What do YOU find fun in DbD?

As killer, on smaller maps : chases, mind games, survivors goofing off/"bullying" and not having gens flying off.

As killer on bigger/cluttered/safe maps: nothing.

As survivor : chases, mind games, not doing the gens.

In general, in both roles I love when I play (e.g. fill all four emblems).

As a killer: bring complete havoc, being everywhere, control the game. They think I'm chasing another survivor? Surprise! Safe spot to heal? Nah-ah. No one feels safe and in control of situation.

As a survivor: outsmart killer, strategically turn game in our advantage (draw attention, provide decoy and misdirection, break 3 gen), live to powered gates, don't care if die afterwards. Chases not so much, still don't understand how to do chases consistently.

Generally, I really like the game. Sometimes feel like it is the best games I've played in 35 years of gaming. I think that is why the forums focus on the negatives, because there are some elements that ruin an otherwise amazing experience (I say this coming off a game where a Skull Merchant let me bleed out right until the last second, then picked me up and carried me to a hook even though I was the last survivor).

But focusing on the positive:

1: The variety. One of the reasons I prefer survivor over killer is that every game feels really different. I like that between map and killer variety each game feels unique. While I also want the game to be balanced, I prefer variety over balance if there has to be a trade off.

2: The beginning and middle game. As survivor and killer, I really like how the game plays out. When the killer and survivors are roughly even in skill, it really feels like a tense race. Generators are getting done, but survivors are running out of resources and lives. The end game can frequently be disappointing on either side, but its a great run up to that point.

3: Uncertainty. I play soloq, and I do enjoy that there is a lot going on the map that I don't know about.

4: As survivor, escaping feels meaningful. In other multiplayer games, or as killer, it's nice to feel like you had a good game, but its not a major factor. As survivor, the game feels like an experience. In a close match helping the other survivors escape actually feels like we overcame a challenge. Getting downed after the doors are powered actually feels like a horror movie were someone gets caught at the last second (which feels devastating, but makes those escapes feel much more worthwhile). If another survivor played really well and dies at the end I legit feel bad that I/we weren't able to save them, which is not a feeling I've ever had in any other game.

As a killer: playing against 4 high level players in a competitive setting. It's about the only thing I find fun anymore in DbD. I don't really play anymore because I can sleepwalk and win 90% of my games, and the only way to basically ensure good matchmaking for me is to devote a ridiculous amount of time to custom lobbies and competitive scrims.

As survivor: Essentially the same thing. I like playing with teammates at my skill level against a great killer and having to sweat to get people out.

I also think this bit would be useful for the discussion: you know what I find fun in other PVP games? Feedback about your relative skill. I'm really bad at Street Fighter. But it is a tangible feeling of improvement when I beat a Gold player. It's satisfying and downright fun to have concrete feedback that the practice is paying off. You get absolutely none of that in DbD. I can acknowledge the downsides of showing MMR or player rankings, but I struggle to believe the game is better off as a whole for it. You reach a certain point in DbD where there's nothing left to play for if you find the fun in being skillful. There's no feedback about it.

Downing a survivor and land some nice hits as nurse or huntress -- fun.

As survivor I love a tight game. Too many games are landslides, but i love a game where I make it out by the skin of my teeth. Like when the gate opens while the killer is striding towards me.

As killer i really enjoy making friends with survivors once I've killed a couple. Particularly new players or players who are struggling 😊

When I'm survivor the match is fun if someone isn't getting camped or singled out or the killer isn't running around trying to knock everyone down at once. That's the bare minimum for me at least.

When I'm killer the match is fun when survivors can last longer than 10 seconds in a chase and we're both able to kinda outplay or mind game each other.

Generally matches where I can tell nobody is taking it too seriously (but not like farming, just goofing around but also still trying) are usually really fun, but that's rare understandably.

As killer: fun is chasing with the more "aggressive" powers like Billy's chainsaw or Huntress' hatchets and survivors who aren't hiding, good at chases and altruistic. I don't care much about kills.

As survivor: it's fun when a risky move works out. Also (in solo queue which I play) it's great if we manage to coop so well as if we were on comms. Fun are also perks to fool/confuse the killer, e.g. Deception + Q&Q or Dance With Me. However, I can't really enjoy any of that if I'm on a lengthy loss/dying streak which happens a bit too often.

Trying out new perks/creating new builds with them. Or with perks that were recently buffed or reworked. Events. Reading patch notes

Well, the most fun things in the game to me are successfully performing mindgames and using killer powers to catch survivors. That includes things like hitting survivors with damaging powers, teleporting into position for a quick immediate hit, sneaking up on people as stealth killers, instadowning with the Oni's Blood Fury, things like that. That doesn't count, however, for powers that gain value by not taking effect most of the time and having survivors run risks while avoiding them. Example: the Skull Merchant just places her drone in a loop and watches as survivors run away from it, potentially taking a free hit. That means the effect the power is supposed to inflict will rarely happen and you are left with the value gained when they avoid it, I don't like that. The Artist and the Dredge, on the other hand, have powers that will sometimes result in zoning, but you can actually use them to apply pressure and damage survivors most of the time and they are extremely fun at that.

