-scared, then I think this is fine for any 12 year old to play. Oh, and for some of you other parents who have been into slashers or horror movies in the past, this game features some pretty amazing characters such as Freddy Krueger and Quentin Smith from Nightmare on Elm Street, Michael Myers and Laurie Strode from the Halloween series, Amanda Young and Detective Tapp from the Saw series, Bubba Sawyer from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre series, and Ghostface from the Scream series, each with their own unique powers. It’s a fun throwback to see in a 2000s game. But to summarize this article, I give you my ultimate understanding of this game : there’s not as much gore as depicted, and from my understanding, my daughter doesn’t play it for the violence, but the difficulty. This game is very challenging and requires a good amount of teamwork when playing as survivor, and strategy when playing as killer. I don’t recommend this game to 12 year olds, but if they ask, I wouldn’t stop them. Children these days have a way of getting what they want anyways. Violence : 3/5 Gore : 3/5 Swearing : 1/5 Nudity : None Sex : None Smoking / drugs : 1/5
Sauradip
Sauradip Adult
November 15, 2020
age 18+

Too violent

It's extremely violent dont let kids to play this it's for adults only

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

DEAD BY DAYLIGHT MOBILE moves the popular multiplayer horror game Dead by Daylight to mobile devices, and the core of the experience remains unchanged. Players take on the role of either a serial killer -- one invented by the game's makers or plucked from pop culture, such as Halloween's masked Michael Meyers -- or one of a group of four victims. As the serial killer, your job is to find, maim, and eventually kill all of the victims by sacrificing them to an otherworldly monster. As a victim, the player's goal is simply to escape the area through gates and hatches. To do this, you'll likely need to cooperate with the other victims, which could entail rescuing them after capture but before they've been sacrificed. Players can choose between a variety of characters, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, and as you progress, you'll gradually unlock items and perks -- such as a sense of premonition or the ability to sprint -- that can be equipped in your loadout. Additional characters can be unlocked through play or purchased using real money from the in-game store.

Is It Any Good?

One can't help but question the necessity of this port. Dead by Daylight Mobile doesn't really fix anything that was wrong with its original release for consoles and PC, including that game's general lack of terror and creepiness (it's more concerned with grisly competitive action than sending an authentic chill up your spine), as well as its matchmaking issues, which can see players waiting a very long time for a game to begin -- especially if you choose to play as a killer. Plus, it adds several new problems to the mix. For starters, the touch controls can be deeply frustrating, making it difficult to precisely move, target, and interact with objects. There will be moments when even veteran players will feel like they're rookies learning a new interface. And it's an ugly looking game. Bland textures, stiff animations, and a general lack of detail give this mobile port the look of a middling PC game released sometime in the early 2000s.

Admittedly, it's nice that we can download and play for free, leveling up characters and equipping more unlockable items and perks over time. That said, the app's quite pushy with its in-game purchases, constantly tempting players to spend money to buy new characters and outfits with which to differentiate their avatars from those of other players (though, as noted, the visual presentation is so poor, it seems unlikely many players would be interested in spending money on outfits). Put succinctly, Dead by Dawn Mobile is a not-particularly-impressive mobile take on a console and PC-based game that wasn't all that great to begin with. It might not cost any money, but you can't get a refund on the time you spend with it.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about violence in the media. Is the impact of the violence in Dead by Daylight Mobile affected by the purpose of actively hunting and killing other players? How did you feel taking on the role of a killer in Dead by Daylight Mobile? Did you experience any guilt?

  • Can you think of something you've done that became easier once other people helped out? Does sharing a task or struggle with others make you feel closer to them as people?

App Details

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