Mindgames are the reason why I like when tiles are designed in a way you can actually trick survivors during loops. That's why I dislike, for example, Fractured Cowshed, where almost every loop is extremely safe with no room for mindgames. A similar thing happens in Gideon Meat Plant: Survivors reach pallets, you break them, you continue after them, no other choice to be made.

Stealth killer powers is also the reason I dislike maps that are way too wide open with too much visibility. If you get unlucky enough to end up in one of these maps as, let's say, Ghostface, you'll be unable to sneak up on people in many places. They're not very fun for other killers either, as survivors will just hold W once they see you from afar.

I think i can say i'm a killer main that play some games on survivor (80% killer / 20% survivor)

As survivor, the fun is in surviving a chase - or at least lasting as long as possible to give my team some time to escape. Another thing that is very fun to me is seen smart teamwork: when my teammates prioritize saves when needed, when they know where the killer can be looped and where they can't lead the killer. Feeling that the another surv is coordinating to outplay the killer and get us out such a good sensation!!

As a killer, i really feel the fun when i can use my power to generate pressure on the survivors and possibily winning the game.

Let me explain: i've tried playing Blight when i started on DBD (2020), but since i was so bad with his power, i was bumping into everything, could not get any survivor injured, and if i get any injure, i couldn't get a down. So, since my pressure on the match was so low the gens were flying and i made it back to the lobby soon. It wasn't any fun, it was frustating.

After this time with Blight, i've tried some other killers like Wraith, Plague and Spirit, and being able to down survivors, get some hooks and good chases was a blast!!

The most recent killer - the Singularity - can be quite fun when you can counter the EMPs, as you can be everywhere on the map at any time.

This is what is fun for me in killer: being able to use a variety of powers and feeling there are having a huge impact in the match. Like: playing as Dredge is quite fun, but can be much more fun grabbing someone on a locker or spookying a survivor while in nightfall; shooting someone through a tiny gap with Deathslinger; or when a survivor is downed by a guard from the Knight.

FEELING THE IMPACT OF THE POWER is where the fun resides to me.

Continuing from that, I must say I really like variety. Mainly variety of options of ways of playing: different powers, playstiles, strategies, builds. That applies to both killer and survivor. Assembling a new build and then making it work is one of the most fun things in the game. However, I must say that variety on things you play against is also important. I don't want to play against the same survivor perks or the same killers everytime.

When it comes to the variety of playstiles, I like that are multiple options to choose when playing killer. You can try to mindgame a pallet or you can break it right away, you can hook a survivor immediatly or you can slug to apply pressure, you can chase one survivor at a time or you can hit-and-run. The many playstiles and tactics are among the reasons why I love playing killer so much.

I have fun sneaking up on ppl with Myers. He's a simple killer to play, but closing the distance using whatever LOS blockers I can, then BAM... Even better if it's a TTV and I get to see their reactions in their VOD after the game.

As killer, I find it fun messing around and not taking things overly serious. I love to meme around when the opportunities present themselves. Like, giving nodders to a survivor when they're a floor up out of reach, that sort of stuff.

I do enjoy some minor taunting as well, like carrying a survivor to the Devour totem before Mori-ing them.

Sweaty games are fine once in a while but I have a lot more fun playing it casual. In fact, a lot of my games I let people go because they do something silly or dumb that made me laugh.

One of my favorite things is when survivors trade items for something, usually their lives. That's probably one of the best interactions on both sides for me. They drop an item and you just look at it, deciding if it was a worthy trade. I've also had games as killer and survivor both where an item hoard was made. When Appraisal first came out, I had a lot of games with like 10+ items just on the floor next to each other. That's the sort of stuff I love in DBD.

Granted, if things like that were every game I'd probably get sick of it but because it's so rare for both sides to meme, it makes it all that more special. Even without those things, I do enjoy playing the game normally as well. I'm a bit of a trophy hunter so I enjoy trying to keep DBD at 100% completion. Though some of the achievements are pretty awful to do, Outbreak Breakout was really bad. -_-

As survivor, I normally play in a 2-man and most of my fun comes from simple chit-chat and playing with a friend. Whether we win, lose, sweat or goof around it's all fun as we work on challenges and trophies. Neither of us take the game overly serious so whatever happens in the match is fine. Even when we do get salty it never goes from one match to another. We treat the game as a game and have a good time with it. We're both sitting at a bit over 2k hours and will probably play DBD till it's end.

As killer main i find interesting that developers fear to buff low tier killers.

And can not making all perks viable to use.

Because we have perks like Hangman's Trick that cannot be used in any build.

We have nightmare and shape that waiting for their buff's by YEARS

Thats realy fun and ironicly.

I hope developers will make all killers viable and strong.

Then we can get rid of camping and tunnel, or 3 gen playstyle/

As survivior i have fun only if i have to play with my friends.

As solo survivor i love to see how much use i can bring in match.

AND YEAH "MADE FOR THIS" IS BROKEN!(For 4.4m/s killers. They cant catch survivor with this perk and "hope")

Have a nice day Mandy!

I know this wasn’t intended for me but I’d like to weigh in. When I play as survivor I always try to do my best. Many times I’ve seen players just give up once hatch is closed, etc. I prefer to try until the end is the end. If I’m being chased and I can get a pallet stun I go for it. On that same note, if I can stun the killer to help a teammate I will. Today I was facing a Legion and as they were chasing an injured Nea I hid behind a pallet to stun them and give her time to get away. To me, that’s playing the game and presenting a challenge to the killer. It’s the kind of gameplay I like to see when I’m playing killer. However, I’ve noticed in some games if I manage to get a stun on a killer in a chase or otherwise that they will tunnel me as if doing so offended them. I don’t understand that because I don’t see my behavior as bullying. I guess that’s how I would define that difference - if I was just going out of my way to ignore the gameplay mechanics (gens, helping teammates) and antagonize the killer instead yeah I’d consider that bullying rather than presenting a challenge.

Personally, there's little I dislike about the game. Even unbalanced maps I enjoy because of the challenge.

In particular, as a survivor I enjoy being against a killer who is able to illicit fear. A really good killer can make even the least threatening such as Trapper into something to fear.

As a killer, I like the tougher fight and challenge that brings, so rarely would I tunnel (and if I do it's because the survivor made the error). I prefer tough challengers and feel a sense of satisfaction if I do well.

Basically, I love challenges. Hate taking the easy options.

I think the element of hide and seek is very fun and underutilized, like not staying across the map from the killer but actively being in proximity to the killer and sneaking past them being a life or death decision, I’ve had a blast jumping into lockers around a corner mid chase to outwit the killer or doing a gen and then jumping into some nearby shrubs when I hear my heartbeat.

I think stealth should be equally as important as being good at chase.

I enjoy taking perk combos or killer + perk combos that most people don't think are good and making them work anyway. Obviously some things will be so bad that almost nobody can make them work, but finding the off meta but pretty good stuff is fantastic for me.

One thing I don't enjoy is any strat, perk, or killer that is very Boom or Bust. Either you win hard or lose hard with hardly any in-between. I know some people do like those sorts of mechanics, but I very much do not.

If you're familiar with the MTG player types, I am firmly a Johnny.

Between way too many of my little pet builds getting deleted from the game or nerfed so hard they may as well have been deleted and the current meta for both sides of Snowball or Lose... I am not playing the game and not planning to come back. Part of me hopes you guys can fix it, but honestly won't be surprised if you never do.

I play for fun but im addicted to bp grind on both sides probably even more. On killer I enjoy downing survivors and hooking them because I like the screams and I like to outplay them. I also find fun to mess with survivors and sometimes let them escape.

On survivor I find chases most fun and close games which can go for any side. Winning mindgames and tricking killers to make mistakes are fun.

I’m not good at chase and looping, I get too nervous and I don’t really practice techs and such. As survivor, I like helping teammates like most any other survivor player, but I like to play the supporting role. People typically hate gens, but I enjoy doing them in aiding my teammates in the efforts to escape. The teamwork is fun

Playing as the trickster and watching everyone glorified me. More cosmetics plz 🙏

As a survivor I enjoy the sensation of fear and dread. That there is a killer approaching either because I hear the Terror Radius or because of the opposite: I hear nothing and the match has been going on for a while. This, coupled with the often great chase themes, gives me a superb gaming experience.

To make it better a great SoloQ team includes people that help each other and know how to work together. And while winning is good at the end of a great match it's best when at least 2 of us (brothers or sisters-in-arms) can manage to escape. If none of us then the fact that the match was long (and I got a pip) feels very comforting.

As a killer I always thought I am the one causing mentioned fear and dread. But what are the indicators for that? People do scream or bleed but if they keep teabagging or gesturing towards you or blinking with their flashlights perhaps they do know what they do and also I am facing a group of friends. I realised later it wasn't the case. Even with this attitude securing 3 or 4 sacrifices is doable.

But the matches are sweaty this way. I feel like I try too hard sometimes. So what remains is the hunt itself. That (hopefully) there is only a short chase during which I make the right (not harsh) decisions and I secure knockdowns. That is great! Even if it is just 1 or 2k at the end. The aim is, naturally, 3 or 4k as it means I was able to "rule" the matches. And the best feeling is not when 4k happens with one survivor finding the hatch or opening the gate. No, it is when I allow them to do it. That is full domination! It feels great! And on rare occasions the best of all occurs: regardless of the outcome all 5 of us feel it was a good match. And all 5 people say "gg". And if they highlight me as the killer having good performance that makes my day.